Pistons Five Priorities To Finish The Season

[jonathanlambert33]

The Detroit Pistons could be eliminated from the playoff race as soon as tonight.

I dont know whether John Loyer and crew have been feigning a competitive belief they could make the playoffs or operating under sincere delusion, but the jig is up. Or at least it will be soon enough.

Now that the Pistons will have to accept what fans have known for quite some time even under the best of fortunes, their season will end April 16 its time for the team to develop a plan for its final seven games. Here are what should be the top five priorities.

1. Lose

The Pistons appear safe to finish with at least the NBAs eighth-worst record. They have four fewer wins than ninth-worst Cleveland, and its unlikely Detroit even wins four games the rest of the season.

But the leagues eighth-worst record is not enough to guarantee the Pistons will keep their first-round pick, which goes to the Bobcats unless it lands in the top eight of the draft.

If the Pistons enter the lottery with its No. 8 seed, theyll have just an 82.4 percent chance of keeping their pick. Bumping up that to the No. 9 seed would increase their odds of keeping the pick to 98.1 percent.

The Pistons, who are tied with the Kings for the NBAs seventh-worst record and have chance to catch the sixth-worst Lakers, can really help their cause by continuing to lose.

2. Evaluate Peyton Siva

Siva has a fully unguaranteed contract for next season, but it becomes guaranteed July 13, so the Pistons must decide soon after the season how to proceed with him.

I dont think Siva will last in the NBA. Hes small and doesnt shoot well, an extremely difficult combination to overcome. When he point guards the Pistons offense, they score an abysmal 92.1 points per 100 possessions. His defense, effective relative to his offense, can't overcome that.

But before waiving Siva, the Pistons should be more certain of his future. That means playing him big minutes, putting him in a variety of situations, down the stretch.

Josh Harrellson also has a fully unguaranteed contract for next season his guaranteed date is July 21 but he wont appear on this priority list. In my eyes, the Pistons dont need to evaluate him. They should absolutely keep him. Hes a steal at a minimum salary especially as a center, a position where even third-stringers get inflated salaries.

3. Develop Tony Mitchell

Mitchell has a guaranteed contract for next season, so the Pistons can take their time with him and they have. Hes played just 58 minutes all season.

The athletic forward needs more playing time now, though. Letting him learn through playing gives the Pistons their best chance of polishing what might have been a gem of a second-round pick last year.

4. Develop Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Caldwell-Pope is under contract for three more years, and hes already been part of the rotation this season. These final seven games just wont mean as much for him as they do Mitchell.

But the goal remains identical: Develop young players through experience.

5. Get Chauncey Billups back on the court for the home finale

There is no way the Pistons can exercise their team option on Billups for next season at $2.5 million. The Pistons probably shouldn't even take back Billups on a minimum contract.

But that doesnt mean the Pistons should unceremoniously dump the franchise great, who has missed the last couple months due to injury.

The Pistons final home game is April 13 against the Raptors. If theres any way Billups can get healthy enough to play, even just a few minutes, it would be great for The Palace crowd to give him the sendoff he deserves.

Then, three days later, the Pistons can give this season the sendoff it deserves.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140404/SPORTS03/304040100/detroit-pistons-top-priorities

 

[Thomas-Panda-Saxby]

1. lose 
2. lose 
3. lose 
4. lose 
5. lose

 

[jonathanlambert33]

bump for the afternoon crowd

 

[Pugz]

we need to play tony as much as we can. ive said that the past few weeks.