Even though the Detroit Pistons are one of the only teams in the NBA in the top 10 of both offense and defense, they could use a boost of shooting that Michael Porter Jr. could potentially provide.
The Nets are trying to tank this season, something MPJ is not helping, as he is having a career year, averaging over 25 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range on over nine attempts per game, making him one of the best high-volume 3-point shoooters in the league.
The Pistons are just 22nd in the NBA In 3-point percentage and 27th in attempts per game, so they could not only use MPJ’s accuracy but also his volume.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post suggested the Pistons were a team that could pursue MPJ, by sending Tobias Harris and a first-round pick along with another contract like Caris LeVert.
I’m sure there are a lot of fans that would be happy to deal LeVert but losing Harris would matter even though MPJ is a monster shoooting upgrade.
Tobias Harris and chemistry vs. talent
There is no doubt that MPJ is a better offensive player than Tobias Harris, and he’s especially good at exactly what the Pistons need, which is floor spacing from the forward position, as they don’t currently have a forward that is a good shooter.
Harris the best option the Pistons have and he’s shooting just 33 percent on four 3-point attempts per game, so MPJ not only shoots twice as many, but makes them at a much higher rate.
This trade looks like a no-brainer for Detroit, as any pick they give up isn’t likely to be a good one, Harris is on an expiring contract anyway and they could feasibly do it without giving up any of their young talent.
But Harris is a big part of the team culture and has been an important leader for the Pistons and this is something you cannot count on from MPJ, who is bit of a head case who has made some questionable public statements. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, he has drawn a lot of negative attention to himself.
There is some chemistry risk here but could be a risk worth taking, as adding a legit floor-spreader to this group could open up the half-court offense even more for the Cunningham/Duren pick and roll, making the Pistons even tougher to stop.
MPJ Is also a proven winner who has made several deep playoff runs and won a title, so he’s been in the trenches and knows how to win.
But he’s putting up huge numbers on a bad team now, which doesn’t always translate to being a quality role player on a good one. Is he really good enough to be a number two? Is it worth the risk in salary and chemistry?
MPJ is one of the more interesting potential targets for the Pistons, as he could be the cheapest of any of the impact guys, but he does come with some amount of risk.
