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The Numbers
Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.
Peral S. Buck
The Brief
Since the loss of Billups the Pistons have been a below 0.500 team. Last year they couldn't crack 30 wins for the third time in four years. Yet, they had a few reasons to be hopeful. Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have the potential to be a dominant frontcourt. Despite a subpar offseason where Dumars did his thing, yet again, we think the Pistons are ready to be a playoff team, and on their way to contending (maybe)!
The Story
Last Year
| Player | Minutes | Age | WP48 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Monroe | 2687 | 23 | .101 | 5.6 |
| Brandon Knight | 2365 | 22 | -.003 | -.1 |
| Kyle Singler | 2293 | 25 | .061 | 2.9 |
| Rodney Stuckey | 2171 | 27 | .043 | 2.0 |
| Jason Maxiell | 1789 | 30 | .045 | 1.7 |
| Tayshaun Prince | 1457 | 33 | .077 | 2.3 |
| Andre Drummond | 1243 | 20 | .308 | 8.0 |
| Will Bynum | 1219 | 31 | .012 | .3 |
| Charlie Villanueva | 1092 | 29 | .008 | .2 |
| Jonas Jerebko | 892 | 26 | .082 | 1.5 |
| Jose Calderon | 887 | 32 | .254 | 4.6 |
| Khris Middleton | 475 | 22 | .072 | .7 |
| Kim English | 407 | 24 | -.021 | -.2 |
| Austin Daye | 348 | 25 | .132 | 1.9 |
| Corey Maggette | 257 | 33 | -.113 | -.6 |
| Viacheslav Kravtsov | 224 | 26 | .095 | .4 |
Indicates that the player is no longer with the team.
If the Pistons had Calderon for a full season, or if Andre Drummond hadn't had his season cut short from injury, things might have been different. Outside of Drummond, Monroe and Calderon, there wasn't a lot to be optimistic about. Despite all of Joe Dumars' wheeling and dealing, the Pistons simply have a lot of bad players. Has that changed?
This Year
| Player | Position | Minutes | Age | WP48 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Jennings | 1.0 | 2791 | 24 | .096 | 5.6 |
| Josh Smith | 3.9 | 2787 | 28 | .097 | 5.6 |
| Greg Monroe | 4.9 | 2587 | 23 | .177 | 9.6 |
| Andre Drummond | 5.0 | 1949 | 20 | .333 | 13.5 |
| Rodney Stuckey | 1.6 | 1879 | 27 | .079 | 3.1 |
| Kyle Singler | 2.6 | 1510 | 25 | .068 | 2.2 |
| Jonas Jerebko | 3.7 | 1323 | 26 | .103 | 2.8 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 2.0 | 1154 | 20 | .118 | 2.8 |
| Chauncey Billups | 1.3 | 944 | 37 | .106 | 2.1 |
| Charlie Villanueva | 4.0 | 765 | 29 | -.008 | -.1 |
| Will Bynum | 1.1 | 646 | 31 | -.020 | -.3 |
| Tony Mitchell | 4.0 | 504 | 21 | -.015 | -.2 |
| Peyton Siva | 1.0 | 380 | 23 | -.003 | 0 |
| Josh Harrellson | 4.6 | 269 | 25 | .152 | .9 |
| Luigi Datome | 3.0 | 185 | 26 | .055 | .2 |
Indicates that the player is new to the team.
Well, a little. Dumars managed to upgrade his team by grabbing Jennings and Smith. The fact that they are both projected to be below average, and that this is nevertheless an upgrade, should tell you something! We have three major things to give the Pistons hope. First, Monroe should bounce back this season. Two, Drummond will likely play more. Three, Caldwell-Pope was a great pickup. The Pistons are still a ways off. When you can count the above average players that will give you more than 1000 minutes on one hand, there's a problem. In a weaker east the Pistons should look to grab a playoff spot. Sure, their first round exit will happen swiftly, but at least they'll be back in the playoffs.
The Wrap
At this point it's fair to say Dumars is a bad general manager. Making mediocre moves now qualifies as an upgrade for the Pistons! Detroit recently got new ownership, and it's a shame they don't realize Dumars is holding this franchise back. The good news is the Pistons have stumbled onto some wins. Drummon, Monroe, and Caldwell-Pope are a solid young core to build around. Now, who believe Dumars is the man to do that?