Pistons’ Twitter mailbag: Cade Cunningham, Bagley, the Draft and more

Yesterday, I asked Pistons’ Twitter to come up with some questions for a mailbag, something I would like to make a weekly feature here on PistonPowered.

So keep sending your questions and I will do my best to answer them each week. We had some good ones for the inaugural installment, so let’s jump right in. Thanks so much to those who participated. I’ll give you a follow on Twitter for your services.

Detroit Pistons mailbag: Cade Cunningham

The first question was about Cade Cunningham and comes from Obdulio Garcia.

There isn’t anything about Cade Cunningham’s game that worries me too much, but I am definitely not concerned about his shooting, as just about every rookie in NBA history has shot inefficiently, especially from 3-point range. I think shot efficiency is the area where Cade will make a huge leap next season, as he is already very good at getting to his spots and will hopefully have more talent around him. I also think Cade will put on lower body strength this offseason that will help him hit some of those long 3’s that he often leaves short.

I am somewhat concerned about his turnovers, which were on full display last night against the Bulls, when he coughed it up six times. Cade often jumps before he knows what he wants to do with the ball, something you can get away with in college, but not in the NBA, where defenses close too fast.

He also has the bad habit of throwing lackadaisical passes, as he did on the very first play last night against the Bulls, leading to a turnover. You can’t throw loopy passes over the top in the NBA, and if you throw a lazy pass, lanes will close instantly.

These are things he is learning and will get better at as he gains experience. I am not really concerned, as this is partly due to his high usage rate and the fact that he hasn’t had a big man as an emergency outlet for most of the season.

Detroit Pistons mailbag: The NBA Draft

It wouldn’t be a mailbag without a couple of questions about the NBA Draft.

Yes, Chet Holmgren is absolutely an NBA player. I have said in the past that the biggest knock against his game is that he plays for Gonzaga, who doesn’t play the toughest schedule in the NCAA.

People also have concerns about his weight, but I am not one of them, as he will put on muscle and strength in the NBA, just like other super-skinny players have done in the past.

He is very skilled in just about every aspect of the game. His height coupled with his ability to put the ball on the floor and shoot efficiently from all over, make him an almost can’t-miss prospect. I am not saying he is a guaranteed star, but he’s too skilled not to make it in the modern NBA, where few bigs play with their backs to the basket.

Your final point is why I don’t worry about him defensively. He’s not going to be banging in the post with the likes of Joel Embiid, he’ll be coming off ball on the weak side, where he has already proven himself to be an elite shot blocker.

He certainly has weaknesses and there are concerns about any guy with his height and frame, but Holmgren is one of the most skilled bigs to come out of college in a long time and I can’t see a scenario outside of injuries where he doesn’t succeed.

A very good question, as I think the Detroit Pistons have a lot of options. My gut tells me to take Chet Holmgren, as he has unicorn potential on both ends and would give Detroit two highly skilled players to build around. Holmgren and Cunningham are both so versatile that it would be easy to build a team around them, as they can both do a little of everything.

I would not try to trade up, as I have concerns about Jabari Smith. He looks like he’ll be an elite 3-point shooter, has great size and is a willing defender, but can he do anything with the ball in his hands against NBA defenders? I don’t think the difference between him and the other top bigs is significant enough to trade up for.

Trading back is intriguing. In this scenario, if some other team was desperate for Chet or Paolo and wanted to move up, I would consider that option as long as Detroit stayed in the top-4 and got significant assets in return. We know Cade loves Banchero, so if Detroit can trade back, still get Paolo and pick up a few more future assets, it would be worth consideration.

Personally, I’d take Chet and roll the dice that he becomes Rudy Gobert with elite offense.

Detroit Pistons mailbag: Jerami Grant and Marvin Bagley III

Some questions about two players the Detroit Pistons will have to make decisions on this offseason.

This is the question of the offseason. How the Pistons decide to handle Jerami Grant will help shape the future of the franchise.

The more I see them play together, the more I like the fit, as Grant has shown that he is willing to adapt his role to play with Cade and Saddiq Bey. If he is willing to be that 3rd or 4th guy, then I hope the Pistons do extend him.

But I am certain the Pistons have a number in mind for his extension. I also think they will shop him either way and if they get their asking price, he could be gone, particularly if a team like Portland offered them a top-10 pick and there was a guy there they loved.

But Grant and Troy Weaver have an excellent relationship and I don’t think he was nearly as close to trading Grant at the deadline as some people made it seem. I think Grant stays and he and the Pistons meet in the middle and agree on a deal in the 4 years/$100 million range.

Like Grant, I think the Pistons would love to keep Bagley III but there is a price they will not go beyond.

While you can’t rule anything out, every team in the NBA had a chance to trade for Bagley III for the last two seasons and no one did, so I can’t see a huge market for his services, at least not one that drives up the price.

I also don’t think there are that many teams out there willing to offer him a guaranteed role, which he would almost certainly have with the Detroit Pistons depending on their offseason acquisitions, so there might be mutual interest in him staying.

My guess is that he either signs the qualifying offer (around $7 million) so he can become an UFA after next season, hoping to rebuild his value and get a big payday, or the Pistons sign him to a 3 year deal in the $25 million range.

I don’t see a big bidding war erupting for Bagley III, and if it did, the Pistons will walk away and look elsewhere. He’s been pretty good so far, but still has huge flaws and hasn’t proven he can stay on the floor consistently, so it’s hard to imagine him getting a big offer at this stage.

Detroit Pistons mailbag: Sampler platter

This question had a little bit of everything, so I will do my best to answer them all.

I’ll answer these in order.

-No, I do not agree. The Pistons have Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Cory Joseph and Saben Lee, all capable facilitators at the point guard. What they need is scoring, so I would put “scoring guard” ahead of point guard on their list of needs. Detroit certainly needs rim protection, but it doesn’t necessarily have to come from a center, but yes, they do need size.

-If you count Chet Holmgren as a center, then he is the best center in the draft by far, but I see him as more of a power forward in the NBA. The draft is low on centers, so most people would say Jalen Duren from Memphis or Mark Williams from Duke. A guy to keep an eye on is Walker Kessler, who is massive and averages 4.5 blocks per game for Auburn. I don’t have any PG’s in the top-10 of this draft, and like I said, don’t think the Pistons need one anyway.

-Deandre Ayton will be the big free agent name out there, but this free agent group is deep at center, so the Pistons could go the cheaper route. Jusuf Nurkic will be an UFA, as will Mitchell Robinson. Mo Bamba will be an RFA and is a guy they might be able to steal from Orlando, who already has a lot of money tied up in other bigs. Fans might hate this, but I see Andre Drummond as a possibility on a low-cost deal. Ayton is a long shot, but there are others if the Pistons strike out or his cost is too high. One point guard I like is veteran Ricky Rubio, who played a crucial role in Cleveland’s leap this season and could be a nice mentor for the Pistons’ guards, but again, don’t think point guard will be a priority and he doesn’t help the scoring.

-If the Pistons move Jerami Grant they will get a young player and a first round draft pick, otherwise he’ll be re-signed. If he’s going to be traded it will be before or on draft night.

-Saben Lee is on a full contract now. He’ll make $1.7 million guaranteed next season and the Pistons have a team option on him the following season.

Thanks so much for all of the great questions! See you in a new mailbag next week.