September 11, 2023 at 10:02 pm CST by Dana Gauruder
the Pistons have veteran options at small forward in Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Harris. However, Athletic James Edwards III believe in lottery picks Ausar Thompson can jump right into the starting lineup. Thompson looks like the best defensive option at the position and GM Troy Weaver made defensive improvement a priority. The Pistons’ new staff may want to establish a defensive tone, then sprinkle in its perimeter shooters.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers big man Filip Petrusev averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds during the World Cup, helping Serbia to its surprising silver medal performance. Petrusev is now looking forward to his first NBA season, George Efkarpides of Eurohoops.net wrote. “It’s a motivation maybe to keep working,” he said. The Sixers signed the draft-and-stash prospect in July.
- The first one Sixers training camp below Nick Nurse start far from Philadelphia, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. They will be at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. from October 3-6. Although James Harden still on the team or showing up in camp remains a question mark.
- Nikola Jovic excelled during the World Cup but Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doubts that can change the The heat willingness to engage him in a potential Damian Lillard trade. He’s not sure of a rotation spot this coming season, Winderman said, so unless the team’s brass and coaching staff project him as the team’s power forward of the future or potential All-Star talent, they won’t hesitate to moving him. a proven star.