The Detroit Pistons have reached a new low in a season that doesn't seem to have a rock bottom.
After losing 18 straight, Monty Williams said it was time to have some "tough conversations" with his team, so in that spirit, I had a one-way conversation with him that you can read here.
Seeing that we are well into the 4th season of this disastrous "restoration," it seems only fitting to have a tough conversation with you, Mr. Weaver, as you are the GM who has constructed what could be the worst team in franchise history.
I realize you aren't going to read this and don't care what I think, but this will help me process the grief I am feeling watching the team I have supported for decades turn into the laughingstock of the NBA.
Like with my one-way conversation with Monty, these questions are not attacks, but conversation starters.
Tough conversations with Troy Weaver
1. Do you regret using the term "restoration?"
When I worked in sales, my boss at the time told me to always "under promise and over deliver." You, sir, have done the opposite. You came out of the gate talking about a "restoration" not a "rebuild," drawing on teams of the past and saying you wanted to do the same. Given where the Pistons were at the time, this now seems like the height of hubris, like Icarus-level hubris. Since making that statement, your team has been one of if not the worst team in the NBA every season, culminating with this one in which they have set the franchise record for consecutive losses. It would have been smarter to say, "This roster is a mess. I have no assets or extra picks to fix it, so this is going to take time." Instead, you started talking about the Bad Boy and Goin' to Work teams while building one of the softest rosters in the league. You overpromised and underdelivered, which is why no one is buying this team. Do you have any regrets about the way you have communicated with the public?
2. What is the plan here?
Fans like me are perfectly willing to extend patience here, especially if there is a clear plan and signs of progress. Your team is worse than when you started, so what exactly is the plan? Is it really to just keep losing until the Pistons draft a no-brainer superstar like LeBron James? That really hasn't been working so far. Your roster is a mess and doesn't make sense even to a non-expert like me. In a league that has long been trending towards two-way wings, you have none. You got the #1 pick but have done nothing to build around him (more on that in a minute) and keep adding draft busts and washed-up players instead of guys who can help this team win. So, I'll ask again, what is the plan? From an outside perspective, it looks like you are making this up as you go along.