Reuniting in Detroit
There were two submissions requesting a reunion between DeMar DeRozan and Pistons coach Dwane Casey. The two worked together with the Toronto Raptors from 2011-18, all but three seasons of DeRozan’s career.
The two exited together, DeRozan in a trade for Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-19 season. Casey was fired after earning Coach of the Year honors in a 59-23 season.
Then the Raptors won the NBA Championship.
https://twitter.com/SekouSZN/status/1164572448525824002?s=20
Trading for DeRozan will come at a price, including Jackson and Galloway to match salaries. Adding a player with the potential of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is a little unsettling, especially considering that DeRozan is on an expiring contract.
Pairing DeRozan with Griffin and Drummond doesn’t give a lot of space for Griffin to work with the ball in his hands. The paint will constantly be clogged.
Mind you, DeRozan only attempted 45 3-pointers last season and shot 15.6 percent. He’s never been known as a great shooter with a career 3-point percentage of 28.6 percent, but that shows a lack of confidence to trust himself and that the percentages will even out.
His upside is in the mid-range area and, most importantly, makes the Pistons a force defensively. That rings true if they keep Bruce Brown in a potential deal. But it may hinder the offense, losing several 3-point shooters in Jackson, Galloway and Mykhailiuk (or Snell in the proposed deals below).
https://twitter.com/brandonengel_/status/1163844176368349184?s=20
Though I’d rather see the Pistons pair Snell and DeRozan in a potential deal, I think I like this one from Engel better. Adding Patty Mills, who is a 39.1 career 3-point shooter, would give the offense a big boost, regardless of whether he started or came off the bench.
Langston, Snell and a first for DeMar
— Blake Stackpoole (@BlakeStackpoole) August 20, 2019
Parting with two first round picks is tough, given that DeRozan may not re-sign. Perhaps a pick swap option in 2022 would suffice and Detroit would have a safety net if they wanted to re-build after Griffin’s deal expires.