Detroit Pistons: Tough conversations with Troy Weaver

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.

Tough conversations with Troy Weaver

3. Why haven't you maximized your roster around Cade Cunningham?

Cade Cunningham is a playmaker whose biggest strength is making the other players around him better. But you've done nothing to help him. Other than Cade, who has been a mediocre shooter so far, you haven't drafted anyone who can shoot other than Marcus Sasser, who is a small combo guard who comes off your bench. Cunningham needs to be surrounded by shooters who create space for him to operate in the mid-range and paint, where he can be deadly. You've given him guys like Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes, James Wiseman et al. to work with with predictably terrible results. Look at what Tyrese Haliburton (don't worry, I won't go there) has around him in Indiana. He is surrounded by shooters and thriving. This is not the 1990's, so why are you building around your franchise player with guys who cannot shoot? Your roster doesn't make any sense if you are building around Cade Cunningham, so are you? Do you not think he's your guy? None of your roster moves speak to a GM who is trying to maximize Cade Cunningham's potential.

4. Why haven't you taken any chances on free agents?

I get not wanting to make a massive mistake, as signing and/or trading for the wrong players has been a big part of the problem for the Pistons over the last 15 years and counting. But at some point, you have to take a chance on someone, right? In the last three offseasons, you have added next to nothing in free agency and instead have taken on useless salary dumps like Joe Harris (did you REALLY think he could still play?) in exchange for second-round picks. You've spent $60 million on Alec Burks, Monte Morris, Joe Harris and a few second-rounders instead of trying to add guys who could help this team win. Teams like the Rockets took some chances in the offseason and they paid off, as you need veteran contributors to win in this league, which I am sure you know. So why didn't you get any? Why are you so reluctant to take a risk?

Tough conversations with Troy Weaver

5. Why did you trade Saddiq Bey for James Wiseman?

I gotta tell you, Troy, this one didn't make any sense at the time and makes even less now. Your team lacked forwards before you traded Bey, so if you were going to trade him, then you had to do something to address that in the aftermath. You added Joe Harris.

Bey isn't great, and I don't blame you for not wanting to pay him, but you didn't have to! You could have just ridden out his rookie deal or even traded him before this year's trade deadline. What was the rush? This team could desperately use a big forward who is an above-average shooter and not a complete sieve on defense, which pretty much describes Bey. Did you ever consider that he wasn't in the proper role? That making him a high-volume shooter was a bad idea? The Hawks did, as they put Bey in his proper role and he is thriving in Atlanta, shooting 51 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from long range off the bench. This is the proper role for Bey and he is doing well, in fact, he has the third-best +/- of any bench player in the league this season while James Wiseman has been one of the worst players in the entire NBA.

At one point, Bey looked like part of this team's future, so what happened? Was it his "insane" salary demands? He can demand all he wants, but that doesn't mean he's going to get it. There won't be many teams with cap space next offseason, do you really think any of them were going to tie it up for Saddiq Bey? You could have matched any salary or just walked away. Did you really like James Wiseman this much? Why? What did you see that the Warriors, the best franchise in the NBA, didn't? Why did you instantly lose faith in Bey as a bench player and jettison him for Wiseman?

6. Why the early extension for Isaiah Stewart?

This was another decision you didn't have to make right away, as Isaiah Stewart would have been a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so if you wanted to keep him, you could have, as no other team was going to offer what you gave him. So what was the hurry? Wouldn't it have been better to wait and see how he worked out at power forward? To see if he can be a long-term complement to Cade Cunningham? From an outside perspective, it looks as if you are building your team and making roster decisions around a guy who is a fringe NBA starter at best. Why? There was no rush to extend Stewart, just as there was no rush to trade Bey. Both decisions are looking extremely questionable, as Stewart doesn't help Cade much and the Pistons have a big hole in their rotation where Bey should be. Can you explain these two decisions?

Tough conversations with Troy Weaver

7. Do you have a big move up your sleeve?

I hope so because your team is in its death throes. Did you see the empty arena last night? Have you noticed how the telecast won't show the upper deck? Have you noticed how your team was recently relegated from NBA TV in a move that was an act of mercy for NBA fans? Please tell me that all of this is leading to something. Please tell me that you have had a big move planned all along and are just waiting for it to unfold. Please tell me something to give me some hope that this rebuild wasn't a complete shambles that has to be torn down and started over from scratch.

Is there a trade coming? What are you going to do with the seven open roster spots you'll have after this season? Do you have plans for Bojan, Burks and Harris? Are there deals in place? Are you doing anything to make this team better other than waiting for it to "gel?"

I have to tell you, Troy it doesn't look like the gelling is coming, so I hope you have a plan. Is there a particular free agent you covet next summer? Are there players you've identified who complement your best player? Do you have plans to acquire them? Are you awake?

Sorry for the snarkiness, Troy, but this is getting ridiculous. The team you've built is an embarrassment to the NBA to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if the league steps in and takes over. So what are you going to do about it? What can you do to give us some hope?