FanPost

Why I Like the Cory Joseph Signing

Detroit Pistons Free Agency: Who to walk away from and who to re-sign -  Page 2(image courtesy of Detroit Jock City)

Looking through pistons twitter on the first day of free agency was chaos...pure, beautiful chaos. Was DeMar DeRozan coming to Detroit? Nerlens Noel? Well, almost...kinda. The Pistons instead landed the likes of Kelly Olynyk, Trey Lyles, and Cory Joseph. Troy Weaver sure does love himself some Canadian hoopers. The Lyles signing confused me to be honest. He is a great shooting addition to the team, but it's going to take away much needed playing time and development from younger players like Sekou Doumbouya, Isaiah Livers, and Luka Garza. Olynyk, in my opinion, is a great signing in terms of the fit but the money and length seems a bit too much (I have a feeling Troy will send him somewhere else like he did Plumlee). My dark horse favorite signing, however, was Cory Joseph for a 2 year $10 million deal.

Let's go through the basics on the soon-to-be 30 year old guard. Joseph is 6'3" 200 lbs entering his 11th season in the NBA (2nd with Detroit). The Pistons acquired Joseph and a second round pick in the trade this past season that sent guard Svi Mykhailiuk to the Sacramento Kings. He played 19 games for the Pistons this past season, averaging 12.0 ppg, 5.5 APG, and 3.2 RPG in 26.4 MPG. In terms of shooting percentages, he shot .506/.368/.878. Decent numbers for a bench player on a bad team, so why do I like the signing so much?

First off, Joseph has had his best seasons under coach Dwayne Casey. Prior to his time in Detroit, Joseph posted his two best statistical seasons in Toronto. For example, in 2016, Joseph put up 9.3, 3.3, and 3.0 while playing 25.0 MPG. Compare that to his career average of 7.0 PPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.6 RPG. Now compare his career average to his stats in his short time in Detroit. Yes, I know, 19 games (11 started) is a small sample size, but at the same time, it is indicative of his comfort in Casey's system and confidence to run his offense with the second team smoothly and efficiently. He is a solid three level scorer that is a reliable playmaker (he does not turn the ball over that often and knows how to get other players involved). It honestly does not reflect what it looks like on the court. His handle is all over the place and he looks like he's about to fall over half the time, but somehow, it works. Somehow, his erratic style of play is how he remains the most controlled and in sync. Make it make sense right? While he does have his fair share of flaws (defense!) and needs to play better, Joseph serves as a reliable back up that can simply get the job done.

Perhaps the biggest reason why I love this signing so much is the veteran leadership that Joseph brings to the Pistons. He is by no means "old" by the NBA standard, but he is one of the oldest players currently on our roster. Yes, Derrick Rose was by far a more talented player, but Joseph has proven to be an excellent mentor for the young guys, especially 2nd year players Killian Hayes and Saben Lee. Taking a look at Killian's stats before and after his hip injury helps paint a clearer picture (yes, I know there are multiple reasons for his improvement, but it is naive to say Joseph did not make an impact on the young guard):

Hayes before the injury: 4.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 RPG

Hayes after the injury: 7.8 PPG, 5.9 APG, 3.2 RPG

Hayes showed marked improvement when he returned to action, and Joseph definitely influenced this. As the pace of the NBA continues to slow down for Hayes, it will be important for Joseph to serve as a reliable vet mentor as the team continues to gel. Additionally, with the addition of Cade Cunningham, Joseph will have one more young star to take under his wing. I'm fine with the contract he got with Detroit given what he brings to the team both on and off the court. Plus, he just seems like a genuinely nice guy that wanted to stick around. I can see why some may be upset as it would take away Saben Lee minutes, but I envision Lee playing the chunk of his time in the G-league to help develop him more.

Overall, I think bringing Cory Joseph back was a good idea. Maybe I'm a bit delusional (I definitely am a bit delusional), so let me know what you all think.

-Gov

P.S. This is my first post on here on my new account, so any and all suggestions are welcome. I definitely want to start posting more content so I'd love to hear feedback :)

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