At first glance, the Detroit Pistons‘ hiring of respected shooting coach Fred Vinson is a grand slam shot with a bat swing to boot.
Vinson, who agreed to become an assistant coach with the Pistons last week, sources confirmed to The Athletic, has long been considered one of the best shot doctors in the NBA. He has spent 14 years in New Orleans, where new Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon came from, and is credited with helping develop below-average three-point shooters like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Naji Marshall are legitimately good 3-point shooters.
“Man, Coach Fred, like I said, I owe him everything,” said Ball, who never shot better than 33 percent on 3-pointers before coming to New Orleans and shot better than 37 percent on 3-pointers during his two seasons with the Pelicans. “I get there, I’m working out and he’s recovering for me. About three or four days go by and he says, ‘Hey, we’re about to change (your vaccine).’ I thought, ‘The season is about to start.’ What do you mean we’re about to change it? He said, ‘I’m going to be here.’ I thought, ‘Okay, if we’re going to do it, we’ll do it.'”
The shooting coach’s arrival in the Motor City not only signals the faith that someone like Vinson, who theoretically could probably work anywhere in the NBA, has in Langdon’s vision, but it could also reveal the Pistons’ plans this season. low.
Think about it… a team that is considering taking a shot at some of its young prospects and replacing them with more developed players isn’t going to go out and hire a shooting coach of this magnitude. The Pistons, who have the most cap space in the NBA, could theoretically go after any available free agent. Veterans who shoot 36 percent or better from 3 aren’t changing their shots. At least, if it was thought that Detroit could consolidate several of its young players to improve quickly, the addition of Vinson suggests that this may not be the case.
As of now, it’s difficult to fully assess how Langdon plans to approach team-building in his first offseason in charge, as he has yet to hold a press conference, is focused on building a staff and is preparing for the NFL Draft. the NBA. However, it seems that there will be another attempt to develop from within. Vinson’s presence will certainly help Ausar Thompson reach his full potential. The same can be said for Jaden Ivey. Even Cade Cunningham, who proved to be a good 3-point shooter last year, has another gear he can hit.
While the signing of Vinson could go some way to implying that Detroit could continue to invest in its youth already on the roster, it also appears that the Pistons could leave the 2024 NBA Draft with a first-round rookie at No. 5 or elsewhere in the lottery. Whoever the Pistons select in the 2024 NBA Draft will likely need some serious work on their 3-point shot. The only players who come in as prepared 3-point shooters who could potentially be selected by Detroit at No. 5 (assuming he stays there) are Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, but I don’t think either of them will be the Pistons. after draft night due to failures in other parts of his games. Someone like G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland or French forward Tidjane Salaun could greatly benefit from Vinson’s presence. Cody Williams’ release could use some acceleration, even though he shot 41 percent from 3-point range in Colorado.
This doesn’t mean the Pistons will simply punt in free agency. They may decide to use their cap space to acquire bad contracts and assets, fill out the spreads, and run them on another group of young players. While I think that should have been the plan of attack for the past few years, it seems like it’s too late in the rebuilding process for that to happen, even though Langdon just arrived. It’s equally possible, and I think even more likely now, that Detroit will use its cap space to bring in some proven players (someone like Malik Monk, Gary Harris and/or Nic Claxton, for example) to raise the team’s floor, while also allows young players like Thompson, Ivey, Duren and the rookie to be important pieces in the rotation and develop without being dependent on them producing every night at the level necessary to be a successful club.
If you were hoping the Pistons would part with several young players this offseason and replace them with already named veterans, the signing of Vinson doesn’t lean that way. If you wanted Detroit to return to one of the youngest starting lineups in the NBA, forcing these players to grow as they go, that also doesn’t seem likely given the amount of cap space on the club. disposal. The most likely scenario is that Langdon and the Pistons, at least during this first offseason, try to have a better mix of proven NBA veterans and prospects with potential. It always seemed like the best outcome to me if we could all come together.
The only danger on this route? Some of the younger players might struggle to develop in smaller roles. Its value will surely be lower in six months. There is a world where capitalizing on the value of young players now is the best measure for the long-term health of the organization. Instead, there is a world where the Pistons develop their internal talent while adding veterans to the fold, and that would, without a doubt, be the best outcome for the franchise.
No one can predict what world Detroit’s reality will ultimately be. This is one of several reasons why managing a sports team is not easy. All we know is that with the signing of Vinson, the Pistons seem reluctant to completely abandon building during the draft.
Assuming my theory on why Detroit’s signing of Vinson is correct, only time will tell if Detroit made the right decision by continuing to invest in the development of the multiple players it already has in-house.
(Vinson Photo: Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via /Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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