What are the options to get better for next season?

[ZachMlive]

I'm putting absolutely no faith in Blake or Jackson playing the whole year. If either one misses a big chunk we will finish in the 10-14 range of the draft again. I'm not into that.

If healthy, I think Jackson, Bullock, SF, Griffin, Drummond could contend in the top 3 of the East next year. I just don't see the health allowing that.

Gotta hope Stanley and Ellenson can fetch a decent role player. I doubt they can though. I'm not trading Kennard unless it brings back a big-time small forward or point guard. Pretty much just leaves Drummond as the only other tradable asset on the team. Nobody wants Galloway, Leuer, or Ish and we don't have good draft picks to offer.

The number 1 option to get better for me is to fire Stan. He's been one of the worst coaches this year. His stubbornness with Ish as a starter, not making a deal for a PG, not playing Kennard more, relying too much on vets, probably the worst in-game manager today, and too dependant on giving average free agents way too much money just to name a few.

You guys have any good options?

 

[Brian Dombrowski]

Trade Johnson and Ish for a starting quality combo guard. We probably have to take a high quality player who is a little overpaid, or we have to include a pick to get a player who is on a team friendly contract.

 

[TheBrowLives]

Nope. Thats why its so dire here. Drummond and Kennard are the only 2 tradeable pieces worth a dam*. Even a new GM would take years to untangle this mess. I think a new GM would aggressively shop Dre because he's the one that could bring a different perspective to the team back depending on what you get.

 

[ZachMlive]

Yeah, that's what Zach Lowe mentioned on his podcast. He said the only way out of this mess is to trade Drummond.

 

[Brian Dombrowski]

I was talking about getting an upgrade to our talent. If you want us to get fourth star in Detroit or get a top notch all star the trade talks start with Drum and go up from there. Although it is possible that Kennard develops into an all star, that is likely to take a few seasons.

 

[FennisNevitt]

Zach, I was coming out here to ask you how to fix this mess! Lol. Man, what a mess it is.
I feel like our only option is to deal our youth for an established wing. Ellenson SJ and Luke for somebody. That leaves us with Andre Blake Bullock RJ and new player. Then our bench is Moreland Leuer Ish Galloway. Sigh
Or deal Drummond for an impact player, an all star.
Easy to say now, but geez I wish we would have kept Baynes and Morris. Sucks that we lost KCP for nothing. Monroe too hurt. Morris contract was such a good value. And Tobias contract actually declines. We probably would have made the playoffs with that team. Luke and bullock and SJ with Marcus on our wings. I'm gonna cry lol. Plus we would have kept our draft pick

 

[TheBrowLives]

Sucks that we lost KCP for nothing.

why? He hasnt done a thing. if you want him he will be free agent again. He's in for a rude awakening on this next contract.

 

[jayfan]

Zach, I was coming out here to ask you how to fix this mess! Lol. Man, what a mess it is.
I feel like our only option is to deal our youth for an established wing. Ellenson SJ and Luke for somebody. That leaves us with Andre Blake Bullock RJ and new player. Then our bench is Moreland Leuer Ish Galloway. Sigh
Or deal Drummond for an impact player, an all star.
Easy to say now, but geez I wish we would have kept Baynes and Morris. Sucks that we lost KCP for nothing. Monroe too hurt. Morris contract was such a good value. And Tobias contract actually declines. We probably would have made the playoffs with that team. Luke and bullock and SJ with Marcus on our wings. I'm gonna cry lol. Plus we would have kept our draft pick

You're asking Zach what to do now, but if the team had listened to me two years ago, none of this mess would exist because SVG would be long gone. It all starts and ends with him.

By the way, your idea of trading all the players on rookie deals for a wing is very SVG-like, and bad. If SVG remains coach, it doesn't matter what players are on the team - the team is going to suck. Baynes, Morris, Harris, KCP...none of it matters. He's that bad, and the team is that far gone. On the other hand, if SVG is fired, and a competent coach is brought in, then even the current roster has a chance to succeed. You wouldn't want to trade all your rookie contracts because then you're boxed in even more than you are already.

 

[FennisNevitt]

You're asking Zach what to do now, but if the team had listened to me two years ago, none of this mess would exist because SVG would be long gone. It all starts and ends with him.

By the way, your idea of trading all the players on rookie deals for a wing is very SVG-like, and bad. If SVG remains coach, it doesn't matter what players are on the team - the team is going to suck. Baynes, Morris, Harris, KCP...none of it matters. He's that bad, and the team is that far gone. On the other hand, if SVG is fired, and a competent coach is brought in, then even the current roster has a chance to succeed. You wouldn't want to trade all your rookie contracts because then you're boxed in even more than you are already.

Ya we're screwed lol
I feel like Ish would have some value. Him and Leuer only have another year I think on their contracts
We're screwed

 

[ZachMlive]

why? He hasnt done a thing. if you want him he will be free agent again. He's in for a rude awakening on this next contract.

He's had his best season as a pro for the Lakers. Outplayed Bradley all season although it looks like Avery played hurt all year. But based on the money I'm rolling with Bullock. He's been the 3rd best 3 point shooter in the league since he was inserted in December. That's pretty much all he can do and that's why he's dependant on a PG, SF, and a PF that can drive and kick it out.

Speaking of free agents. I'm bringing in IT for the MLE. He's looked good again for the Lakers and no one will give him much more than the MLE. Stan wanted him the last time he was available and if Stan's still the GM I'd think he'd have interest.

 

[ZachMlive]

You're asking Zach what to do now, but if the team had listened to me two years ago, none of this mess would exist because SVG would be long gone. It all starts and ends with him.

Yeah, you definitely were ahead of most on this topic. If we only knew how bad he'd get as a coach. He needs to be let go as soon as the seasons over and not a day later.

 

[Brian Dombrowski]

IT for the mid level exception would be a great get for Detroit. I believe that Leuer and Ish are expiring contracts that would have trade value near the deadline. Do you think the cap will increase enough that shedding Ennis and Nelson would give us enough space under the tax line to sign IT?

 

[ZachMlive]

Yeah, I'm not really sure. I haven't looked at the cap projections. I'm hoping a billionaire would go over the cap a tad to help the team out. Outside of hitting a home run with our 2nd round pick we have few ways to improve the team.

 

[Rollingthndr]

SVG is a joke. Offense is so predictable. Bench is non-existent. Guards are completely outmatched as well.

I wanted Mitchell so bad in the draft cause the dude reminded me of Dwayne Wade. These bitches go and pick whitey with no athleticism and no wingspan. GTFO

 

[ZachMlive]

racist much?

 

[ZachMlive]

Missing out of Mitchell sucks but guess what, 11 other teams did too! We should be happy Charlotte took MOnk! He's terrible and if they took Kennard we would have taken Malik Monk at 12. I'd love to have Mitchell but don't downgrade how well Luke has played just because you wanted "your guy". Go and check how many rookies in history shot 40% from 3 in their rookie years. He's also 3rd for rookie guard fg% behind Ben Simmons and Bogdan Bogdanovic and he's 2nd out of all the rookies behind Tatum in 3 point %. If Stan actually played him more he'd be putting up some nice stats. We needed shooting after having a bad 3 point shooting year and we took the best shooter in the draft. We weren't about to have another Booker/Stanley incident. In hindsight with the Reggie injury, it looks like we should have taken Mitchel but don't kid yourself into believing he'd be averaging 20 ppg here. He would have opened the year off getting DNP's behind Bradley, Ish and Jackson. If Jackson never got hurt Mitchell at best would be getting 12-14 minutes a game behind Bradley.

 

[Brian Dombrowski]

Considering the hype around Monk, he has been bad. Most people were saying this draft was ten deep, with Monk as the tenth quality player. We actually did very well to get Kennard at 12. I agree with your analysis of Kennard's rookie season. I expect him to be a starter quality player next year, and to be a top ten pick when the experts do a redraft after five and ten years.

Kennard looks so impressive on the court that I can't understand the anger about drafting him. Johnson was an understandable draft pick, but his continued struggles opens him up to criticism. We should have drafted Booker, but it wasn't an obvious choice at the time.