After adding yet another young big man to the Pistons' rebuild at Thursday's trade deadline, GM Troy Weaver knows what it looks like: "Wow," he told the Stoney & Jansen Show, "they're getting a lot of big guys." To which Weaver would say: "Look around."
As much as the NBA is going small, size still reigns supreme in the East.
Thus the Pistons' acquisition of 7'0 center and former No. 2 pick James Wiseman from the Warriors in a three-team deal that sent Saddiq Bey to the Hawks. Wiseman will join a frontcourt in Detroit that already features recent lottery picks Jalen Duren (No. 13 overall), Isaiah Stewart (No. 16) and Marvin Bagley III (No. 2).
"The top four teams in the East, Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Cleveland, if we want a chance to compete in the East, look at those teams," Weaver said. "They’re all top 12 defense and they’re all big. We’ve played all those teams and we’ve been at a disadvantage size wise. If we can’t rebound and we can't play at the rim, we don’t have a chance. And adding this guy to Bagley and Stewart and Duren really gives us a chance."
Indeed, the Pistons are 0-12 against the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers and Cavs this season. They're 22nd in the NBA in rebounding and 29th in defense. Weaver is hoping that Wiseman, who played in fits and starts with the Warriors, can help them change that with a bigger role in Detroit. He's had his eye on the Memphis product going back to the 2020 draft.
"We need some size and we really need to ratchet up our defense as well, so it all goes hand in hand. This young man is a tremendous talent," said Weaver. "Hasn’t had a chance to show everything he has because of injuries and playing time is tough when you’re drafted by a championship-level team.
"I kind of liken the trade to when Jermaine O’Neal got traded from Portland to Indiana. Didn’t play much in Portland at all, came to Indiana and had a chance to get on the floor and show himself and the rest was history. Hopefully Wiseman can get on the floor and show who he is and grow with our young core and pay dividends for us."
O'Neal was a first-round pick who languished on a championship-contender for the first four years of his career. He went from the West to a middle-of-the-pack team in the East (the Pacers were a .500 team his first two seasons in Indiana) and almost immediately became a star. The big man would finish his career as a six-time All-Star.
We'll see what becomes of Wiseman. He flashed as a rookie, but missed all of last season due to a torn MCL. He's averaged 6.9 points and 3.5 boards in 21 games this season -- he's played just twice since the turn of the new year -- and his defense remains suspect. Even at the age of 21, he's closer to fizzling out than following in the footsteps of O'Neal.
But if Wiseman can fulfill his potential in Detroit, Weaver's latest trade will look pretty sharp in hindsight.
"When we had a chance to acquire a young talent like James, we had to take advantage of it," he said. "He just happened to be a big guy. You said in a league that de-emphasizes bigs. Well, I would say this to you: if you want to compete and have a chance in the East, you better have some big guys."
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