Detroit Pistons pobautista • 4mo ago • 75%

[Zucker, Bleacher Report] Monty Williams Fired as Pistons HC with 5 Years, $65M+ Left on Contract

bleacherreport.com

> crossposted from [c/NBA](https://lemmy.world/c/nba)

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 5mo ago • 50%

[NBA.com] DETROIT PISTONS ANNOUNCE DEPARTURE OF GENERAL MANAGER TROY WEAVER

www.nba.com

DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that General Manager Troy Weaver is leaving the organization. “I very much appreciate all the dedication Troy displayed to our Pistons franchise,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores.  “As much as we have struggled lately, we will look back and see Troy as an important person in the remaking of the Pistons. He took the pain of rebuilding head on and he did the hard work to get us the flexibility we have today. He also assembled a great core of young men with tremendous skill and character to give us a path to the future. Make no mistake, I have real appreciation for who Troy is as a person and what he has meant to the organization. I wish him the very best as he pursues his ventures.” The decision was agreed upon mutually and comes after the Pistons recently appointed Trajan Langdon President of Basketball Operations. Weaver, who was named General Manager on June 18, 2020, oversaw the initial stages of a rebuild that focused on re-shaping the roster through the draft and creating financial flexibility.  His draft night moves were highlighted by the selections of No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham (2021) along with other foundational pieces of the Pistons’ young core – Isaiah Stewart (No. 16 pick in 2020), Jaden Ivey (No. 5 in 2022), Jalen Duren (No. 13 in 2022) and Ausar Thompson (No. 5 in 2023).  His notable trade and free agent acquisitions included Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes at this past season’s trade deadline along with Jerami Grant (2020 sign-and-trade), Kelly Olynyk (2021) and Cory Joseph (trade with Sacramento).

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 5mo ago • 66%

[Ramsey, Detroit Free Press] Ausar Thompson, fans in disbelief as Detroit Pistons fall to No. 5 pick again in NBA draft

www.freep.com

The [Detroit Pistons](https://www.freep.com/sports/pistons/) are NBA draft lottery losers after a season of historic shortcomings — again. In Sunday's [NBA draft lottery](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2024/05/12/detroit-pistons-pick-2024-nba-draft-lottery-troy-weaver-number-5-pick/73655614007/), the Pistons fell the maximum slots possible in the current system. The Pistons had the best odds for the No. 1 overall pick, 14%, after finishing 14-68, the worst record in franchise history, in 2023-24. It is the second year in a row the Pistons have slid from the No. 1 spot to No. 5. Last year, the Pistons lost out on the lottery and a chance to select Victor Wembanyama, ending up with Ausar Thompson at five instead. The Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers all fell out of the top four, getting leapfrogged by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 4, the Houston Rockets at No. 3 and the Atlanta Hawks at No. 1. The Washington Wizards, who had the second-worst record (and 14% odds for No. 1) remained at No. 2. Detroit and their incoming president of basketball operations — who has yet to be hired — will have its work cut out after falling to No. 5. Detroit finished with the worst record in the NBA for the second straight year and reached the low point in franchise history despite having a collection of young talent led by former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. All of that for the fifth pick. Woof. Thompson's reaction as the Pistons' representative on the stage in Chicago says it all. The basketball gods have yet to relent on the Pistons, and fans are resigned to the misery while the rest of the NBA world points and laughs like Nelson Muntz in "The Simpsons."

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 6mo ago • 40%

[Associated Press] Pistons plan to hire head of basketball operations after finishing with NBA’s worst record again

apnews.com

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons are looking for new leadership after finishing with the NBA’s worst record for the second straight year. The Pistons announced Monday, a day after finishing the season 14-68, that it will hire a head of basketball operations who will report to team owner Tom Gores. “This past season has been incredibly difficult and frustrating for our fans, players and our entire organization,” Gores said. “We will continue to invest in our core group of young players and surround them with the right complimentary talent.” The Pistons are trying to build around Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey — players who are 22 and younger — to restore pride in a franchise that has won three NBA titles. The team says general manager Troy Weaver, who has a 74-244 record in his four years with the franchise, and the basketball staff will keep their jobs. “I am committed to doing whatever it takes to build a winning team,” Gores said. “Nothing is off the table. As tough as this season has been, a bright future is available to us. It’s in our power to get this right, and we will. This is a pivotal summer for the Pistons.” Detroit will hope to get the No. 1 pick overall in the NBA draft, a year after San Antonio won the draft lottery and landed Victor Wembanyama. The Pistons set an NBA single-season record with 28 consecutive losses, a skid that started in October and didn’t end until late December, under first-year coach Monty Williams and failed to come close to ending a five-year playoff drought.

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[PAYWALL][Sankofa, Detroit Free Press] Malachi Flynn's 50-point night, biggest shock of year, rare Detroit Pistons feel-good moment

www.freep.com

ATLANTA — The entire bench rose to its feet as Malachi Flynn’s final bucket of the night, a fastbreak layup, fell through the net. Fifty points. It’s a threshold most NBA players are lucky to reach. That’s especially true for players like Flynn, who came to the Detroit Pistons at the Feb. 8 trade deadline looking to keep his career afloat. He has only appeared in 31 games this season, with zero starts. His career average entering the game was 5.2 points. But on Wednesday night, Flynn had fans in State Farm Arena reacting with shock as each shot fell through the net. He followed a 17-point first half with a 12-point third quarter, helping the Pistons battle back from a 22-point deficit. He saved his best for last, though. He scored 19 points in the final period, including a 3-pointer and layup in the final minute of the game that brought the Pistons within five points, and finished the night 18 of 25 from the floor. Fifty points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. It might be the most unexpected scoring outburst in NBA history — a player who struggled to crack the rotation at his last stop, seizing the moment on a night the shorthanded Pistons, who are playing out the string. According to ESPN, no player has ever scored 50 points with a career average lower than Flynn’s. Unfortunately, his stellar night didn’t lead to a win. The Pistons fell to the Hawks, 121-113, as their late rally from a 22-point, third-quarter deficit fell short following a rough first half. Even so, his performance led to a feel-good night for a team that was without Cade Cunningham, and much of its core rotation, with just six games remaining in the season. “We’re all super happy for him because we all know what he’s had to go through,” said Evan Fournier, who arrived in Detroit with Flynn from the New York Knicks in February. “I don’t want to say we wouldn’t give a (expletive) if it was Cade, but it wouldn’t be the same. The fact that it’s Malachi adds more to the story, I think.” Other than Flynn’s bucket that secured his 50-point night, the biggest reaction from the Pistons’ bench was with 43 seconds remaining, when he stole an inbounds pass from the Hawks but missed the layup, which would’ve brought the Pistons within five points a little sooner. “When he missed the layup, we were all like, no!” Fournier said. “It was definitely a couple moments that were good in the game, for sure.” Flynn, the 29th pick of the 2020 NBA draft, spent the first three years of his career with the Toronto Raptors. But he was traded twice this season — first to the Knicks in January as a piece in the OG Anunoby trade before New York flipped him to Detroit a month later. The 6-foot-1 point guard averaged 15.3 minutes in 31 games with Toronto, but only played in garbage time with the contending Knicks. He has carved out a steadier role in Detroit, thanks to injuries and the team’s need for a true point guard following a flurry of deadline moves. It’s given him a chance to audition his game as he approaches restricted free agency. “He just works on his game,” Monty Williams said. “He’s in the gym every morning pretty much an hour before practice, maybe more. He works on his game. You saw it tonight. All those shots that he made are shots that I see him work on every day. It wasn’t just that. He had some timely passes that tell you a lot about him as a player. When he saw guys open, he got off of it, and it just speaks to the phrase we use in our program, that reps remove doubt. “When you put the work in, you can’t count on having a 50-point game. But you can go into a game because you have stacked solid days and have confidence that when you shoot the ball or make certain reads, when you’re in pick-and-roll coverages, and defensively you get out there and fight, you can have these kinds of nights. We’re proud of Malachi and all of our guys in that regard. They just bring it every single night.” It was Flynn’s first 50-point game at any level. He had an opportunity to cross the threshold in high school, he said, but his coach subbed him out of the game. “Right now, it’s a little tougher just because at the end of the day, you want to win to be honest,” he said after the game. “That’s always my main goal, to win. It definitely feels good. The guys congratulated me in the back. That also feels good to take in the moment. I’m sure a couple days from now it’ll feel a little bit better.” With six games remaining in the season, the 13-win Pistons are trying to build some semblance of momentum to take into the offseason. They’re still three wins shy of the franchise record for fewest in a season. It’s been a tumultuous one, featuring a 28-game losing streak that forced a lot of uncomfortable questions about the trajectory of the rebuild. Flynn’s night, despite the loss, was a bright moment for a franchise that hasn’t had many this season. “Just a guy scoring 50 is rare and tough, but in that particular setup, I don’t recall seeing a guy doing that,” Fournier said. “I’m super happy for him. I know he’s been struggling this year, being traded and all that. I’m sure he feels amazing right now and I’m really happy for him.”

Philippines pobautista • 7mo ago • 90%

Pinoys dig up ‘Personal Injury Court’ ep on April Fools’ ‘tattoo disaster’ after viral P100K challenge

> Filipinos are bringing up a clip of an episode of an old American syndicated nontraditional court show where a man got a tattoo on his forehead after falling for a prank on April Fools’ Day. > > This was resurfaced after Taragis, a Pampanga-based takoyaki food brand, gained traction for challenging its followers on Facebook to have its logo tattooed on their foreheads for P100,000. > > In the now-deleted viral post, the brand announced that the first individual who would send a picture of their tattooed forehead will win the supposed cash prize. > > The post was uploaded on April 1, the same date the global community observes the annual day of jokes and pranks. > > Taragis also wrote the following text in its graphic: “Click the photo for official rules.” > > Clicking the photo accompanying its Facebook post reveals a full version of the graphic with a colorful text below, which reads: “April Fool’s.” Basically, someone actually followed through with the "challenge" and had his forehead tattooed 😢

Philippines pobautista • 7mo ago • 80%

Football World Cup Qualifying Match tomorrow March 26 7:00pm @ Rizal Memorial Stadium

Hopefully the home crowd can help boost our team's chances to win their first game in the qualifiers 🙏🏼

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[Post Game Thread] 23 MAR 2024

pbs.twimg.com

Game threads are in the comments below.

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 66%

[Post Game Thread] 22 MAR 2024

pbs.twimg.com

Game threads are in the comments below. *** Sorry this took later than usual, I'm currently on the road (or sea, technically speaking) and will be having limited internet connectivity for a week

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[Post Game Thread] 21 MAR 2024

pbs.twimg.com

Game threads are in the comments below.

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

Glad to announce that one of our previous mods, @rezz, has been reinstated to Lemmy.world

[@rezz](https://lemmy.world/u/rezz) was banned from the instance more than a week ago, as I explained [here](https://lemmy.world/post/13297093). I've only logged back to Lemmy.world that day, which is why it wasn't detected sooner. ~~Now that his account's been reinstated, I'm calling for assistance from my fellow mods to bring him back to the team (I don't know how 🥲 )~~ I figured out how, thanks to this [doc](https://join-lemmy.org/docs/users/04-moderation.html). Welcome back again, @rezz! 🥳 🎉 [@Hurts](https://lemmy.world/u/Hurts) [@VodkaSolution](https://lemmy.world/u/VodkaSolution@feddit.it) [@Alchemy](https://lemmy.world/u/Alchemy) [@OttoVonNoob@lemmy.ca](https://lemmy.world/u/OttoVonNoob@lemmy.ca) [@RandAlThor@lemmy.ca](https://lemmy.world/u/RandAlThor@lemmy.ca) [@cavsfan](https://lemmy.world/u/cavsfan)

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[PAYWALL][Edwards, The Athletic] Why the Pistons’ young core may have a big issue on its hands

theathletic.com

For all that the Detroit Pistons’ young core — [Cade Cunningham](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/cade-cunningham-xKlJ0Tp1E53cb36Q/), [Jaden Ivey](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jaden-ivey-rauvOcEzaJhA78P0/), [Ausar Thompson](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/ausar-thompson-qsQAPVpgvbRPw1bw/), [Isaiah Stewart](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/isaiah-stewart-RZq0RaKHJrTHmA2i/) and [Jalen Duren](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jalen-duren-dEKiN9tnTFrUpugK/) — provide in regards to intrigue and optimism individually, the group of five may have a major issue on its hands that could make the individual experiences null and void. The lack of perimeter shooting is alarming and may force the organization to seriously rethink whether this group can succeed together as soon as this summer. Before we get deep into the weeds, it should be noted that the Pistons’ front office may have to consider shaking up this core group sooner rather than later because [Detroit](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/pistons/), with a 12-56 record, has a chance to be the [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/)’s worst team yet again. There’s a legitimate chance that this Pistons team finishes with the worst record in franchise history (16 wins would tie it). It’s even more likely that ownership feels like progress in the win-loss column should have been made. If this were Year 1 or 2 of the Pistons’ rebuild, patience would still permeate from top to bottom. This is Year 4. Detroit has to be significantly better next season because of how the last three seasons have gone. When healthy, the five names mentioned above make up the Pistons’ starting lineup. The best shooter, in terms of percentage, in that group is Stewart, who just started shooting volume 3s for the first time last season. Stewart is knocking down more than 38 percent of his nearly 4.0 attempts per game. The progress Stewart has made has been a bright spot in a season that has been rather dull. He’s making “open” and “wide open” 3-pointers at an acceptable rate, especially when you factor in his age and growing skill set. Opposing teams are staying home on Stewart more frequently when the ball is in his vicinity. Yet, even with Stewart’s success from 3, the big man, who is probably [the most consistent player](https://theathletic.com/5340639/2024/03/14/pistons-isaiah-stewart-role-player/) in the starting lineup, doesn’t possess the upside of the other four in the rotation. Detroit, more than anything, needs the players occupying the other four spots to really be threats from distance. And soon. Let’s go to Cunningham next because everything he’s shown since Jan. 1 suggests that he’s going to be fine from 3. Since the turn of the calendar year, the organization’s best player is knocking down 36.1 percent of his 5.3 3-point attempts per game, a fine mark considering the volume he’s putting up and the fact he missed an entire season, essentially, with a leg injury. Furthermore, it’s encouraging that, also since Jan. 1, Cunningham is knocking down a solid 38 percent on pull-up 3s (only 1.8 per game). If you look back since Feb. 15, a little over a month, Cunningham is at 44.8 percent (2.2 attempts per game). The signs are growing more and more encouraging as a pull-up 3-point shooter, [an area that often catapults players into All-Star status](https://theathletic.com/5330155/2024/03/11/cade-cunningham-pistons-film-breakdown/). Now, Detroit does need Cunningham’s catch-and-shoot percentage to improve (he’s around 34.6 percent on those shots since Jan. 1) in order to fully utilize him and the Ivey backcourt when on the court together. But, at the end of the day, Cunningham’s growth and numbers as the team’s primary ballhandler suggest that they should continue to utilize him in that role more often than not. That takes us to Ivey, who is the best player on the roster at getting to the rim with the ball in his hands. Ivey’s ability to attack defenses with his speed and improving touch is worthwhile for the Pistons, without question. However, if he’s going to play alongside Cunningham, he has to be better shooting the ball. Ivey is in the midst of a damaging 3-point shooting slump dating back to Feb. 1. Since then, he’s shooting 31.9 percent on close to 6.0 attempts per game. Over his last 10 games, the second-year guard is at 21.3 percent on 6.1 attempts per game. On the season, Ivey is in the low 30 percent on both pull-up 3s and catch-and-shoot 3s, per NBA.com. Ivey has been the epitome of a streaky distance shooter since entering the NBA. Before this 10-game slump, he shot over 43 percent in February. Ivey has a trend of solid-to-great 3-point shooting one month and then truly detrimental 3-point shooting the next. Maybe Ivey will become the consistent 3-point threat the Pistons need, to make the pairing with Cunningham truly work. It’s just not there yet, and given the fragile state of the franchise at this point in time, Detroit’s decision-makers may need to figure out what they believe the future holds for Ivey as a shooter if the goal is to continue to make him a starter going forward. Lastly, Thompson and Duren are complete non-threats from 3. Thompson is under 20 percent on the season, but it’s hard to be too critical of him because he defends at an elite level, finishes well at the rim and has the possibility to be a secondary ballhandler sooner rather than later. Thompson, along with Cunningham, especially Cunningham, is untouchable because if the shot does come around, you’re looking at someone with All-NBA upside due to what he can be on the defensive end. As for Duren, 3-point shooting isn’t in his arsenal. Not now, and maybe not for a long time. He has improved immensely as a free-throw shooter and that often is a good sign when projecting someone’s 3-point shooting, but that feels so far down the road that it’s hard to even consider at this point. All in all, the Pistons have a group of young pieces that they really like and that all bring something different table. Usually, varying skill sets makes for a cohesive collection of talent. That hasn’t been the case in Detroit because, well, none of them are elite shooters. It would be tough to even say that 1 1/2 are good shooters at this point. Sooner than they maybe anticipated, Detroit’s decision-makers may have to have tough conversations internally regarding this group of five players, if they fit and who is worth building around. The Pistons probably didn’t anticipate having these talks so seriously, so soon, but that’s what comes with losing at this level for four years. It’s entirely possible that the players Detroit need to become consistent 3-point threats do so by next season. After all, this is a rebuild. Patience is required when fostering talented youth. It’s also entirely possible that it doesn’t happen. The caveat is that the Pistons don’t really have the luxury of rolling the dice this time around and banking on development of this magnitude, not across the board. Losing, like this, changes things.

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[Post Game Thread] 20 MAR 2024

pbs.twimg.com

Game threads are in the comments below.

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 100%

[Post Game Thread] 19 MAR 2024

pbs.twimg.com

Game threads are in the comments below.

NBA pobautista • 7mo ago • 75%

[Post Game Thread] 18 MAR 2024

Game threads are in the comments below. --- I had to make this post manually because [@rezz](https://lemmy.world/u/rezz), the mod who routinely posts this, has been banned from the instance 6 days ago by a new Lemmy.world admin. It was because his posts contained links to NBA streams, which are now prohibited in the instance. Any thoughts, fellow c/NBA visitors and mods? [@Hurts](https://lemmy.world/u/Hurts) [@VodkaSolution](https://lemmy.world/u/VodkaSolution@feddit.it) [@Alchemy](https://lemmy.world/u/Alchemy) [@OttoVonNoob@lemmy.ca](https://lemmy.world/u/OttoVonNoob@lemmy.ca) [@RandAlThor@lemmy.ca](https://lemmy.world/u/RandAlThor@lemmy.ca) [@cavsfan](https://lemmy.world/u/cavsfan)

Detroit Pistons pobautista • 8mo ago • 50%

[Zucker, Bleacher Report] NBA Ref: Knicks Should Have Been Called for Foul in Controversial Win vs. Pistons

bleacherreport.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/12483370 > NBA Ref: Knicks Should Have Been Called for Foul in Controversial Win vs. Pistons