Knicks lacked the high end talent to get over the edge versus the likes of the Celtics and needed someone who could play center since Robinson is hurt a lot and historically only gives you 20-25 minutes. Randle can’t really play center or protect the rim like that. Now you don’t have to play Simms but sparingly until Robinson is back.
They can play Shamet, Kolek, and Payne in the brief 10-14 minutes Brunson sits and be fine.
On the Wolves side Kat and Gobert made it work last year but it was still a slightly odd fit. Conley is getting older and I love Dillingham but for a team trying to win now I’m not sure you can trust him yet so Donte gives you a ball handler and scorer/ shooter off the bench to pair with Shannon and Ingles.
Randles playing style and high post/ face game up game and ability to pass works next to Gobert and they get a first.
I think both teams will win here if Randle stays on the floor.
There’s still a chance that the Pistons pick turns into a 2nd rounder. The protections are: top-13 protected in 2025, top-11 in 2026, top-9 in 2027 and will convert to a 2nd rounder if not conveyed by then.
I’d guess (hope) that the Pistons will be good enough to pass it along in 2026 but you never know.
Looking at his career numbers. Went from shooting only 1 three per 100 possessions at a 28% clip his first year in Detroit, to 12 3PA per 100 possessions and made 42% in his last year with the Pistons. Only shot 36 from deep in 81 games in 92/93 and shot 415 in 79 games in 96/97.
His rebounding went down drastically during that time as well. Wild stuff. I was only 7-8 his last year with Detroit, so can’t say what he was doing differently or what the team was asking him to do differently.
Told myself I’d go under until they prove me wrong. Though I’d be lying to myself if I said I wouldn’t be disappointed if they got 25-26 wins. Not because of expectations but because we’re still just stuck in the mire even with an 11 game improvement.
I’ll say over 25.5. With a new coach and first time GM, I don’t see them going into tank-mode. With the strength of the draft though, I do see other teams deciding to sell at the deadline and take their chances to get Flagg/Edgecombe/Bailey/Harper. In that scenario, Detroit could pick up extra wins at the end of the season to get them over that number.
Part of the uptick was the NBA moved the 3-point line in before the '94-'95 season before restoring it to it’s original (and still current) distance for the '97-'98 season.