Earlier this year, we reviewed some of the more maddening strategies that Monty Williams seemed willing to die with and compared them to this year's Detroit Pistons with JB Bickerstaff.
Now that the season is well underway and we have an understanding of this team, I think it’s only fair we do the same with Troy Weaver and Trajan Langdon. We are quickly approaching the trade deadline and it’s important to acknowledge these teams are in vastly different situations, but the undertones from each GM are still present. There are just as egregious offenses at that level as well, so let’s take a look.
Acquisition of Second Round Picks, or lack thereof
I’m truly unsure what Troy Weaver had against second round picks, but it seemed like the moment he was in possession of one, he was uncomfortable until he unloaded it. Maybe Weaver really doesn’t see much value in the risk a second round player brings. Or maybe he simply saw second round picks as candy to sweeten a deal (more on that in a minute). Regardless, Troy made it his life’s mission to hand out every second round pick the Pistons had.
Enter Trajan Langdon. The first thing Trajan Langdon did when arriving in Detroit was set the expectation that his number one priority is to acquire assets. He saw the empty cupboard Weaver left him, and decided he needed ammunition in the form of second round picks.
Immediately, Langdon traded recently acquired guard Quentin Grimes to the Dallas Mavericks for Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second round picks. That alone is a breath of fresh air compared to the previous regime, but as the trade deadline approaches, you can guarantee Langdon does whatever he needs to in order to continue stockpiling assets.
Reclamation Projects
Here is a list of some of the players that Troy Weaver traded for.
-James Wiseman
-Danilo Gallinari
-Mike Muscala
-Hamidou Diallo
-Cory Joseph
-Marvin Bagley III
-Joe Harris
Again, the franchise was in an extremely different position now than it was when Weaver was at the helm, but Troy’s commitment to reclamation projects was maddening. Trading for (and giving up assets while doing so as we just mentioned) for Wiseman and Bagley alone is enough to have Pistons fans ripping their hair out.
Over and over again, it seemed Weaver was convinced he was going to be the smartest in the room and unlock these reclamation project players. After failing on multiple occasions, it’s extremely refreshing to have Trajan Langdon focus, again, on stockpiling assets rather than using them on players who haven’t panned out.
Proven Veteran Presence
At this point, hopefully the message of this piece is clear. Troy Weaver continuously used Detroit’s second round picks as fodder in attempts to hit on reclamation projects, which continued to cripple the roster. As bad as the Pistons were, I have no issue with taking flyers on guys who could benefit from a change of scenery.
But giving up assets to do so is where Weaver went wrong. The final maddening strategy that Weaver did continuously was acquiring veterans, which we all were in favor of, but essentially the wrong ones. Troy traded for Joe Harris, who was the archetype player Detroit needed, but was well past his prime. Harris averaged only 2.4 points, 0.6 assists, 0.8 rebounds and shot the three ball just 33 percent, which is what he was brought to Detroit to do.
Additions like Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari were actually helpful, but Weaver then let them both go. Fast forward to the veteran presence Trajan Langdon has brought in and it’s night and day. Malik Beasley was signed this offseason to provide leadership and immense spacing to the tune of 16.2 ppg on 39 percent 3PT shooting. The aforementioned Tim Hardaway Jr., is starting, netted Detroit three 2nd round picks, and just had a season high 26 points in a much needed win against Portland.
It’s additions like these that have helped develop the team. Guys like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey (before his devastating injury) are putting up career highs in almost every trackable category and that’s no coincidence. I understand this franchise is completely different than it was even this time last year, let alone two years ago. This isn’t a hit piece on Troy Weaver. His draft picks were paramount in getting to where we are now. Detroit is playing competitive basketball, and actually fighting for the playoffs.
As we approach the trade deadline, however, let’s be extra thankful that Trajan Langdon doesn’t possess these same stubborn strategies that Troy Weaver did while here in Detroit.