Detroit Pistons: 4 offseason moves to add veteran leadership
The Detroit Pistons have a chance to make a splash and totally revitalize the franchise for the better this summer. Detroit holds the first overall pick in a top-heavy draft and also has three second-round picks, which can be used to find a diamond in the rough or be packaged in a trade to add another first-round pick. Jerami Grant has the opportunity to improve in Tokyo, and for the first time in many, many years, Detroit basketball is giving fans a reason to be excited about the future.
The Pistons are in desperate need of shooting talent. They were below average in three-point percentage and shot attempts, so addressing that weakness will be the main concern.
Often overlooked is the fact that the team has a shortage of veteran leadership. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing that the Pistons are young, but there needs to be a locker room and bench presence to keep the ship right. Dwayne Casey seemed to do a great job last season in making sure egos and reputations stayed out of the way, but with the national media turning its (ugly) head to Detroit, discipline needs to be a priority, and more often than not it is best delivered by players, not coaching staff.
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Jerami Grant was the leader of the team, and still will be in 2021-22. Mason Plumlee is 30 and has been a great presence, even if his play could be better. Other than that, Cory Joseph, Wayne Ellington, and Rodney McGruder are the only players anywhere near age 30. Joseph and McGruder could walk in free agency if the Pistons don’t pick up the team option, and Ellington is unrestricted.
That being said, the young team needs consistent veteran leadership, ideally with playoff experience.
The Detroit Pistons could retain Cory Joseph, but probably shouldn’t
Between McGruder, Ellington, and Joseph, CJ is the best player. His scoring numbers are the best, and he has the best box plus/minus. On defense, his block and steal percentages are the highest, and he can also knock down a deep shot as an added bonus.
The major plus is that Cory Joseph has been in the league for a long time, and has made some deep playoff runs. One of those resulted in a championship. If that were all, the case to pick up Joseph’s option would be an easy one, but unfortunately, he has never been a number one option, let alone on a good team. There are also better choices out there that are all affordable.
Joseph would certainly be a good bench presence, but he would cost the Pistons $12.5 million, which is a high price tag for bench presence.