Detroit Pistons: Anonymous Scouts Dish on 2016-17 Season Outlook
By Zac Snyder
Free Agent Additions
Depth was an issue for the Pistons last season but one they addressed via free agency in the offseason. None of the moves they made were splashy but all have a specific role to play, making it easy to see how they improve the team.
As a meat and potatoes kind of free agency, the scouts surveyed didn’t have a lot to offer on the Pistons free agent class.
"Boban will be a lot of fun obviously. Jon Leuer should be a capable stretch four for them."
The Leuer comment kind of sums up the Pistons free agency overall – they got capable players for their role. Leuer won’t come in and set the world on fire, but he gives them a nice option off the bench as a stretch-four without sacrificing size.
Boban Marjanovich may be a lot of fun this season but it might not be on the court. It’s hard not to like such a large human being with an infectious personality to match but it’s also hard to see a big role for him this season. Drummond is locked in as the starting center with Aron Baynes behind him. Boban figures to play a big role for the Pistons, but that comes next year with Baynes likely to opt out of his contract and finding big money elsewhere.
It’s surprising point guard Ish Smith wasn’t mentioned considering I expect him to have the biggest impact of all the Pistons’ free agent additions this season. Backup point guard was a clear top need heading into free agency and Smith is the player Van Gundy targeted and signed early in the process.
Especially with Reggie Jackson going to miss some while his knee heals, how Ish Smith plays will go a long way to determining how the Pistons’ season goes.