Tillman looked quite out of shape, like he put on 20-30 pounds over the last 2 months.
1 Like
Is he doing well?
2 Likes
7 Likes
Ivey has the potential to be a special talent. It’s too bad he’ll be shut down the next 3 games now, but as long as it is a minor injury then it shouldn’t impact his prep too much for the season. That injury could have been much worse.
Duren has looked really good too. Getting Cade was great, but he was still only one player. OTOH, following that up with Ivey and Duren really changes the direction of the franchise. The Pistons are probably only a year or two seasons away from being good.
Livers looks like he could have a long NBA career, as well.
4 Likes
Is it okay to hate Isaiah Todd now?
All I know is I’m a Jabari Smith fan now because his detractors are taking wild victory laps after 2 summer league games
8 Likes
He looked good. Same stuff you saw glimpses of here.
No one his position can stay in front of him on D, his free throws are sus, 6th sense on where to be for boards and had no problems switching out on guards.
Kind of a bummer watching him though tbh. All the tools are there and might turn on all at once for the Clips and not for us.
2 Likes
He looked pretty good at everything but free-throws.
Reminds me of people bagging on Franz after his rough summer league performance.
2 Likes
Yeah Franz was bad in summer league last year and then as soon as the real season started, he played well right from the jump
3 Likes
I can see the future core centered around Cade, Jaden, Duren, Bey and Beef Stew. Livers will contribute as a rotational player. I guess you can throw in Hayes but I need to see more from him especially shooting. Hayes is a Rubio type at this point which isn’t a bad thing but he’s clearly going to be behind Cade and Jaden in the pecking order.
I think we’ve seen that certain kinds of players (mostly guys who aren’t primary ball handlers) can struggle in summer league, or at least are much more at the whim of who they play with.
Summer league definitely, at least offensively, favors guys who play with the ball (see Josh Christopher right now).
I think the two of them finished the year closer than Pistons fans would admit (not an insult!) but Jalen Green and Cade ended up having pretty comparable rookie years after Green looked like the FAR better player in summer league due in part to this dynamic (Cade spent lots of time next to a PG who is. Otorious for not doing very much, and certainly didn’t then).
I think Smith’s struggle so far could be emblematic of something he is going to need to work on - he used to just turning and shooting face up jumpers, which I think is going to be substantively harder against better competition. That’s not saying he can’t or won’t figure it out but is possibly explanatory of what is happening now.
2 Likes
Agree. Need to develop everyone and at the same time keep adding assets. Most championship teams get “lucky” at some point with a player picked later in the draft or an underrated free agent signing. Then either build good depth or pool those assets together and trade for a star. I like how the Pistons are focused on the timing of putting it all together
1 Like
I’d say the Bey pick qualifies as “lucky”
1 Like
When you make a trade just to get a guy, I think it’s more than luck. Livers might be more of a “lucky” pick, just because if he hadn’t gotten hurt, he would’ve gone 10-20 picks earlier.
2 Likes
I think these are the players Weaver will keep on the roster after this coming season.
GUARDS: Cade, Ivey, Killian
WING/FORWARD: Bey, Livers, Hami (Hami’s contract is up after this season so not sure about this one.)
BIGS: Duren, Stewart, Bagley
Next season they’ll have two picks and a ton of cap room which they will likely spend on a handful of vets. They could also bring over Procida after a buyout if he’s as good as I think he can be.
I can’t see any of the following on the roster next year: Saben, CoJo, Olynyk, Noel, Burks, Knox. Key, Blenheim.
Why what did he do?
I still like him to have a nice pro career
I was not a fan of the Pistons taking Ivey in the draft. But now that he is here I am all in. Must admit he has looked good so far in summer league but we will see about his shooting which I am still in show me mode.
Future wolverine Donnie Tillman? Or former Spartan Xavier Tillman? (I did not watch the game)
3 Likes
I thought “luck” was just referring to the fact they got a starting caliber player late in the first round. I assume everyone scouts who they take, the Pistons did a good job of it with him.
2 Likes