Detroit Pistons Links 06/03/14: GM Not Signed, Workout Update

Every Morning, Pistons Palace brings you the reading material you need on your Detroit Pistons before you start your day at the office. We bring you the morning’s Palace Picks — the best Detroit Pistons links from across the web to get you ready for the day.

Good morning and welcome to your Tuesday. The day dedicated to working hard and getting the job done. You know the best way to have a productive Tuesday?

Push everything on your schedule to hump day.

Okay, enough complaining. Let’s get to work with today’s Palace Picks.

Do the Pistons officially have their new General Manager in place yet? Not quite. Jeff Bower resigned from his post as head coach at Marist last night. Vince Ellis with the Free Press believes the contracts aren’t signed yet.

It’s only a matter of time before the Pistons officially name Bower as GM. You’ve heard the perspective of Pistons fans, but what about the view on this move from the home of Marist College? Mike Benischek of the Poughkeepsie Journal shared his thoughts yesterday on the “roundabout route” Bower took back to the NBA.

"“I did feel at some point he would go back to the NBA,” Marist director of athletics Tim Murray said Wednesday. “I didn’t think it would be so soon.” Of course, Bower and Marist never would verbalize that possibility as long as he was at the helm. But, it always was there. For as many of his comments that ring hollow now, I do believe Bower’s desire to return to Poughkeepsie and grow a program was genuine. It just had an expiration date that nobody wanted to admit or could have pinpointed. All of us wanted to believe in the fantasy. All of us looked at Bower’s background, coaching under Dave Magarity and alongside Murray at Marist, and wanted to believe this was a case of a conquering hero returning home to plant his roots. We wanted to believe his coming back to Marist was an act of spurning the NBA in favor of the mid-Hudson Valley, rather than simply looking for a good job."

Let’s shift our interest to the NBA Draft on June 26th. The Pistons continue to gather intelligence on potential draft targets with the 38th overall pick. Hoops Rumors’ Zach Links tweeted yesterday that former Tennessee guard Jordan McRae has worked out for the Pistons.

Reid Forgrave wrote a piece for Fox News yesterday on second round sleepers in this years’ draft. Here’s what he gathered on McRae.

"Said an SEC coach, who called McRae his conference’s best defender: “If I were an NBA guy, I’d be foaming at the mouth to get a guy like that. He can shoot it from deep. He can run. He’s athletic in transition. He can guard. He’s got long arms. That’s an NBA nightmare.” Could be a Bruce Bowen type."

From defense to one of the most offensive players in the draft. The Free Press’ Vince Ellis is reporting that University of Oakland three point specialist Travis Bader will work out for the Pistons on June 24th. Bader owns the record for most three point shots made in a collegiate career.  The Free Press’ Mark Snyder caught up with Bader at the Portsmouth Invitational.

"“I was there to do what I do (shoot) and do it well but at the same time wanted to prove I can defend, there’s been a lot of people questioning that throughout the season,” he said. “I think I did a really good job defending out there in different match-ups on point guards, shooting guards, bigs and I think the main thing was I really competed out there.”"

Syracuse forward C.J. Fair will also work out with the Pistons on the 24th, according to hoopshype.com.

Around the League

– Are the Lakers really looking at bringing in Larry Brown? Basketball Insiders brings us the latest on the Lakers coaching search.

– Tony Jones with the Salt Lake Tribune believes that restricted free agent Gordon Hayward will be back with the Jazz next season, no matter the price.

– Robert Judin writes for our friends at The Lottery Mafia about how moving back in the draft could benefit a handful of teams this season.

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