Detroit Pistons Links 06/11/14: Stephenson, Finals Odds, Drummond

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

It’s Wednesday morning and the Heat were scorched on their own court last night. Does it get any better than that? What a crazy night of basketball! The Spurs went 19/21 to start the game.

Moments after Bill Simmons slobbered all over himself with a rant on how people are missing out on what LeBron James means to the game. The slobber knocker of a quote boasted about how we went 15 years without a star in the league.

Yo, Bill Simmons — I’m happy for you and glad you landed a gig on the Finals pregame show and I’m gonna let you finish — but Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest of all time.

Silly Billy.

We’re don’t joke around here. It’s time to get serious with your Wednesday Palace Picks.

Want to bet your house on the Pistons next season? LVH SuperBook has already released the odds on who will win the 2015 NBA Finals. The Pistons are listed at 100-1, alongside Orlando, Sacramento and Utah. Don’t want to lose your house? How about a the odds at winning the Eastern Conference? The Pistons are listed at 45-1.

Here’s a quick way to make money, based on the Celtic Pride Model.

1. Sign Lance Stephenson
2. Kidnap LeBron James

If you add in the solid odds of Dwyane Wade being injured and the Pacers collapsing then you gotta love your chances of at least making it to the Eastern finals.

Was I serious about signing Lance Stephenson? Yes, yes I was. We wrote about it here at Pistons Palace last week. Grantland.com’s Zach Lowe also takes a stab at it with his recent article on the courtship of Lance Stephenson. Lowe believes that Detroit alongside Indiana and Charlotte are the best destinations for the blowing in your face phenom.

"The Pistons need anyone with some offensive skill on the wing, and they’ll have about $12 million in cap room even accounting for Greg Monroe’s cap hold. Stephenson’s off-the-bounce skills would ease Brandon Jennings into more of a hybrid role after a miserable season, and Van Gundy likes fighters.But you can bet that Detroit is weighing the risk of adding a thorny personality into what was a sour locker room last season. Still: Don’t be shocked if they make a play."

Picturing a full season of Stephenson handling the ball up to mid-court is more frightening than it may seen. He is turnover prone and enjoys running into walls of defense.

The NBA Draft is creeping closer and the internet is full of news on what the Pistons could do with the 38th overall pick.

First off, the Pistons will host a workout on Monday with Baylor big men Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin. Of course you can keep up with who works out with the Pistons here. We also continue to publish our prospect profiles leading up to the NBA Draft.

Secondly, some new possible draft targets have emerged in mock drafts.

• DraftExpress has the Pistons taking Artem Klimenko, the seven foot center from Saratov Russia
• Nbadraft.net has Michigan Center Mitch McGary falling to the Pistons in the second round.

Reddit is so cool dude. That’s why Andre Drummond was over there yesterday doing a short, “ask me anything” segment. Here’s AD on who the toughest player for him to match up with last season was.

"My toughest match-up, has to be against Al Jefferson. He is by far the most skilled big I’ve ever played against. He dropped 30 points and double figure rebounds on me 3 times in a row."

Damn Bobcats.. Ermm umm Hornets.

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