Draft

Pistons fans: spoiled or frustrated?

Either way, most weren't too happy with the Austin Daye pick. Said one fan on mLive.com: "Finally. Someone with less muscle than Tayshon [sic]." Egregious misspelling aside, this Piston fan did echo the popular sentiment. I don't get it. If basketball ability was measured in muscle mass, Russell Carter would be an all-star. Who's he, you ask? At the '07 pre-draft workout, Carter out bench-pressed everybody - lifting 185lbs a whopping 25 straight times. Kevin Durant, '08 Rookie of the Year, benched 185lbs a total of zero times. Russell Carter is currently plying his trade for the D-League Tulsa 66ers. Kevin Durant averaged 25pts/game and will be an All-star next year.

Now, I'm not jumping for joy over the Piston's draft, but they did address a glaring need. They've been looking for a backup small forward since '04. Remember Tremaine Fowlkes? Ronald Dupree? Carlos Delfino? Mo Evans? Ronald Dupree again? Jarvis Hayes? Walter Herrmann? None of 'em stuck. With Austin Daye, they finally have a guy who can match Tayshaun's athleticism. The Pistons likely wanted Earl Clark, but he went #14. Nevertheless, any player in the mid-1st round is going to be a question mark. These guys usually don't pan out. Despite the Darko-taint, Joe has had massive success drafting outside the lottery - Prince, Okur, Stuckey, Maxiell. I've never seen Austin Daye play, but he evidently has a decent jump shot. He also blocked 70 shots last year at Gonzaga - that shows at least a passing interest in defense. In the 2nd round, Joe D selected another forward, Dajuan Summers of Georgetown. 2nd rounders rarely stick, and this guy will likely be battling last year's pick, Walter Sharpe. They're both extremely athletic and turnover-prone. Whoever plays the better D will likely make the team.

Did the Pistons improve? Most definitely. With the 15th pick, they landed a player who should be able to contribute immediately. But Daye is no impact player... at least not yet.

The impact players will be in free agency. After dealing Amir Johnson, the Pistons now have room for two big names. Listening to Pistons VP, Scott Perry, this morning on the radio, he reiterated the Pistons plan to be very active in free agency. It's looking less and less likely that Boozer is the #1 target. A more likely scenario is that Joe targets Ben Gordon and trades Rip. That's sort of a lateral move, but it would make the team a bit more interesting. It's also possible that Rip could command a decent big man in return. Unlikely, but possible.

And where's the love for Richard Jefferson? Next year, the Spurs will be his 3rd team in three years. What's not to like about this guy? All he does is score, play solid defense, and rarely get hurt. I wish the Pistons would've made a play for him. He could've been an excellent complement to Stuckey and Rip.