The Detroit Pistons go to New York tomorrow hoping to extend the series and get another home game in front of an electric crowd at Little Caesar’s Arena.
These games have been frustrating for fans, as the Pistons have gotten painfully close, only to come up short, with last night finishing on a blown call.
This series will ultimately be a positive for the Pistons no matter how it turns out, as their young guys are getting valuable reps that are going to serve them in the future and help them to take the next step as players.
The playoffs will also have a ripple effect on how Trajan Langdon builds his roster this summer and certain players have probably helped themselves while others have not. Detroit has four key free agents this summer and two players up for extensions, and all of them will be affected by how they’ve performed (or not) in the postseason.
Paul Reed (neutral)
Paul Reed has been pretty good in this series, providing defense, hustle and rebounding off the bench and he’s still only 25 years old.
Has he done enough to secure a bigger deal next offseason? I am not sure, as he still has glaring limitations that make him more of a third center type.
My guess is that his salary will be similar next season, whether he gets it from the Pistons or some other team.
Dennis Schroder (gained)
His value to the Pistons has increased in the playoffs, though I am not sure that translates to a bigger payday. Schroder is unlikely to ever see more than he got on his last contract, but he came to the Pistons as a journeyman veteran who didn’t have a great stint in Golden State.
In that regard, he has raised his price tag this summer, as he might have been staring at closer to a minimum deal had he not played well down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Malik Beasley (lost)
It’s been a tough series for Beasley, whose limitations have been exposed in the playoffs. The Pistons wouldn’t be in the playoffs without Beasley this season and he’s arguably been their second-most important scorer since Jaden Ivey went out.
That’s a problem, as Beasley is streaky and fairly one-dimensional, so if he’s not hitting 3-point shots, he doesn’t do much else, something that has become abundantly clear in the playoffs.
This should be a red flag for Trajan Langdon when it comes to giving Beasley a lucrative deal. I’d love to have him back on a deal similar to the one he was on this season, but the Pistons can’t pay him as if he’s their second-best scoring option, because if he is, they are in trouble.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (gained)
THJ was taking a pay cut next season regardless of what happened in the playoffs, but he’s played well enough to cement his status as a solid role player who can make 3-point shots.
He hasn’t been great in this series, but he’s been more consistent than Beasley and has better size.
I have my doubts that THJ will be returning to Detroit next season, but he has helped his case. He’s another guy they can’t pay too much to retain.
Jaden Ivey (lost)
This is not particularly fair, as Ivey hasn’t appeared in the playoffs and has been out since January.
But if he had been healthy and played well in this series, there is no doubt it would have helped his extension case this summer.
Instead, he didn’t play at all, which gives the Pistons less to work with and Ivey less leverage in negotiations. Ultimately, this could be beneficial for the Pistons financially, as they could get him at a lower rate, but it was bad for Ivey’s development.
Jalen Duren (lost)
I went into this series not certain that Jalen Duren can be the starting center on a contender and I am still not sure after he’s been up and down, mostly down.
Duren has been absent offensively, not providing the lob threat that he has all season, and as we predicted, he has struggled mightily on defense.
The caveat is that he is 21 years old, so you can assume he’ll get better, but you have to squint pretty hard to see a guy who will ever be a good offensive player, as he still hasn’t even taken a jump shot in the NBA that I can remember.
That’s an issue, as Duren entered the NBA as an offensive prospect, not a defensive one, though his athleticism and wingspan profile him as someone who could be good on both ends.
Duren has improved this season, but if I am the Pistons, I am playing hard ball this summer and not offering him much more than Stewart got, as Beef Stew may ultimately be just as important (or more) to the Pistons.
That might not be a number Duren likes, and if not, I am exploring options if I’m Detroit. That doesn’t mean trading Duren necessarily but could mean not extending him and letting him get to restricted free agency with more information at your disposal.
Trajan Langdon’s real work starts this summer, as he has key decisions to make and can’t give too much money to the wrong guy.