u/AusarLover

I'm just wondering what you all think Lonzo would've become if injuries hadn't derailed his career.

He's such an interesting case to me because whenever I watched him play, it always felt like he had a huge impact on his team. During that Bulls run, I honestly thought he was their most important player.

I guess what I'm asking is: what do you think his ceiling actually was? Not just compared to his draft projections, but what level do you think he realistically could've reached? All-Star? Elite championship role player? Or just a lesser Marcus Smart.

I don't know, it just makes me a little sad that we never really got to see what Lonzo actually was. In some ways, he feels like a precursor to the modern oversized combo guards, like Cade Cunningham

Not really relevant, especially with all the offseason noise, but I just wanted to reminisce about the Pistons and why I fell in love with this team.

I'm from Australia, which definitely wasn't a basketball country when I was growing up, although that's changing now. Basketball has absolutely exploded with the younger generation here. Get ready for a golden generation.

I started watching basketball in 2016 when I was around 12 or 13 with my friends, and eventually picked Detroit as my team. I honestly couldn't tell you why. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was the vibe, or maybe the city's values just matched mine. Either way, it was a pretty tragic few years to jump on board... the Lions included.

Anyway, I don't think I would've become such a hardcore fan if it wasn't for one man.

Ish Smith. My sugar plum. My baby bear.

To this day, Ish Smith is still my favourite Piston of all time. I used to defend that man with my life in every basketball discussion. 😂

I guess the reason I made this post is to show just how far-reaching and impactful basketball and sport in general can be.

Now one of my biggest dreams is to move to Michigan and put down roots there.

That idea genuinely wouldn't even exist if it weren't for sports.

Much love.

Idk if anyone is autistic like me, but I was looking for like an NBA career simulator and found one that I've had quite a bit of fun with. I don't think its all that deep, but I wasted some time on it.

You start as a college recruit, play as many years as you want, then get drafted. I had a couple of Ish Smith careers, not quite sure how your sposed to improve or if it's random tho.

Idk if it's already a well-known game. Sorry if it is, I just couldn't find anything on it when I was searching how to up player rating.

A lot of y'all are pretty negative about this team and the way the front office is going about business, and honestly, that's fair. From the outside, we do look pretty static. But when you actually look at what we are as a team and what's likely to change, I really don't think we're going to fall off at all, even without a blockbuster trade.

There are three main reasons why.

1. Internal development

I genuinely think we're going to see meaningful development from either Ausar or Ron as shooters. My money is on Ron. Even if it's only a partial improvement or neither fully breaks out their trade value isn't really going to drop by the deadline. They're already viewed as negative shooters, so there's far more room for their value to go up than down.

2. Ebuka Okorie

I need y'all to understand what we have.

A lot of people have either written this kid off or expect him to take a couple of years before he's a real contributor. I think we hit an absolute diamond by getting him where we did. Before the draft, he was in my top five prospects, yes, top five, and I'm a draft nerd.

The best comparison I have for him is Tony Parker with a better jumper. I'm unbelievably high on him. He's my favourite Pistons prospect since Cade, and I honestly can't overstate how much I believe in him. Y'all will see soon enough.

(And no, it's not just the one summer league game. I've been following this kid for well over a year. He is the real fucking deal plus some)

3. Cade

I feel like people have almost forgotten that Cade still has another leap in him.

His scoring and three-point shooting both have room to improve. He was really efficient in the playoffs, and I think next season is another jump across the board, especially if my Okorie take ends up being right. Having another legitimate creator next to him would only make life easier.

Overall, even if you think I'm a complete idiot, I really believe we're in a good spot.

The front office has proven it's at least competent. We have a young core that's still improving, our most valuable trade assets are more likely to increase in value than decrease by the deadline, and our future picks are probably at the lowest value they'll ever have because we were just a 60 win team.

(Just as a bonus point, JB is very good at making players buy in on the defensive end. And I think this will be especially useful with John Collins, who I think will be a very positive signing for us)

Trey Murphy isn't a secondary playmaker. He's an elite movement shooter, but people are starting to treat him like he's a shot creator when he really isn't.

Honestly, he's a more athletic Duncan Robinson. Put Duncan in Trey's situation as the primary scorer on a 20 win team, and he'd probably average around 18 PPG on 40% from three too.

If we're looking for someone to complement Cade, we need another ball-handler and creator. Tyler Herro would've been the ideal fit, but he doesn't seem to be available.

At this point, I'd rather roll into the season with our 60-win team and re-evaluate at the trade deadline than force a move that doesn't solve our biggest need and drains our assets.

It's not like our picks are going to get less valuable.

Going to bed, I recommend you all do the same. 35-year-old Leckie and Bambi Burgess ain't dragging this one back

Oddly specific request, but I'm chasing a very particular type of protagonist for my next read.

I'm looking for scam artists, conmen, manipulators, tricksters, characters whose first instinct is to talk, deceive, negotiate, bluff, or cheat their way out of a problem rather than punch their way through it. Think Catch Me If You Can.

A few must-haves:

• Must be at least somewhat morally grey.
• MUST be selfish. This is probably the biggest requirement. I'm not looking for a secretly noble hero who occasionally bends the rules. I want someone whose primary motivation is their own benefit.
• Must be intelligent and proactive rather than just lucky.

Genre doesnt matter

Basically, I'm looking for slimy bastards who survive on wit, charm, and deception instead of brute force.