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Detroit Pistons could look to copy Oklahoma City's twin tower lineup -- Detroit Free Press
With the success of the Kanter-Adams duo, finding a big man to complement Drummond is a priority.
Let's be realistic about Serge Ibaka for next season
In the Keith Langlois Pistons Mailbag feature from middle of last week, a fan asked:
Stanley Johnson and the Pistons' first-round pick for Serge Ibaka. Who walks away from the table and why? There are rumblings that Ibaka is unhappy with a lesser role in OKC.
Langlois answered: (bold is my emphasis)
And if the Thunder keep rolling, that probably mollifies whatever bruised feelings Ibaka might have about being the third wheel behind Durant and Russell Westbrook. If Durant leaves Oklahoma City, Thunder management will have a blank canvas to remake their roster. I would expect they'd still be 100 percent committed to retaining Westbrook, but maybe they'd want to recast the roster around him. Ibaka, like Westbrook, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2016-17 season. For that reason, the Pistons would be taking a pretty significant risk in offering up their 2015 lottery pick and their 2016 No. 1 pick. And while Stan Van Gundy might be to a point where he'd now consider that type of deal - risking a little bit of the future for an immediate boost - I suspect he'd be reluctant to do it for a player only under team control for one season.
Why Serge Ibaka is Thunder's Swiss army knife -- The Oklahoman
Solid article here from Sunday. Anyway, expect big things from Ibaka against the Warriors. It's going to be a real fun series. And perhaps Kyle Singler plays some key minutes and makes a few plays to help the Thunder, not the Warriors, win a game or two. Though, we are not likely to see Kyle help any team win a game while he is on the court -- because, he'll likely never be on the court:
Donovan continues to laud his team's versatility publicly, saying they can and likely will play varying styles. But the trade-off is simple — should Donovan go small, he'll be dipping into his thin bag of wings at the expense of his loaded set of big men. More minutes for Kyle Singler, Randy Foye or Anthony Morrow means less for Kanter, Adams or Serge Ibaka.
If multi-talented Henry Ellenson slips in draft, expect Pistons to pounce -- MLive
Add Ellenson (pictured shooting above) to the list of possible Pistons targets.
Henry Ellenson did not interview with the Detroit Pistons at the draft combine. The Pistons have the No. 18 pick in the first round and would be delighted to have a shot at Ellenson, but he is projected as a lottery pick (top 14 overall) and possibly a top-10 selection.
He played point guard through eighth grade, until a coach encouraged him to develop post skills.
He was 6-9 by then.
"I wasn't one of those kids who had a growth spurt," Ellenson said. "I was always the tallest kid in my grade. But it's something I think helps me a lot and that's why I think I'm in this position, because I do have those outside skills and I can knock down shots and put the ball on the floor, but also go in the post and get a tough bucket."
Ellenson led 20-13 Marquette in average scoring (17.0), rebounds (9.7) and blocked shots (1.5) in his only college season.
He shot only 28.8 percent on 3-pointers but averaged more than three attempts per game and his offensive versatility is why his draft projections are so lofty.
Operation Arnie: Keeping Kander is a crucial first test for Thibodeau -- Canis Hoopus
But arguably the biggest first test for new President of Basketball Operations and head coach Tom Thibodeau might be deciding on his training staff, and whether or not Arnie Kander is part of the plans moving forward. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 and KSTP, the players all want him back but no talks with Layden or Thibodeau have taken place to date. He says it's currently hard to predict what kind of offer, if any, new management will make and that Kander's family is also in Boulder, Colorado, so the terms have to be exactly right for him to return for his 25th NBA season.