Just about everyone on Pistons twitter has given their input on whether or not the Pistons should trade for Demar Derozan, and, I’d have to say it has split right down the middle. And while some say no, and others yes, the truth is that trading for derozan has a little bit of good and bad surrounding it. So lets take a look at just three reasons why the pistons should, or shouldn’t, trade for the Spurs star guard.
Reason #1 they shouldn’t: Bad floor spacing
Pretty much everyone saw this one coming. The biggest knock on Derozan’s game is that he can’t shoot, And…no, he can’t. Even when Derozan does take three’s (averaging just 0.2 3PA per game this season) he doesn’t shoot them well at all, shooting just 28.2% for his career. And when you pair that with Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond bad things can happen. And though maybe it could work if you put two other good shooters in there with them, it is a big risk to take in today’s three point centric NBA.
Reason #1 they should: Durability
Something this Pistons team greatly lack is players you can count on to play 70+ games in a season but Derozan has achieved this in eight out of the last ten years. To have two of your top three players always there when you need them makes the burden on Blake Griffin a little easier to bear, and, lets them have much more flexibility on when to rest him.
Reason #2 they shouldn’t: The Price
In a perfect world the Pistons trade pieces would consist of something like Reggie Jackson, Thon Maker, Khyri Thomas and a pick but, it is very likely the Spurs don’t do it unless it has a young asset like Doumboya or Kennard, both of which should be off limits in any deal. And even if the Pistons keep them out of discussions the spurs would likely still want a FRP which (unless it is lottery protected) would be a lot for a possible one year rental.
Reason #2 they should: Dwane Casey
Demar is a prime example of Dwane Casey’s knack for bringing the best out of his players. He played his best years when Casey was at the helm and would fit right in with his system and style of play. But he didn’t just play with Casey, he respected and truly wanted casey to be his coach. Which if you were thinking he definitely won’t resign, think again because he might just want to stay with Casey a bit longer
Reason #3 they shouldn’t: #TankforLamelo
The Pistons just lost to the hornets for a second time this season. THE SECOND TIME IN 18 GAMES! So what would he help? Would he make the Pistons a contender? Well that depends on if the Pistons are as bad as they’ve looked this season. If they are, no he doesn’t at BEST he makes them a 5th seed 2nd round exit. If they aren’t, well, it’s probably still no. Demar and Casey only ever got to the ECF and never got past. To be fair they were losing to Lebron James but even so those teams weren’t that amazing. So it might be better for the Pistons to lose for a player like Lamelo and build from the ground up.
Reason #3 they should: Low Risk Possible Reward
Well this is just the opposite of the last point. If Ed Stefanski really believes the Pistons are an impact player away from getting over the hump, then yeah go for it. I mean it’s not like we’re locking ourselves up with his contract and at worst you gave up Reggie Jackson and a small piece like Svi or Khyri. And at best you’ve got yourself a contending team that achieves expectations.
In Conclusion….
What ever the Pistons do, they must choose a path. Tank? Go for it all? we don’t know but come February they must know what they are doing. If you are interested in what a Pistons rebuild would look like check out our article over here
Published by: @homertecher
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