Today is media day in the NBA, which means we are one step closer to seeing meaningful Detroit Pistons basketball.
The Pistons start training camp on Tuesday September 28th and the day before is always reserved for media outlets to ask questions of the players and coach.
Generally these are fairly tame events, though I suspect that this media day is going to produce some fireworks with all of the controversy currently raging around vaccines.
The Detroit Pistons won’t be one of those teams, are they are 100 percent vaxxed, so the focus should be on basketball, which will be a welcome break.
Here are some of the questions I’d like to ask.
Detroit Pistons: When is Pistons’ media day?
The Detroit Pistons will have their media day on September 27th (today) at 11 AM ET.
Now onto one question for each player. Let’s start with the two-way contracts, where the Pistons are trying to strike gold once again.
Chris Smith- If not for the injury, do you think you would have been a first-round pick?
Chris Smith suffered an injury during his final season in college and many thought he might have been drafted in the first round if he had been healthy. I’m interested to see where Smith believes he might have ranked if he hadn’t been injured.
Jamorko Pickett- What specifically have you done to improve your 3-point shot this offseason?
Pickett is another one of these long defenders that Troy Weaver seems to like and he shot 36 percent from long range in his final season at Georgetown. He shot a scorching 56 percent in the Summer League on only 16 attempts, but he looked comfortable and fluid and I’d like to know what he’s been doing to improve. If Pickett can hit 3’s, he might end up getting some run in the regular season, especially if the Pistons end up trading Josh Jackson.
Detroit Pistons: Questions for the bench veterans on media day
Rodney McGruder- Do you think you could take Klay Thompson in a boxing match?
I don’t really have anything for McGruder, who figures to be at the end of the bench most nights, so why not stir up some old beef? Thompson had plenty to say about McGruder last season (while in street clothes on the bench) and I’d love to see the two put on gloves for a charity boxing match so we can see who the real fake tough guy is (answer: probably both of them).
Trey Lyles- Do you think you have another level and what do you need to do to reach it?
Lyles has been a middling bench guy for his entire career so far, never averaging double-digits in a season though he did have some big games for the Spurs. We saw Jerami Grant make a huge leap in an expanded role and I’d like to know if Lyles believes he can make a mini-leap himself with more minutes off the Pistons’ bench.
Cory Joseph- What made you choose the Detroit Pistons in free agency?
The market for Cory Joseph probably wasn’t huge, but he certainly could have found another team that would pay him $5 million a season after the numbers he put up off the Pistons’ bench. Did he return to the Pistons because he thought he’d have the best chance to play and showcase his talents (ultimately for another team) or because he believes this team is on the cusp of being good and that he could find a role as a veteran off the bench?
Detroit Pistons: Questions for the young bench players on media day
Isaiah Livers- Which Piston and/or Wolverine did you grow up idolizing?
Livers is from Kalamazoo and played for Michigan, so I am curious whether he was a big Pistons’ fan growing up and which players he might have modeled his game after. I see a little bit of Rasheed Wallace in his game, so that is going to be my guess.
Luka Garza- What specific diet/training regimen were you on to slim down so much?
Garza has obviously been putting in the work on his body, as he is noticeably slimmer and quicker than he was in college. He’s had a fairly dramatic turn in that department so I’d like to know what changed.
As someone who is very much into nutrition and exercise, I’d like to know what he did. Was it a big change in diet? More workouts? Different types of workouts? Let us in on your secret, Luka.
Saben Lee- Do you think it was beneficial for you not to have a G-League last season?
Most of the time I’d say it’s better for prospects to get as much time as possible, but Lee seemed to get more out of playing a smaller amount of time with the regulars. I’ve always wondered if guys in his position would rather play big minutes and dominate in the G-League or play fewer minutes with the regular team and have an inconsistent role.
Detroit Pistons: Questions for the Jacksons and Hamidou Diallo on media day
Frank Jackson- Do you think you can evolve into more of a spot-up 3-point shooter who takes 6-7 per game?
Jackson had a bit of a breakout season shooting the ball last year, raising his percentage to 40 after shooting in the low 30’s for the other two seasons of his career. This is not something people expected from Jackson, who has always been more of an energy/penetration guard who tries to beat people off the dribble and pushes in transition. Jackson may have found his niche as a shooter, but I wonder if he sees himself that way or if he still views himself as a point guard who can run an offense.
Josh Jackson- What specifically have you done to improve your 3-point shooting?
One of the storylines of this season is going to be what the Pistons will do with Josh Jackson. He had a solid, not spectacular, season for them in which he played pretty good defense and brought some toughness and energy but was inefficient offensively.
He took too many bad shots, turned the ball over too much and only hit 30 percent from long range. If Jackson can be more consistent offensively, then he might be worth keeping around, if not he is probably trade fodder as the Pistons have a younger player in Diallo who can do many of the same things.
Hamidou Diallo- Will you be starting by the end of the season?
I know players will never give a straight answer to a question like this, but I do think there are some scenarios in which Diallo breaks into the starting five.
I think you can tell a lot about a guy by how he views himself and I am curious if Diallo sees himself as more of a role player off the bench or someone with the talent to be in the starting lineup of an up and coming team.
Detroit Pistons: Questions for the starters on media day
Kelly Olynyk- How will your game help the development of the young guards?
Ok, so technically I am going to list six players here because all six of these guys will play starters’ minutes and probably spend some time in the starting five. I think the Olynyk addition was slightly underrated as he was fantastic last season in Houston and could be a guy who really helps the development of Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham. I’m curious how Olynyk sees this part of his role.
Isaiah Stewart- What can you do to improve your playmaking?
A lot has been made about Stewart’s long-range shooting last season, but I think his ceiling will be more determined by his playmaking. Stewart has shown he can knock down shots, so if he can also make plays off the bounce, his best-case scenario is changed considerably. There are lots of bigs who can hit jumpers, but if Beef Stew is also a threat off the bounce, he is going to be a handful.
Killian Hayes- Would you be happy coming off the bench if it meant more time on the ball?
I am certain Hayes is going to have to answer incessant questions about how he fits with Cade Cunningham but I am curious how he feels about coming off the bench. Until Hayes is more comfortable shooting the ball, he and Cunningham might not be the best backcourt match. I’d like to hear Hayes talk about this and see how his confidence might be affected if he were coming off the bench but still playing an important role.
Saddiq Bey- What is going to surprise people about your game this season?
I think Bey has been flying under the radar this offseason but is primed to have a breakout year after playing with the Olympic Select team and having a strong Summer League. Bey has been largely reduced to a 3-and-D guy by most analysts, so I wonder how much he pays attention to that talk and if there are parts of his game he’s been working on that might be outside of that scope.
Jerami Grant- What’s next?
Jerami Grant had his breakout season but does he have another level? He fell off at the end of last year due to injuries and the burden of carrying a young team all season, so I am curious where Grant sees his game going. I’d love to hear him say that he is focused on becoming a better rebounder and passer now that they shouldn’t need his scoring as much.
Cade Cunningham- What is your “go to” vegan comfort food?
I am not a vegan but I eat vegan a lot and appreciate that Cade Cunningham has chosen this particular lifestyle. My problem is that there are times when my craving for a cheeseburger overrides my desire for good health or reducing my carbon footprint, so I always like to chat with vegetarians and vegans to see what their “comfort” food is so I can add more of them to my own repertoire. Sorry folks but I am a food junkie and these are the things I want to know!