Vacation Planning - Detroit Pistons

I always liked the Detroit Pistons. They always had a strong, definite identity: they're the Bad Boys. In the late eighties, early nineties, they were the villains to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls with brutal players in their lineup such as Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn.  They won championships with these guys. They made it work. Same thing in 2004, except this time they were even more awesome and that Kobe Bryant will forever see this face in his nightmares.

It was a terrible season overall for the Pistons last year, but you couldn't help thinking they were a few details away from making it come alive. They had some bad luck, they took some bad management decisions, but the talent is there and the team is shaping to become interesting again after GM Joe Dumars sabotaged it with a series of bad decisions starting in 2008. So, you know, I'm a nice guy so here is what they should do to get things going in 2013 and make another championship push sooner than later.

• Get some leadership.  I could've called this section hire Brian Shaw for head coach too. The Pistons are in good position to hire the best young coach in the business. They have hired sport legend and mentor to Shaw, Phil Jackson, as a consultant to help find the best possible coach for the team. So if anybody can convince Shaw to take reins of a team, it's him. Plus, they have a young, energetic, fun core of players that fits Shaw very well. Lawrence Frank clearly wasn't the right fit for this team, but Brian Shaw is. He played, he won, he coached and won as a coach too. Nobody is better equipped to get the best out of this group of young men than Shaw.

• Start Andre Drummond. This is self-explanatory. If Drummond had been a starter this year (and healthy) he would have most likely trumped Damian Lillard as rookie of the year. He was a big, beautiful, electrifying thing on the court. He ran the floor like the wind, pickpocketed superstars repeatedly, blocked like a prime Ben Wallace and boy, could he jump? For some unknown reason, Lawrence Frank REFUSED to start him and gave him little more than garbage minutes, but we all know this era is over. We want Drummond and Greg Monroe patrolling the paint together. Very empowering storyline from a prospect almost universally labeled as a bust right out the gate. The twin towers are back in Motor City and we want to see them play together in 2013-14.

• Get a starting wing. Through the draft or through free agency, it's not important, but you need somebody to take over Tayshaun Prince's duty and maybe give a new meaning to the position. Shabazz Muhammad might be available through the draft at no.8 and his story is eerily similar to Drummond's. He was ranked no.1 prospect for the draft last September, but his stock keeps falling and falling, despite that he seems like a genuinely good kid when you interview him. There are several red flags about him, but I don't know. He seems like a right fit with the Pistons and exactly the type of player they can get the most out of. I believe he would do a wonderful job at replacing Tayshaun.

• Clear some cap space. That will most likely be done, because several ridiculous contracts are coming to an end. The two top earners Jose Calderon and Corey Maggette will most likely walk this summer and it's a good thing. Charlie Villanueva should opt out of his contract if he wants to see the court more than five minutes a game. At least I hope he does. Jason Maxiell will walk to leave space for Andre Drummond and maybe Will Bynum. None of these players are bad per se, but they have outstayed their welcome and don't fit the team's direction anymore. The money cleared through this spring cleaning could be used hiring players who do.

• Take decisions in the backcourt. The backcourt is becoming increasingly important in the current NBA. It's where your attack and your defense start. You need good, steady players to play there. I emphasize STEADY here. The Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Kim English tango is not going to work.  Take decisions, play who you want to play, play them and get rid of the rest. 

Next Vacation Planning article will be Atlanta Hawks and it will be the last before I move to the draft analysis.