Pistons Feel Like The Plan Is In Place
By: Matt Dery
I know what fans are thinking. It is going to be another long year up at the Palace. The Pistons are young, and still in need of an infusion of talent. They just do not have that marquee star that will put butts back in the seats. I will not disagree with all of those statements, but, from what I've seen recently, this is an organization that has its act together again. I had the opportunity today to watch the informal workouts at the Pistons Practice Facility and I was pleasantly surprised. The turnout for the workout was the largest that I have seen in my 12 years working with the organization on the radio network. It used to be very quiet in September up there, but not anymore.
80 percent of the roster was there today and they were working. The staff is the best that Joe Dumars has had in a very long time and there no longer are any lingering effects from the past. It has been a rough few years, but now the organization has a vision and an owner with a willingness to spend and most importantly, some fresh faces.
Today I watched Kim English knock down jumper after jumper. I saw Andre Drummond go through drills and it's the first big man in a long time in that building with that type of raw ability that I have seen.
Kyle Singler can play. Rodney Stuckey is in great shape and is working at his craft. He's there before camp and putting the time in.
There was a veteran in Corey Maggette in attendance today and was also going through the workout like a guy playing for something.
Slava Kravstov is raw as heck, but is a guy that has a nose for the basketball and is added size. As Dumars told me today, the team needed some young and new bodies and they've needed a coaching staff that can make them better and put them in a position to succeed.
Free agent swingman Terrence Williams, who Lawrence Frank coached in New Jersey, is working out and is expected to be invited to training camp. The Pistons have not offered a training camp contract as of yet.
How will this team do? I have no idea. They still need more talent and talent wins in the NBA. But, for starters, at least they are conducting business again like a Detroit fan would be proud of.
