NBA Draft Preview: Detroit Pistons

With about a week left until the 2009 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons have some major decisions ahead of them. 

For the first time in six years, the Pistons did not make it to the second round of the playoffs and it appears that some major changes to the team will be ahead.

After last season’s Chauncy Billups/Allen Iverson trade with the Denver Nuggets, the Pistons were left with quite a bit of cap space as well as four picks in the draft. 

The Pistons’ position with the 15th pick in the first round has guaranteed that the team has gotten a chance to visit with a number of the top players heading into the draft. General Manager Joe Dumars told Pistons.com that the team has brought in more than 50 players for individual workouts.

Over the last week, a number of rumors regarding the Pistons draft and trade possibilities have been making the rounds. 

The most prominent rumors have been that they have narrowed their 15th pick down to four players and that when the July 1st trade deadline kicks in, they will be looking to sign free agent Ben Gordon at a reported $11 million.

Hopefully, the Gordon rumor will not come to fruition. In his years with the Chicago Bulls Gordon has had his moments but overall he is a weak player. He has little drive and has a hard time playing defense. He is known to be a ball hog, which is something that does not fit into the Pistons team oriented play as was witnessed with Iverson. It is also unclear why the Pistons would want yet another shooting guard.

Over the last few seasons, the Pistons have struggled in the middle. They haven’t had a true center since the losses of Ben Wallace and Corliss Williamson. The lack of strength in the middle has been a major factor in their failure to win another championship.

There are a number of good quality centers in the draft this year and hopefully a few of them will be left when the Pistons get their first pick. 

North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough would be an ideal pick. His relentless play, rebounding capabilities, and strong jump shot would fit in well with the Pistons style. 

Ohio State Center BJ Mullens would also be a good fit in Detroit. Often compared to big man Chris Kaman, Mullens has the size and length the Pistons need under the basket.

If Detroit picks up a Center in the draft, they could then look to fill another role in the free agent market. Power Forward Carlos Boozer’s name has been brought up a number of times and I think he is the team’s best option. 

Boozer has had success with the Utah Jazz and has been their go to guy down the floor night after night. Some injuries have hampered his play but when he has played he has been consistent on both ends of the floor. During the 2008 season, he was among the league’s top five performers in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

The Pistons have two of their big men up for free agency in Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Wallace’s poor play over the last couple of seasons should make him the easy option to let go. McDyess on the other hand may have a chance at getting resigned. 

With Wallace gone that leaves Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton as Detroit’s biggest options for trades. 

Hamilton was one of the few bright spots in the Pistons’ lineup last year and I would hate to see him leave. Prince is still young and has many years ahead of him but he has failed to produce when it counts. His small frame and inconsistent offense have hurt the team and make him the smart option to shop around.

Still, no matter what the Pistons do in the free agency market and in the draft, the biggest obstacle they had last year was in their coaching staff. Although Michael Curry got along with his players, he failed to inspire any kind of enthusiasm in them. From game to game he kept changing the lineups and seemed lost and confused during the first round of the playoffs. 

Unfortunately, Dumars is determined to stick with Curry this season. It’s a shame since former Pistons’ player Bill Laimbeer recently quit his head coaching job in the WNBA with the to pursue a NBA coaching job.