The Detroit Pistons could have re-signed Christian Wood to a long-term deal and could have drafted Kevin Porter Jr. but chose to trade his rights instead.
I’ve heard more about these two guys from Pistons’ fans than probably any others, as many fans believe Troy Weaver made a huge mistake by not re-signing Wood and passing on Porter Jr. after securing his draft rights in a trade.
If you just look at the stats, you might agree, as Wood ran up big numbers on a bad team last season and has again to a lesser extent in this one. Same with Porter Jr. who has had some monster games for Houston and at times looks like he has All-Star potential.
Recently, the two have been in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons, as Porter Jr. left Houston’s last game at halftime after having his effort questioned by an assistant coach and Wood refused to go back into the game.
Troy Weaver has often talked about character and drafting not just a player but a person, which is why I am happy neither of these guys are on the Detroit Pistons.
Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. were not good fits for the Detroit Pistons
Let’s start with Wood, who I personally thought was wildly overrated by Pistons’ fans (shocker) after putting up good numbers on some bad teams.
Wood is a bouncy big who can shoot a little and block shots, but he has never done it on a good team, and there is always something suspect about a guy with such huge potential who has bounced around to six different teams this early in his career.
Wood got a 3 year/$41 million deal from the Rockets, which seemed reasonable at the time, which is why so many Pistons’ fans were upset the team didn’t just re-sign him.
I was unpopular at the time for saying the Pistons dodged a bullet there, as I felt it was an overpay for a guy who had yet to prove he can be an impact player on a good team. Is he talented? Absolutely, but recent events have highlighted some of the reasons Troy Weaver wasn’t willing to make a long-term investment in Wood.
Also, what about the next deal? Do you want to be paying a 28-year-old Wood over $20 million 2023? Because someone is probably going to and I am glad it is not the Detroit Pistons.
Porter Jr. was even more of a risk, which he has proven multiple times, having violent outbursts in Cleveland and now again in Houston. Sorry, but I don’t want this guy in my locker room and I don’t care how good of a scorer he is.
The Detroit Pistons were able to get four second-round picks for Porter Jr. one of which turned into Saben Lee and I am much happier to have Lee on the Pistons even if his ceiling isn’t as high.
The Detroit Pistons are building from the ground up and want the core of their team to be high character guys who are coachable, as well as talented. Say what you want about Dwane Casey, but other than a minor argument with Hamidou Diallo, the Pistons have played hard for their coach, grown as players and shown professionalism throughout, great signs for a team this young.
The Pistons were mired in mediocrity for years because they paid the wrong guys, and I am glad Troy Weaver has a vision that includes character and attitude.