Troy Weaver’s vision for Detroit Pistons: Trust the New Process?

Troy Weaver’s first offseason as the Detroit Pistons general manager has left  fans with plenty of questions. Is it too early to make sense of Weaver’s master plan?

Coming into the 2019-2020 season, the Detroit Pistons made the crucial choice to select Christian Wood over Joe Johnson for the final roster spot.

Over the course of the season, as Wood created more posters than a Russian troll farm, it was obvious the Pistons had made the right choice. It was smart giving the young big a shot over the proven veteran.

I mean, just imagine, if the Pistons had decided to go with Joe Johnson over Christian Wood. What a colossal mistake it would be to let a talent like Wood walk.

That year-old Joe Johnson or Christian Wood choice is a metaphor for this front office’s current situation.

They’re engaging in a very precarious balancing act between a full-on rebuild, and handing over a competent roster to a well-respected coach.

The tight-rope walk has tipped closer to rebuild since Troy Weaver’s arrival over the summer. He’s made a few, uh, interesting veteran signings as well. Namely, handing Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant two long-term contracts.  Not only did they feel like overpays, but it also didn’t really jibe with Weaver’s other firesale transactions.

But signing the two vets does align with Dwane Casey’s coaching experience in Toronto. He usually had one or two young, athletic wings (OG Anonoby, Pascal Siakam) and now Sekou Doumbouya and Jerami Grant. He also had a big who could initiate an offense out of the post (formerly Jonas Valaciaunus, now Mason Plumlee and Blake Griffin).

While not perfect comparisons, viewing the roster through  Casey’s eyes could provide some clarity on what exactly Troy Weaver’s short term goals are. Even other GM’s around the leagues seem confounded by Weaver’s recent moves. But if we take a look at the past experience of Pistons leadership, the moves may make more sense.

The Raptors, during Dwane Casey’s time as Head Coach, did tank under General Manager Bryan Colangelo’s leadership but it didn’t work. Colangelo was fired after Casey’s first two years as Raptors coach (he then move on toe the 76ers, and do even a worse job) and Masai Uriji arrived.  He quickly transitioned the Raptors into a playoff team by stockpiling draft picks and acquiring quality veterans. 

Casey has been part of a franchise that has tried the rebuild both ways, full tank and, for a lack of a better term, a soft rebuild. We know which strategy ended in a Raptors’ NBA championship.

Similarly, in Oklahoma City, the Thunder never really bottomed out.  Weaver, famously, pushed for the Thunder to draft Russell Westbrook in his first year and managed to stay competitive, as they later on transitioned away from the Westbrook era.

It’s probable that Tom Gores, who hasn’t enjoyed much success as Pistons owner, would like the team to become relevant sooner than later as well. The Pistons haven’t made it out of the first round in over a decade, and have only made the playoffs twice since 2009.

That’s the three biggest leaders in the organization who all have an incentive, and in Weaver’s case, the belief, that they can turn things around quickly.

In today’s NBA, with more evenly-weighted draft lottery odds there’s much less of an incentive to burn down a franchise and tank.  This is not 2014 and Sam Hinkie running the 76ers into the ground on purpose to get the No. 1 pick.

Staying competitive, and hoping to parlay a decent roster into a playoff roster, is perhaps the more efficient way to build a team. Plus, it doesn’t come with the negative public perception that years in the toilet will give a franchise.

We can identify, and even agree, with Weaver’s philosophy here, but it doesn’t mean that the moves made this offseason were all home runs. That is especially when judged from a purely transactional sense.

Remember when Stan Van Gundy took over as President of Basketball Operations, and it felt like he was going around fleecing the league’s GMs?

A second-round pick for Marcus Morris, Danny Granger, and Reggie Bullock or two second-round picks for Reggie Jackson, or getting Tobias Harris for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova were, in the moment, all felt like highway robbery.

Weaver’s moves this offseason felt like going through a toll booth.

Obviously, it’s too early to call any of Weaver’s moves failures. Sure, I’m not in love with the Grant and Plumlee signings (at their respective prices, both are solid players) but, if the franchise sees this year as a bridge rather than the beginnings of a total teardown, those moves make more sense.

Unfortunately, the return for both Bruce Brown and Luke Kennard was just plain underwhelming, but those moves are justifiable if Weaver is using a portion of his roster to rebuild, and a portion of his roster to field a competitive team. Why commit some of that developing roster to young guys he didn’t draft?

On December 14, the Pistons waived Louis King, LiAngelo Ball, and Anthony Lamb, leaving the Pistons with 16 players under guaranteed contracts and only 15 roster spots available. This year, there’s no big Christian Wood or Joe Johnson debate, no metaphorical path for the organization to take.

But this final decision will offer another glimpse into Weaver’s overall strategy. If I were to guess, Rodney McGruder (29-years-old) will end up being the odd man out. The newly returned Wayne Ellington (33) already occupies the role of veteran shooting guard, and has had better seasons more recently. None of these guys offer upside, but McGruder offers the least amount of NBA production.

With that final decision, we’ll have Weaver’s first 15-man roster as Pistons GM. The path he took to get here was anything but a straight line, but it was refreshing to see an aggressive front office and a fresh roster on the floor.

We may not understand all of Troy Weaver’s moves right now, so for now we’ll just have to trust the process.