The back court wasn’t the biggest need for the Pistons going into Thursday nights NBA Draft. You could make the argument that adding a big man was probably the biggest need however with a run on big men 1-7 the options for the Pistons at 8 were relatively light.
Oh yeah, Brandon Knight who may end up being the best player in this years draft was still available when it was the Pistons turn in the first round.
Again, even though the back court for Detroit was already jammed, Joe Dumars simply couldn’t pass on the talent that Knight brings to the table. I equate this to what the Lions had to do at 13 when Nick Fairley was still available.
The difference here between the Lions and the Pistons is the Lions really didn’t need another defensive tackle, the Pistons on the other hand still need a point guard even if there is a logjam at the position.
So with this logjam now in the back court for the Pistons, does this increase the possibility that Dumars will move one of these pieces? Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News takes a look at this issue and here is what he has to say…
Knight wants to be a point guard and hasn’t shied away from the responsibility. Too many times with the Pistons last season, no one wanted to take accountability for what went on on the floor.
Knight adds to the logjam in the backcourt with Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. At times it seemed none was happy with his role or minutes, and the addition of Knight would only seem to complicate matters.
However, it gives the Pistons some flexibility to decide what to do with those players, and Dumars made a point to say he’ll continue to add young talent
It wasn’t a shot at Hamilton per se, but it’s no secret Dumars would love to move the Pistons’ all-time leading playoff scorer, who’s on the downside of his career. The Pistons won’t give him away, but they are shopping him.
Knight also takes pressure off Stuckey, who at times didn’t want the pressure that came with being a point guard in this city. He didn’t like being judged against the standard Thomas and, most recently, Chauncey Billups set, and now he’s free from that burden — if he stays.
Knight comes from good stock, and has never buckled under pressure. He hit two game-winners in the NCAA Tournament, and had the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of John Wall, who preceded Knight at Kentucky.
The Pistons went into Thursday night needing a big man, and Knight won’t rectify their issues of being among the league’s worst in top defensive categories. To the Pistons’ credit, they didn’t reach for one of the Morris twins just to say they acquired a big man.
It also speaks to their desire to bring back Chris Wilcox, who worked effectively in tandem with Greg Monroe. Ben Wallace will probably return, albeit at a reduced role. With Dumars no longer in handcuffs, he’ll make an aggressive attempt to add a talented big man.
Utah, with the addition of Enes Kanter, has a glut of bigs. Derrick Favors, Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap and former Piston Mehmet Okur all demand starters’ minutes, which means someone is likely out the door.
A lineup of Knight, Monroe, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and Gordon or Stuckey would be one of the league’s most youthful and versatile combinations. Gordon could start at shooting guard or backup, and the Pistons can start building from there.
I would still love for the Pistons to get rid of Stuckey however judging from what Dumars has said Stuckey is still very much in the mix for the Pistons’ future. So with that said the back court I would go with is Brandon Knight at the point with Ben Gordon as the two guard. Coming off the bench you can have Will Bynum (who I believe is a legitimate scoring threat) backing up Gordon and Stuckey coming in at the point. Also Stuckey can moonlight as a shooting guard if need be.
A lot of this though is going to depend on what they do with Rip Hamilton and whether or not they can move his contract this off-season. The Pistons are also going to have to make decisions at small forward with the addition of Kyle Singler.
Source: Detroit News