Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: Pistons, 76ers, Mavericks
/Day 4 of my 2017-18 NBA countdown moves on with my number 21 team, the Detroit Pistons.
I, like many other people, were pretty high on the Pistons last year. I thought they had the goods to make a run in the playoffs, and push for a top 4 seed. Well, that didn't happen. And the main problem with this season, they are basically running it back. Reggie Jackson is still their point guard. Haven't they seen enough to realize that he isn't even a top 30 guard in the league? He shoots way too much, and he dribbles even more. I was so stoked when the Thunder traded him, and he became the Pistons problem. Then they gave him a max contract. This was doomed from the start. To make matters worse, they tried and tried to trade him, but no one, and I mean no one, was biting. I really like Andre Drummond, but he just isn't that good of a modern day center. He can dunk and rebound, but that is it. He is a poor man's Dwight Howard. I'm sure he is a much better teammate, but that may be about it. At least Dwight Howard got a team to the Finals. They traded for Avery Bradley, who is a very good defender, but he is going to have to do a lot more on this team if he wants the same success he had as a Celtic. This was a god move though. This is the make or break season for Stanley Johnson. I love the dude's confidence, but now he has to show that he can play. He has been very inconsistent since he got to the NBA. If he doesn't figure it out this year, he is destined to be a role player. Tobias Harris can still score, but that is about it. A lot of people like the Luke Kennard pick. Not me. I think he is just like any other Duke player. He can kind of shoot, but he brings nothing else to the table. Also, he is going to get torched when he has to guard real super stars in the league. Their first round pick last year, Henry Ellenson, has gotten better by all accounts, but he wasn't that good last year, and he barely saw the floor. Don't believe the hype. Ish Smith is a fine bench player. Nothing more, nothing less. They also gave Langston Galloway a ridiculous contract this offseason. That move should be evidence enough that Stan Van Gundy should only be coach, not coach/GM. The Pistons are going nowhere fast and they are destined to be a 30-32 win team for the next couple years with this current roster.
At number 20 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, a lot of people are as high, if not higher, on this team than some are on the Lakers. I say about the 76ers what I say about the Lakers, cool down. The 76ers have a great group of young and exciting players. I love love love Joel Embiid. He is the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon. He is majestic to watch. He plays the game so freely and has so much fun doing it. He could be one of the greats. But, he has played a total of 31 games in 3 years, and said do not expect him to play a full season this year. I need to see him play at least 60 games before I fully buy in. Ben Simmons is the same. He has not played one real NBA minute yet, but people seem to think he is going to transform the game. Ease up. Give him some time. He is only 20 years old. It is going to take a minute to get acclimated to NBA life. Also, he needs a jumper. I really like Markelle Fultz, but again, he was on a horrid Washington Huskies team last year, and he sprained his ankle is Summer League. I want to see him play well against real NBA competition. Dario Saric is pretty good, but the same thing can be said for all the other players I have mentioned. Show me that you can put up big numbers for a full season, not just half a season. Nik Stauskas is destined to be an 8th or 9th guy off the bench in the NBA. He is a streaky shooter and nothing more. They added JJ Redick on a wild 1 year contract, but what does he bring besides shooting? He's an overrated defender and not the veteran leadership this team needs. When is Jahlil Okafor going to get traded also? He wants out and the 76ers clearly are trying to move on from him. He is in the worst possible situation for himself as an NBA player. Both would be better suited moving on from each other. Robert Covington, TJ McConnell, Amir Johnson and Justin Anderson are fine bench players, but that is all. For the people that have this team penciled in for the playoffs, just stop. This team is way too young and way too often injured. Give them maybe 2 more seasons before they return to being a perennial playoff team. They also need to stay healthy.
The final team for today, coming in number 19, is the Dallas Mavericks. Initially I had Dallas back in the 20's, but then I remembered that Rick Carlisle is the coach, and I love their pick of Dennis Smtih Jr. If they give him the keys to run this team, they could do some good stuff. Now, I do not expect them to make the playoffs, but they could approach something like 35 or 36 wins, which would be massive for this team. This is probably Dirk Nowitzki's last year, and I'd like to see him play on a decent team. He will have a ton of fun playing alongside Dennis Smith Jr too. Nerlens Noel will be a beast on the pick and roll. He is also coming off the bench, which I think will make him play even harder to get a big contract next year. He is also an excellent rim protector. Harrison Barnes played much better than I expected last year. Maybe getting away from Golden State was best for him. He is a very good all around player. Seth Curry, while not his brother, can still score a little bit here and there. I think he will be a very good instant offense guy off the bench. Wes Matthews and JJ Barea may be coming to an end with their careers, but both those guys bring it every night. They play hard and smart. And Devin Harris and Yogi Ferrell make up a fine back court off the bench. This team is a mix of too old and too young, and they play in the West, which will be their downfall. But, please watch Dennis Smith Jr. He is going to do some amazing stuff this season for this team.
That's it for today. Come back next week when we will finally be getting into the playoff teams.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.
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