LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOUR DEEEEEETROOITTTT PISTONSSSSSSSSSS
Tyson Chandler
At center, the 7'1 26 year old provides a good defensive anchor for our team. His size and large wingspan allow him to block shots and rebound at will. He can finish at the basket as well.
08-09 stats: 8.8 ppg 8.7 rpg 1.2 bpg.
Chandler didnt play as well last year as the previous few years due to injury, but we are confident he will play up to his 07-08 numbers this year. (11.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 62.3 fg %)
Amare Stoudemire
The 6'10 26 year old is a complete monster on the floor. While many have questioned his defense, he is very quick and is able to come up with many blocks and steals. What's most impressive about Amare is his offense game. He can post up and hit a pretty consistent mid-range jumper. The guy is absolutely unstoppable, and the Pistons are happy to build a team around him.
Amare missed some games last year due to an eye injury, but he is ready to come back strong.
08-09 stats: 21.4 ppg 8.1 rpg.
Like Chandler, his numbers from 07-08 were better in a full season (25.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
We are very happy with our two starting bigs, and think Chandler's inside game and great defense will work well with Amare's outside ability.
Rudy Gay
At 6'8, the 22 year old gives us our SF for both the present and future. Gay is a very tough player to guard, due to his quickness, driving ability, and solid shooting touch. Rudy's athleticism and size will allow him to drive the lane, and dish to Amare and Chandler for easy dunks. His athleticism and long arms will also help him on the defensive end, giving him many steals and blocks.
08-09 stats: 18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg
OJ Mayo
At 21 years old and 6'4, this SG fits perfectly into our system. With Chandler banging down low, Amare both inside and out, and Gay driving the lane, we knew we needed a shooter. That is what Mayo brings to the table. Not only does he possess a deadly shot, but he can also drive and finish at the rim. OJ is also a very underrated perimeter defender, and can come up with some steals. The Pistons also feel that after a tremendous rookie season, OJ has the tools to be a superstar in the league very soon.
08-09 stats: 18.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg
Earl Watson
The 6'1 30 year old is the perfect veteran PG to lead this team. Many will underrate him, and say he is not a starter on a championship team. Many will look at his 08-09 stats and say those aren't starting statistics. However, if you compare his 07-08 stats with his 08-09 stats, you'll see just how much better he is when he starts. Watson is exactly what we need on this team, a distributor. In 07-08 he averaged 6.8 apg in only 29 minutes. He proved he was capable of being a solid mid-range jump shooter and on-ball defender as well. The knock on Watson once again is his play from last year, which shouldn't be judged since he was uncomfortable coming off the bench. As a starter, expect to see more of what he did in 07-08
07-08 stats: 10.7 ppg 6.8 apg 45% fg
So with that, our starters are:
C: Tyson Chandler, 26
PF: Amare Stoudemire, 26
SF: Rudy Gay, 22
SG: OJ Mayo, 21
PG: Earl Watson, 30
Our "big 4" with Chandler, Stoudemire, Gay, and Mayo is clearly one of the best in the league. They also are young enough as well as experienced enough to make a run for many titles in the upcoming years. Watson will get criticized for not being a superstar point guard. But when you have 3 guys that can put up 20 points whenever they want and a big defensive guy in the middle, you need someone to get them the ball. That is exactly what Earl Watson is here to do.
BENCH:
Center: Nazr Mohammed
At 6'10, the 31 year-old veteran can give us plenty of solid minutes at both big man spots. He didn't get much playing time last year, but in 07-08 he played starters minutes and was a 9ppg 7rpg guy.
Power Forward: Eduardo Najera
The 33 year old 6'8 veteran will play some PF and SF off the bench. We love his energy, toughness, and hustle. Najera can bang in the paint and can also hit the occasional jumper. He's going to be our workhorse off the bench
Small Forward: Rodney Carney
At 25 years old, the 6'7 SF is becoming a very solid player in the league. He is very athletic, and is capable of coming up with blocks and steals as well as finishing at the rim. He needs to work on developing more of an outside shot, which is what the Pistons intend to work on with him. Carney is still a bit of a work in progress, but we love his potential.
Shooting Guard: Maurice Evans
The 6'5 30 year old will be a major asset to our bench. He can hit the 3 with consistency, as well as drive to the hoop and finish. He is very athletic and a good defender. His playoff experience and leadership will be huge on this young team.
Point Guard: Shaun Livingston
At 6'7, the 23 year old has tremendous height for a point guard. The Pistons were very happy to acquire him as a back-up point guard, with Marbury's status up in the air
Livingston suffered a terrible knee injury a while back, but showed in limited games last year that he came back strong and was ready to perform. Livingston can handle and pass very well, but has not reached his full potential. He knows he has something to prove, which is why he will elevate his game while on the Pistons.
The rest: Robert Swift, Stromile Swift, Dorrell Wright, Juan Dixon, Stephon Marbury
As for the final 2 active roster spots, they will go to Stromile Swift and the severely underrated Juan Dixon. Swift will be our 5th big man, and his athleticism/shot blocking/rebounding will be huge off the bench. As for Dixon, he has proven throughout his career that he is a solid guy off the bench. We will use him as both a PG and SG.
Robert Swift: will spend some time developing still. Danny hasn't given up on him and neither will the Pistons
Dorrell Wright: Showed some signs in Miami. If he plays well in the D-League, a spot in the rotation isnt out of the question.
Stephon Marbury: Ummmmm....yea...... about that.
At least our team has some personality.
Worst case scenario: Bad locker room presence, cut immediately
Best case scenario: Comes to training camp in shape, cracks the rotation.
Rotation:
C: Chandler 32 mpg, Mohammed 12 mpg, Stoudemire 4 mpg
PF: Stoudemire 30 mpg, Najera 11 mpg, Mohammed 5 mpg S.Swift 2 mpg
SF: Gay 34 mpg, Carney 10 mpg, Evans 3 mpg, Najera 1 mpg
SG: Mayo 30 mpg, Evans 16 mpg, Dixon 2 mpg
PG: Watson 29 mpg, Mayo 5 mpg, Livingston 12 mpg, Dixon 2 mpg
Total:
Chandler 32 mpg
Stoudemire: 34 mpg
Gay: 34 mpg
Mayo: 35 mpg
Watson: 29 mpg
Evans: 19 mpg
Mohammed: 17 mpg
Najera: 12 mpg
Livingston: 12 mpg
Carney: 10 mpg
Dixon: 4 mpg
Swift: 2 mpg
The Pistons are a team that can no doubt fight for a championship now and in the future.
Feel free to ask any questions
Topic: CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Central Division (Read 73802 times)