Thirty five after the hour. Welcome back Exus and Bros. Across the great state of Michigan. Wherever it is you may be listening. Thank you, Cadillac, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Holland Pittoski, Charlavoy, Lancing, Traverse City, or streaming us live on Facebook, YouTube and X. We appreciate it very much. I don't think there is
a writer. I don't think there's a media member who know the Pistons better than our next guest, Keith Langloy, who I known for a long long time with great work at the Open Press, but now is the editor for Detroit Pistons dot com. You can follow him on Twitter at Keith Underscore Langloy. He was at the press conference yesterday. I caught him before he headed out to his office and I said, can you join us tomorrow and give us a few moments to get some expertise?
And he was kind enough to do that. Keith, We appreciate it very much. I know it's early, but great stuff is always on Detroit Pistons dot com. What was your takeaway from Trajan Langdon's press conference yesterday. What's the thing that stood out to you most.
Consistent with what he said after this season ended that as unexpected and as delightful as it was to go from fourteen to forty four wins, the distance are not yet at a point where he's comfortable saying I know exactly what I have on this roster, and therefore I
know exactly what we need to complete our team. And you know, the question I asked him, one of the questions I asked in yesterday was, you know, the the recent Orlando Memphis trade where Orlando, a team that at least on the surface looks like they're at a similar stage with the distance just sent for future number one draft picks and a very lightly protected the top two protected pick swap to Memphis for a guy who's never
been an All Star does Undane. So what Trajan said to that was, yeah, well, you know, we're open to that. But if as long as the player isn't too expensive and doesn't limit our future optionality and doesn't hinder the development of the players who have in a roster, we'd be we'd you know, we'd we'd be all in for that. Well, a dozen Danes got over one hundred and sixty million coming four more years and and and you know, the fundamental difference between Orlando and the Pistons is Orlando knows
exactly what their young core is. They've got Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs on long term contract extensions already, and they know for with certainty that Paulo Banker was joining him. So that's their three. It doesn't have Kate Cunningham for sure. They know that Jade and Notty looked like he was taking his spot, as you know, as the clear number two guy, and then he goes down. And at that almost at the same time he went down, Jalen Duran
and Asar Thompson really stepped up their games. Durn had a you know, if they're kind of a sluggish first twenty five games of the year, then took off. Sar Thompson, you know, missed a bunch of well, he missed all of last summer in the first month or so of the season as he returned from from the blood cloud diagnosis and then you know he's still working himself back into shape and all that. But so they've got those three young guys, They've got Ron Holland, they've got Isaiah Stewart.
The Pistons aren't just they're about a year behind Orlando as far as firmly identifying what their core is is going forward. And I think that's part of his calculation. And I think maybe in the year from now they'll build in a different place. At that point, Ivy and durn will be either fined to the extensions based on what they did in here for or they will be entering restricted free agency. And so you know, in the NBA, I've always said nothing is more restrictive than restricted the agency.
Distance will be in the driver's seat to retain their services, but you know they'll have they'll just have a clearer idea of of what the what the number is for those guys and how to build out going forward. So long story short, that was my takeaway, you know, and he and he all but said, you know, he said, we're not going to be super aggressive. Well, internal growth is going to be the area we improve the most.
So you know that that was it's pretty clear he's he's not The Pistons aren't probably not going to be in the headline grabbing acquisition mode this summer.
Yeah, it's interesting you bring up Orlando, and I think it was a great question, and I mean that, and yet t Try was better than Orlando last year record wise.
Yeah, yes, but Orlando had major injuries. They've looked at both bank Caro and Wagner missed a lot of time, and Sugs just when, just when those two guys were getting back and they were starting to round in the form, they beat the Pistons and there it was right around the holidays down in Orlando, and then then Suggs went out to the season and things kind of fell apart.
But if those three guys are healthy with being there, they are, you know, and I think if you pay attention to the Las Vegas betting markets, Las Vegas has already pretty much stamped Orlando as a top four team in the East next year with better odds who would come out of the East and the Pistons have right now. So that's a I think everybody kind of acknowledges the talent on that roster, and if they stay healthy, they've got the they're going to start gaining some traction.
Yeah, I think that's a fair point. No question is valid. I would remind people that, you know, as you've already said, Jaden Ivy was hurt Sar Thompson missed a lot of time. Isaiah Stewart was hurt. It's not like other teams didn't have it and Detroit didn't have to deal with it. But you're right about Orlando and their young core. Keith Langloy, Detroit Pistons Dot Com editor, joining us here on X's
and bros. You brought up they're not going to be super aggressive and I heard that, and you know, chips in the middle of the table and expecting the young guys to grow. I'm fine with that personally. I don't know where the angst comes from where people feel like this team needs to do something, and do something now in free agency when I don't see the free agent take Kyrie Irving off the table because he's got the extension they're not getting Lebron James. Okay, give me the guy,
is what I ask people. Give me the guy who's going to be that difference maker as a free agent that proves to you this team is in it to win it instead of resigning Malik Beasley and or Tim Hardaway, who's that guy that you want them to get. I don't think the free agent is there. I mean, I like Miles Turner, a lot, but I'm not sure the free agent is there. What is it this team could do in the offseason that might turn that dial a little bit closer toward the witching hour than anything else.
You know, I think, Look, I think I think a lot of fans see the Pistons at point B and they want to see him get to point C. And Trajan Langon is sitting You're thinking, to win a championship, we've got to get to point G or H. You know. So the injuries that have affected the East the right that the Pistons were the sixth seed, We've had three calamitous injuries to to star players on three of the five teams that finished ahead of the Piston. So, you know,
I think it's the logical event. Say that it's wide open, let's go for it. But is the goal to be is the goal in next year or two years or three years to be the best team in the Eastern Conference? Or is the goal to in two years from now in a span of five years, from two years from now to six or seven years from now? Is the goal to have a team that can reasonably compete for
a championship. So if the goal is to get out of the East with with a fifty two win team and you know, be served up as a sacrificial lamb to Oklahoma City whoever comes out of the West. Then I guess pushing all your tips in right now might be the advisable path you can make incremental gains. He's not. He wants be set over and over again. His goal is sustainable success. So that means you were not going to you know, first of all, you mentioned Miles Turner. Yeah,
he'd be a great ad sistance. He's going to a minimum unless he gives a hometown discount to stay in Indiana, He's going to cost thirty million dollars a year. The Phistess don't have a thirty million dollars in cap state. They couldn't get him and as a conventional free agent if they wanted to, And the only other way to
get him would be signing trade. And do you really think Indiana is going to comply with their division rivals on an no. So there is with the Pistons, you know, you can look at a cap sheet and say, well, they're going to have cap stays. They're going to choose to operate as a team above the cat because that's the best way they can do the moves they need
to make. And I will maintain that the most significant offseason moves they're going to make if if it works out, and I expected will will be retaining Malik Beasley and he's going to cost a lot more than the bargain contract he signed last year, one year, six million dollars deal. So yeah, and I think they'll make some moves around the edges. I wouldn't be surprised if they do a trade that maybe better balances the roster. You know, I
know a lot of people. If you ask what they need, it would be, you know, a true stretch five or a guy who can toggle between power forward and center and legit, you know, above average three point shooter. Those guys don't go on trees. I'm sure Trajan Langton would love dad one of those two. If you can get one, maybe that's a move. But yeah, I think there are moves around the edges. But I fully agree with him. Look, we saw the in season improvement that Jalen Duran and SR.
Thompson Nayden, those guys aren't done during still twenty one star Thompson is twenty two. Those guys are going to get better. Kate Cunningham is still going to get better, Jade and Ivy is going to get better. That is unquestionably the biggest likely area of season overseason improvement for that team. As they're young guys. I believe there's eight of them. Isaiah Stewart and Marcus as are twenty four.
All the rest of them are younger than that. Those eight guys are going to get better and that's the biggest driver of season overseason progress or the Pistons.
Yeah, you know this because you've covered so many different teams before you became Detroit Pistons dot Com editor. What is what's wrong with having the young guys grow together, win together, experience the hard losses together. We saw that, you know, with the Tigers in eighty three to eighty four. We've seen that with the Lions so far. We've seen that with the Pistons. We saw with the Pistons in this franchise before. The young guys you're expecting to get better.
But there's a reason you expect them to get better is because they're really good right now and you expect them to make another step. That's a really good problem to have and a good thing to expect. My question to you would be about Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway, Junior Dennis Shrewder. How likely is it that all three come back? How would you prioritize them in the need for this team?
Well, I mean, I don't think it's likely that all three come back because it's the heavy liston you know. I mean, here's the thing I would I would rank it this way, and likely it's coming back be easily one Hardaway to Shorter three. Sure. And the reason I say Shorter three is even though he's a very important player by seasons, then they got him because they were
without Ivy. So if you bring back, if you bring back Beasley, now you've got in your back where you've got Kate Cunningham, you've got Jade and Ivy, You've got him in the league easily. Would they love to have Dennis Shuter? Sure? But is there going to be another team that has a lot greater need for what Dennis Shuter can be and therefore was willing to commit and has more resources to commit to Dennis Shutter? I would think though, I mean, if he comes back, he's your
number four guard more than likely. You can quibble, but Beasley's the guy who made three hundred and nineteen three pointers. They want him back. The three pointer is a huge weapon. Ivy's a guy who's going to play thirty minutes the game. Kate's gonna play thirty five. You know, you can get a little bit creative because Kate has forward size. You
can play three of those guys together sometimes. So I guess you could make the case that, like we can, we can squeeze in, you know, twenty five to thirty minute role for Shuter as well, and maybe that's what they do. I don't. I don't know, but I just think, you know, I mean, Milwaukee's without Damian Lillard. Now Milwaukee, he could Shuter could probably walk into the starting lineup in Milwaukee. If if that's if the Bucks can figure out how you know, everybody's got a mid level exception.
The Bucks are over the aprons, so it won't be the full mid level. But I just don't think again, if the distance, if you look at how they have to allocate their resources, they need easily back, they guys think they've got to prioritize him. And beyond that, I don't think. I don't think the next the next tool in their bag will be enough to outbid other teams who who will use the first tool in their bag to get shorter because they'll have a more critical need for what he can offer.
Yeah, it makes sense. Keith Langloyd joining us on the Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest line. Last thing from you. I really impressed you. You had mentioned some of the younger guys and making that step. We're super impressed with with Kate Cunningham. I'd like him to treasure the basketball a little bit more, but you think he can get better. Their front court of Durham and Stewart, how capable are they of expanding their game? Do you think to being more of an offensive threat.
I don't. I think they're capable. Look they're they're Durham especially is very young. I think that if you ask Trajan Langdon what you wanted would he want to see
from Durham, I don't think he'd say. I don't think first time as list would be expanding his offensive game and especially not you know, seeing them drift out as the three point and I think he'd say, continue to get better as a room protector, or he took a major step last year, continue to get better in transition running the floor, continue to get better at pick and roll defense. Uh, awareness of you know, of an offensive spacing, so we're not giving up you know, walk injuries and
that type of stuff. Look, Durham became I think during by the end of the season in mid its twenty five games in. You know, there was a lot of grumbling about him and what do the consistions do about this position going forward? I think by the end of the season he was a top ten center in the league at age twenty one. And you know, I'm sure, Matt, you've been around a long time too. You've heard it always takes the big guys a little bit longer in
the NBA. There. You know, they're they're they're the quarterback, They're the spine of the defense. They've got to see everything happening. They've got to be barking out. They've got to be barking out signals. They've got to run. You know, guards don't have to run from baseline to baseline. Centers do. It's a demanding position. He came into the league as an eighteen year old. Three years in he's twenty one
going on twenty two. You know, you've got to be a little bit patient, but I think if it comes to there'll be a time when they'll ask him to spread his wings a little bit offensively. But right now, what his values of the offenses is that that you know, the vertical threat he poses as a thick and roll guy with Kate Cunningham, who's got you know, very good feel for that. That that's a that's a really valuable weapon in this day and age because it you know,
there's the term they uses it creates gravity. The defenses have to have to respect that drift towards him. That creates the crease that gives hunting in the room to operate, and then you got easily and hardaway and those guys in the perimeter stretching the defense out the other way. So, you know, a long that's a long winded answer, but I don't think if if what you're getting at here is are we going to see him? You know, they're going to start dumping the ball into him in the
low post and letting him go to work. And now they're going to use him the way they use him as a as a facilitator. He's that's another one of his really you know, developing skills is dribble handoff huge part of an offense in the water, an NBA offense. You know, get better as a as a screener, and just continue to polish those skills and then you know there'll come a time when they'll let him do a
little bit more. But I think they're going to drill down on what his strengths already are and amplify those.
Makes sense, great insight. Really appreciate it. We wait to break it down, Keith, really appreciate it. Thanks for joining us on the Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest Line. Have a great week and we'll keep reading your stuff and keep educating the listeners based on what you write and how you follow the Pistons so closely. Thanks again for the time.
Have a great day, Bud, Thanks man anytime.