Obviously though, 4 seems to be one of the lowest concerns on the totem pole. I think it’s safe to say everyone wants either a 3 or a legit 5 (6′11 or taller), and at worst, maybe a 2. I love DeVon Hardin for this team. What can I say? I think his deficiencies aren’t terribly important in the Pistons game and his strengths are quite complimentary to our squad. I think there is a very real possibility of us taking him (perhaps based on my own hopes), and if it stays that way, we’ll hear about it in the manner we knew Stuckey was getting picked at #15.

I’m sorry to be so contentious about this point, but I just don’t think Afflalo (and though I like him, I think Courtney Lee is the same player, slightly better) can handle defending the 3. If Rush were available, I think he’s the most reasonable of the “3″ crop. He’s experienced, has a nice shooting touch. I don’t see him having a huge career (he is a Rush, after all), but I see him being solid enough to make a decent backup. I would be satisfied with Robin Lopez too. Outside of Hardin, the more I look at this draft, I don’t really see anyone in our pick range.

The 4 guys you have tutoring Hibbert can all move (even Dice looks like he jumps out of the gym and has the lateral quickness of in-his-prime Ben Wallace compared to Hibbert). Hibbert is a statute. I don’t see the comparison or what they can help him with (amid his athletic limitations) at all. His draft status is dropping like a lead balloon, and I couldn’t be happier. Joe is smart enough to take that as an indication to stay away.

I am not arguing that Detroit should trade up for Hibbert, I am only arguing that as a big, Hibbert would fit in with Detroits half court offense, with McDyess retiring soon (next year) and Rasheed’s career winding down, and Samb a question mark, Hibbert appears to fit our half-court-slow-it-down-style of play. Defensively, Hibbert isn’t a slouch, positioned on the low block, and with the tutelage of Rasheed, Maxiell, Ratliff and McDyess, the lad has serious upside. I only pointed out the obvious (…with Hayes, Hermann and the Delfino 2nd round picks, we may be able to trade up for Rush or Hibbert.) to simply throw some meat into the proverbial dsicussion pen. If I had my druthers, we would pack pounds on Amir, make him a 5 and work Samb into the lineup S L O W L Y, and during this next draft get a “…a (very?) poor man’s Rip” and work Afflalo at SF, keep all the mid level cap space for a mid season pick up IF we needed it. Hell lets get younger, and work to stay younger.

LB, What is your take on JJ Hickson? is he athletic enough to move from the 4 to the 3?

I don’t think DeVon Hardin is automatically the answer either, I’d like to take a long look at D.J. White who I’ve followed religious as an IU alum since he first set foot in Assembly Hall for Indiana University. As a five-star prospect (#15 overall in 2004 for Rivals.com) I was disappointed a lot in D.J. and thought he was inconsistent for the first three years of his career. This year however, the guy absolutely blew me away. I had no faith in him for this year and he wasn’t just good this year, he was DOMINANT during a tumultuous season where he got his 3rd head coach of his IU career mid-season! He has a weird game at about 6′8 245, but he’s like Maxiell minus the freakish athleticism (read: leaping ability & explosiveness) and plus a little more offensive savvy with his back to the basket. White plays his behind off on every single play on both sides. D.J. is incredibly strong and he has a nice midrange jumper with a full compliment of post moves. He could be a useful guy in the league, he may not be.

Point is, I dunno who the best guy is for this squad at #29, but drafting solely on height is a bad idea in my book. Roy Hibbert is NOT a good draft pick and the odds of him ever being a solid starter in this league are incredibly slim. Trading up for him would make me violently ill and I sincerely doubt Joe is that masochistic. DJ, do you like Robin Lopez?

Brandon Rush - Best case: Eddie Jones Worst case: Kelenna Azubuike

DeVon Hardin - Best case: Nene Worst case: Jamal Sampson

Courtney Lee - Best case: Anthony Parker Worst case: Thabo Sefolosha.

I don’t take too much stock in these reports other than the current NBA players whose game they resemble. I mean Azubuike, Nene and Sefolosha, we have no idea who they’re going to end up being, so why compare players to them already?

DeVon Hardin on the other hand, is a little bit more of raw talent banking on that overused word: “upside”. He’s got freakish athleticism that needs to be molded. All signs point to him being of good character (obviously huge on our team). You are right that the guy is very limited offensively, but they aren’t things that can’t be coached to some degree, whereas with Hibbert you’re stuck with a lumbering body and you just gotta hope the shot falls. In Hardin, he’s more of a project, but that’s who the Pistons tend to have the most success with outside of Darko (Maxiell, Stuckey …).

Courtney Lee is a mildly better version of Afflalo offensively and maybe at best, equal on defense. I like him, trust me, but why draft him on this team? I also disagree with a contention that Afflalo at 6′5, 200 lbs. (Lee is 6′5 and 205) is a legit 3. He’s an SG in today’s NBA, period.

Brandon Rush is a (very?) poor man’s Rip. Is that enough for a backup SG? Maybe, I’m not going to say it’s not.

I came up with a solution for SF this morning: Matt Barnes. Dude would fit perfectly on our team and just happens to be an FA this year. Toss him ridiculous dough so he can’t say no ($6-7 mil/year) from Lindsey, Dixon, Hayes and Hermann’s contact, and bingo.

That being said, who would replace him? Flip was best available at the time he got hired, and probably is the best now (although somehow I see Michael Curry coaching the Pistons sometime down the road).

Actually, Flip has done a better job this year, but I still think Joe D has had a lot to do with it. A lot of the regular season’s strategy about playing the bench and developing the younger players came from Joe, not from Flip.

It amazes me how people just think Flip is going all cowboy on him.

I also expect to see more of afflalo in the finals at the 2 and 3 with chancey at the 1 whenever Afflalo is in.