NBA; Where Do The Pistons Go From Here?

Needless to say, it has been a busy summer for Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons.  As the finishing touches are being considered for the 2009 Off-season, I felt it would be a good time to break down where the team stands today, and what areas it may look to improve on. 

At this point, there is more than good reason to think that new faces will adorn the Pistons' roster before opening night.  Whether or not they will be major changes or slight tweaks remains to be seen, but it is safe to assume that there will be more to come in the near future. 

It seems at first glance that the Pistons are all set at the one through four spots.  With Bynum, Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton, Prince, Villanueva, Maxiell and the three rookies, all of whom are playing well in Summer League play, the rotation there is pretty set.  It is only at the five spot, where Kwame Brown remains the only legitimate option, that uncertainty remains.  What get's done there will most likely be the focus of the remainder of the off-season.

Dumars has spoken of the desire to run a three guard lineup with Gordon coming off the bench and Bynum providing backup minutes at the point in spot duty. Although that could hold true, I think he as much as anybody realizes that there is a glut of talent at the one and two spots, creating the possibility of a trade in the near future. 

Prince is at the peak of his career age wise, and gives as good an effort as anyone on the roster.  Backing him up at small forward could be any combination of Daye, Summers or Washington as things stand now.  Villanueva and Maxiell fill out the four spot pretty effectively, and Summers and Jerebko could provide minutes there if needed.

Ideally, Brown is a twenty minute a night center, leaving another twenty eight minutes to be filled.  With possibly Daye and Jebreko being able to provide spot minutes there, the need remains for a starter quality center to be added.  The options via free agency at this point are few and far between.

The two best candidates, in my opinion, are Rasho Nesterovic and Drew Gooden.  Neither does much to improve our ability to compete in what should be a very competitive Eastern Conference next year, but they would round out the roster and keep us from having a glaring weakness at the position night in, night out.

With the cap space we have left, which estimates put it a bit above $3 million, chances are we cannot afford Nesterovic.  As for Gooden, I have to assume that he does not fit Dumars' idea of a fix at the position.  There has been a nostalgic push for Ben Wallace, and I for one would advocate his at least being on the roster for the vet. minimum, but that appears to be unlikely.

It seems the only fix to this situation, at least while putting us in a position to compete for one of the top four spots in the conference next year, is to explore a trade for an established five man.  After painstakingly scouring the rosters of each team, I have come to the determination that Tyson Chandler would be the best candidate.  Let me explain why.

Chandler is 26-years-old, just entering the peak of his career. Coach Q could arguably get the most out of him offensively, and we may be the place for him to raise his game to the next level, as we have for so many others in the past.  It is widely known that the Hornets are shopping him, and are looking to bring their payroll down in the process.  If the Pistons offered Hamilton and Brown, equally a $15.4 million in salary next year, for Chandler and Peterson, at a considerable $18.3 million next year, we could have an agreeable trading partner.

What this does for the Pistons is give them a legitimate thirty to thirty five minute per night center, spread their minutes in the back court more evenly, and make them more competitive in the coming season.  For the Hornets, they cut nearly $3 million in salary this season, gain flexibility after the season with the end of Brown's contract, and get a back court mate that fits perfectly with Chris Paul. 

The Pistons would still be in need of a backup center, which would create a more realistic role for Ben Wallace, averaging ten minutes per night, who would come at the previously stated veteran's minimum.  It may not be the 03-05 Pistons, but it is better than just about anything anyone could have legitimately imagined just a few short months ago.