Okay, So Detroit Didn't Get Acie Law...

Thinkin' and linkin' about the NBA Draft...

▪▪ I can't act like I know much about Rodney Stuckey (so I'll refer you to Need4Sheed and Full Court Press), but I love the idea of Detroit having a bigger, stronger, athletic scorer on the perimeter who can not only shoot, but take the ball to the basket (something you absolutely have to do in today's NBA). And if he can develop into an occasional back-up for Chauncey Billups at point guard, I like this pick even more.

▪▪ At the time, I preferred Glen "Big Baby" Davis to Aaron Afflalo for the Pistons' second first-round pick. But maybe the Pistons are concerned that Davis could be the next Mel Turpin or John "Hot Plate" Williams (curiously, another LSU product). Plus, Joe Dumars already played with Oliver Miller and knows how that can go. Besides, Detroit already has another "Big Baby" to deal with.

▪▪ Based on Afflalo's record of playing defense, however, he could be a pretty good pick for the Pistons and should fit right in. Having another outside shooter doesn't hurt, either. (MLive.com's A. Sherrod Blakely doesn't dig the selection, though. And many people seem to be knocking Afflalo's athleticism.)

▪▪ Of course, now the Pistons have a bunch of guards. Like, a lot of 'em. Eight, if you count Alex Acker, who's currently in Greece. That could thin out pretty fast if Lindsey Hunter retires, Will Blalock is let go, and Acker stays overseas. But a trade has to be in the works, right? A. Sherrod thinks Flip Murray is gone. I wonder if Rip Hamilton should be nervous, too.

▪▪ As it turns out, the Pistons had no shot at drafting Acie Law with Atlanta picking him at #11. The Pistons fan in me was disappointed, but as a basketball fan, I thought that was a damn good pick by the Hawks. How many good point guards was Billy Knight going to pass up? He's got all this frontcourt talent (potentially), yet had no one to get them the ball and provide some on-court leadership.

But did the Hawks really pass on a chance to get Amare Stoudamire? C'mon...

▪▪ And what the hell are the Celtics doing? Ray Allen? I wonder if people forget just how good he's been, since he was practically in the witness protection program with the Sonics. He's still a very good player, of course, and an amazing shooter, but does he really help the Celtics? If Danny Ainge was going to trade the #5 pick (Jeff Green), how does he not get a big man in return? What about a point guard?

I grew up hating the Celtics, but I'm beginning to think their fanbase is the only other community that might possibly understand what it's like to be a Detroit Lions fan. Except Lions fans don't have to deal with the added hell of being screwed over in the draft lottery.

I Want Acie Law!

That is all.

Actually, I have a little more to say on this. I know it's not that easy. From all accounts, the Texas A&M point guard won't be on the board by the time the Detroit Pistons' selection comes up at #15. ESPN.com's Chad Ford has Law going to Atlanta at #11 now.

Up until this week, however, it appeared that the Pistons might have a chance. Virtually every mock draft you looked at speculated that Law would be available around the 15th pick, yet likely wouldn't make it past the L.A. Clippers' selection at #14. (Detroit Bad Boys says that's virtually a certainty, and it's the reason Law cancelled his workout for the Pistons.)

I'd love to see Joe Dumars do everything in his power to move up the draft order and ensure the Pistons are set at point guard for the next 8-12 seasons between Chauncey Billups and Law. The idea of Billups playing out the rest of his prime in Detroit, while Law is groomed to be his successor is a vision that's given me pleasant dreams since January.

Law would give the Pistons a consistent ballhandler and perimeter scorer off the bench, something they've needed since... well, the Bad Boys years. A legitimate point guard would also allow the Pistons to play more "small ball," with Billups possibly moving over to shooting guard, Rip Hamilton to the wing, and Tayshaun Prince playing more of a Shawn Marion type of power forward.

Alas, it's very likely not going to happen. If Detroit is planning to give Billups a maximum value free agent contract, which assures he'll be the Pistons' starter for at least another five seasons, and/or they're still high on Alex Acker's potential at point guard, then it's probably in the team's best interests to seek help for a position of more immediate need. And given the depth that this draft reportedly provides, it looks like that's exactly what Joe Dumars and crew have in mind.

Every one of the names currently associated with the Pistons' pick - whether it's Rodney Stuckey, Nick Young, Al Thornton, or Thaddeus Young - are of the shooting guard/small forward variety. I'll have to plead ignorance on these guys, as I haven't seen any of them play (which is admittedly a reason I probably favor Law), but they certainly seem to fit that LeBron James/Dwyane Wade profile of a big, athletic perimeter scorer who can shoot, dribble drive, and defend. And that sort of athleticism is something the Pistons need to infuse their team with.

At the risk of ending with some hyperbole, does anyone else feel like this is Joe D's most important draft since he had the #2 pick in 2003? The Pistons need this guy to be a player.