Pistons Links: Andre Drummond is feasting, but the ball ain't moving; Clippers injuries and much more

Drummond doing his best Howard impression in Detroit -- NBA.com

At first glance, the 6-foot-11, 279-pound Drummond has the girth and size of Moses Malone. His man-child like build and unmatched motor makes even the casual fan understand how Drummond dominates the paint nightly. However, a closer glance at Malone's numbers shows he averaged a double-double in 15 of his first 16 pro seasons (remember, he played two seasons in the ABA), peaking in 1978-79 with 24.8 points and 17.6 rebounds. There's a long way for Drummond to go to reach those lofty stats.

What's wrong with Pistons offense? Ball movement -- Detroit Free Press

I have a feeling this will be a topic of discussion several more times this season.

Afterward, Van Gundy said: "We don't pass. Everybody wants to dribble it six times and looks for their shot before they pass the ball."

Jackson said: "I don't know, but we're playing against five set defenders every time. That's tough. The action starts at 18, 16 (seconds on the shot clock). It's hard to play against a set defense every play in the league. That's why you're trying to get fast-break points. Everybody in the NBA knows it's tough, very difficult."

Here's the rough translation: Van Gundy wants to waltz, Jackson wants to boogie, as do others.

There is truth in both assessments of how to attack.

Marcus Morris' isolation game and Jackson's probing can make things stagnant. Throw in Drummond's post touches, and the Pistons sometimes make their best shooter (Ilyasova) disappear. His current rate of 6.2 shots per 100 possessions is a career low.

Pistons' Morris a surprise second in NBA minutes -- Detroit Free Press

To beat the Clippers this Saturday, Marcus, Andre and KCP will need to put in another long day at the office.

The Pistons have three NBA leaders when it comes to minutes.

Through Wednesday night, Andre Drummond was seventh at 37.1 minutes per game. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was tied for fourth at 38.3. The surprise was at second, where Marcus Morris was averaging 38.5, behind only Houston's James Harden (39.4).

Morris' previous career high of 25.2 was reached last season with the Phoenix Suns, so it's a substantial leap. And Morris admitted Thursday that there is an adjustment period.

Clippers' loss to Suns is part of a pattern -- LA Times

Bold emphasis is mine. I'm a bit disappointed, as I'd like to see both teams at full strength (as I'm sure most of you out there would too)

The Suns' backcourt duo of Brandon Knight (37 points) and Bledsoe (26) met little resistance without Paul and Redick around to try to stop them.

Rivers said he held Paul out because he didn't like the way he was moving Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks and probably would hold both Paul and Redick out Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.

Austin Rivers, who joined Pablo Prigioni as fill-in starters, said the Clippers had "a bad spirit" against the Suns.

"I pride myself on playing defense and being a defensive stopper and my man had 30 points," said Rivers, who scored 11 points on four-for-12 shooting. "Chris being out, it was a chance to step in and lead and I didn't do that. So it was disappointing. We have a bad taste in our mouth right now, so I hope [Friday] can go by fast so we can play Saturday."

Drummond lifting Pistons thanks to new winning design -- SI.com

To date, Drummond has grabbed an NBA-best 57 offensive rebounds. Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who ranks second behind Drummond, has only 30. For a broader perspective, Drummond (10.6) outscores six entire teams in second-chance points per 48 minutes. He is a roster's worth of rebounders rolled into one and a brutally effective finisher, to boot.

The flaws in the product to date are clear: Detroit could do with more shot creators; the bench is a mess; Drummond's free-throw shooting will only become a bigger problem in time; the Pistons' perimeter shooters in general aren't quite good enough; and the Ersan Ilyasova-Anthony Tolliver power forward tandem isn't exactly the most secure. But at long last, Detroit has a worthwhile foundation worth investing in and committing to, fully. A team that's been subpar for so long isn't chasing perfection—only meaningful, measurable progress.

Detroit Pistons notes -- MLive

Back-to-back breakdown: It breaks exactly even by season's end, but early in 2015-16, the Pistons are disadvantaged in back-to-back situations. They already have been caught twice in the second game of back-to-back spots, against Utah and Golden State. The finale of this road trip, Sunday at the Los Angeles Lakers, also is a back-end game. The Pistons also play a back-end game Nov. 24 against Washington. The first time they catch an opponent playing its second game in two nights is Nov. 29 at Brooklyn.

Drummond, Cousins And Why Coherent Visions Matter -- RealGM

Bold emphasis is mine. Should be *six* seasons in Sacramento.... but hell, could easily turn into seven seasons if nothing positive changes in Sacramento by next season.

As Drummond rampages his way through the NBA in Van Gundy's system, it's hard not to think of what Cousins could do in a similar situation. In seven seasons in Sacramento, Cousins has never been paired with a high-level pick-and-roll guard and a stretch PF, the two prerequisites for getting the most out of a 7'0 in the pace-and-space era. Even if Cousins is never as effective in the two-man game as Drummond, his ability to do so many other things on offense could make him even more dangerous when playing in max space. If the Kings ever decide to start over, Cousins is the wild card who could change the balance of power in the league if he winds up on the right team.

Let me ask this: Would the Pistons' ceiling (this season and beyond) be higher with Cousins instead of Drummond?