The Detroit Pistons are in a great position this summer. They are fresh off their first playoff appearance in six years, have most of their young roster locked into long-term deals and have a clean cap sheet that should allow them to bring back some of their free agents and make an impact addition.
The Pistons don’t need to reach for a star, and they likely won’t, as the reportedly available names are all costly and wouldn’t guarantee the Pistons will be any better next season.
Internal development, retention and continuity will be the keys to the Pistons taking the next step.
That said, Detroit will likely make some kind of move this summer to add talent but there are a handful of players who have flopped in the playoffs that they should probably avoid.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
I’d be happy to have THJ back on the right deal, as he was good for the Pistons, provided leadership and was a steady presence.
But he was bad in the playoffs, shooting just 33 percent from the floor and 30 percent from long range. If you take out his big game three in which he scored 24 points, those numbers get grim, as THJ was held to single digits in three of the six games, failing to score at all in game two.
We all know THJ is streaky, and playoff numbers can be cruel, as they are a small sample size and one bad game can throw them off.
If THJ comes back on a minimum deal, great, but beyond that, this is a spot the Pistons could upgrade with a better defender or someone who offers more versatility on offense.
Kristaps Porzingis
The Celtics will likely try to trade Porzingis this summer, a task that will be more difficult after he has stunk in the playoffs.
Porzingis has scored just 21 points total in five games against the Knicks and only played 12 minutes in game five. He’s been injured or sick, not sure which, but now looks like a sunk cost the Celtics will have to give away this summer.
The good news for them is that he’s on an expiring deal, so some team will likely take a chance on one year of a guy who can be a difference maker when healthy. But when he’s not healthy, he plays 12 minutes per game in the playoffs and shoots 32 percent, which isn’t enough for a guy making $30 million next season.
Ty Jerome
Jerome had a breakout season for the Cavaliers, but buyer beware when it comes to this free agent. First off, he’s nearly 28 and just had his first good season. Jerome narrowly missed the 50/40/90 club this season and was third in the 6th Man of the Year voting, but was that just a product of being on a very good team with a lot of weapons?
We’ve seen late bloomers before, but we’ve also seen guys who were one hit wonders who disappeared after getting paid.
Also, he has had a rough playoffs, particularly against the Pacers. He scored just 19 points total in four games and had a hard time getting off the bench in the elimination game five. He played just 11 minutes and only because Mitchell got hurt.
Given the lack of quality free agents, Jerome is likely to get paid this summer, but I’m fine passing on any player who can’t get off the bench in a crucial playoff game. His performance is probably good for the Cavs, as they’ll be more likely to keep him.
As I said, no player is defined by a 5-6 game sample, but the Pistons aren’t desperate and don’t need to take a big financial risk on players who were either hurt or didn’t perform well in the playoffs.