This Wednesday, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva came to Detroit and became the first NBA free agent “signees” of the summer. New Piston Gordon will make $55 million over 5 years, while Villanueva will net $40 million over the same span.

We mentioned/predicted in our story earlier this week, 2009 NBA Free Agents: Cap Space Talks Or The Free Agents Walk that Gordon would be a great fit if he were to land in Detroit. Protect the Paint will now take a deeper look into the pros and cons of what these signings will do for the Pistons.

PROS:

Signing Gordon and Villanueva delivers two potent scorers to the Detroit roster. We stated in our previous free agency story that Rodney Stuckey and Gordon  are a great 1-2 punch. Gordon has a career 21.3 ppg average, and Stuckey’s game is improving. With Iverson departed, Stuckey should return to the player he was prior to AI’s arrival.

Ben Gordon needs to improve his shot selection in Detroit (Credit: smackenergybar.com)

Ben Gordon is 26 and in his prime.  He gives the Pistons more offense, but is it that different than what they had with Allen Iverson? We assume he will start, but if he doesn’t, he comes off the bench spelling either Rip Hamilton or Stuckey. Gordan has a knack for scoring points in bunches. His defense is a different story.

Villanueva averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season but those numbers are actually quite deceiving. Villanueva’s true scoring average when starting was 17.7 ppg, with 7.3 rpg, 2 apg, adding nearly a steal and a block per contest. If he learns to suppress his lust for the three-pointer, he will become a far more effective offensive player. He can increase his point and rebound totals as a result of positioning himself closer to the basket.

Villanueva, 24, is on the cusp of entering his prime. He should immediately start for the Pistons and will pose trouble for the opposition as the 3rd or 4th scoring option.

The two players are both solid free throw shooters, and have little flaws in their offensive talents, other than shot selection.

CONS

Charlie Villanueva needs to attack the rim more for Detroit (Credit: blair.edu)

Villanueva is amongst the worst defenders in the NBA at the power forward position. During a recent chat with NBA statistics guru Haralabos Voulgaris, he stated,

“He (Villanueva) is the worst PF defender in the league by a longshot”.

Villanueva’s adjusted plus minus confirms Haralabos’ statement.

After much belaboring in Milwaukee by Scott Skiles, Villanueva did slightly improve his defense during some stretches. Time will only tell if this trend continues. The Bucks were extremely short on players because of injuries, so it’s fair to wonder if Skiles–often disgusted by his defensive efforts–would have given him so many minutes if the Bucks’ injury situation had been different.

We witnessed Gordon’s major flaw in the playoffs versus the Boston Celtics last season. Gordon has a habit of trying to force the offense, resulting in quick, low percentage shots. This hurt Gordon’s Bulls against the Celtics during the Eastern Conference 1st round game 7.

Gordon's judgment and shooting skills vanished in game 7 (Credit: ESPN)

Gordon’s poor shot selection during the 4th quarter allowed the Celtics more  possessions late in that deciding game (not to mention other key moments of the series). The Celtics then capitalized by converting multiple free throws to seal the win.

Moral of the story: Ben Gordon is not a clutch player and you could make the case the Bulls will be a much better team without him. The power struggle for the basketball between Gordon and Derrick Rose hurt the Bulls all year.

Additionally, Gordon (who you could call one-dimensional) has a long way to go defensively. His lack of height at the two-guard position will cause him problems defending the larger shooting guards in the league. The firing of defensive-minded Michael Curry indicates a new style of play in Detroit will be integrated for the upcoming season.

SYNOPSIS:

Ultimately, Gordon and Villanueva are talented, young offensive-minded players who will add to a lineup with their athleticism and ability to score.

Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton, Tayshuan Prince, Villanueva, and Jason Maxiell comprise a solid core moving forward. If players like Maxiell, Rip and Prince can compensate for Gordon and Villanueva’s defensive inadequacies, making a low-seed playoff push is realistic. Of course, this will be dependant upon who Dumars hires as head coach.

Anyone escaping the doldrums of Milwaukee must feel as if they have a new lease on life. But that does not indicate that it will be a new lease on new defensive desires. Hopefully Detroit’s core can help Villanueva accelerate this development. If not, it could mean a trip back to the lottery.

We here at Protect the Paint must ask: What is Joe Dumars’  vision for the future direction of the Pistons?

Dumars succeeded early in his tenure as GM, but last year he traded away Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson and  it failed miserably. Having Kwame Brown on the roster additionally tarnishes his track record. The 2003 drafting of Darko Milcic immediately indicates a trend that for every good move he’s made, Dumars also has the capacity to blow it.

Milicic is the symbol of Joe Dumars' bad management decisions (Credit: ESPN)

Will anyone ever forget the Darko selection?

Iverson could replace Darko as the symbol of Dumars' mistakes (Credit: mlive.com)

Can Gordon and Villanueva  eventually make Detroit fans forget about the Iverson trade?

Will Villanueva and Gordon learn to defend and use better shot selection?

There are too many unknowns to have a positive reflection on the outcome of these signings. We will have to see who coaches this team and what demands (most specifically on defense) he makes on the newest employees of the Motor City.

Forget the Shaquille O’Neal trade to Cleveland.  Lets focus on the franchise that made the largest strides this off season.

The San Antonio Spurs are now a major threat to win the NBA title in 2010.

RIchard Jefferson will be on his best team ever. (Credit: nbainchina.com)

San Antonio dumped old horses Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and the intermittent Fabricio Oberto, receiving Richard Jefferson in return. This liquidation of old players for a player with 6 seasons of playoff experience and loads of productivity remaining is the best off season move in the NBA thus far.

Odds are probable the Spurs plan to resign Oberto if he is waived by Detriot.

We ask Gregg Popovich only one thing: Are you complaining now about the league voting on trades? If you have been living on an island or a 3rd world country lacking internet connectivity you would not know how Popovich publicly ripped the Pau Gasol trade .

Here is his is what Pop had to say upon discovering Pau Gasol was being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and a pair of first-round picks:

What can stop Gregg Popovich's Spurs now? (Credit: daylife.com)

“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” said Popovich. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”

Really Pop? Do you still possess these convictions now that you just pulled off an even more lopsided trade? Should the league be able to vote on trades? Would you like that committee to still be assembled?

How many coaches in the Western Conference would vote “yes” to this transaction?

San Antonio now has 4 bonafide scoring threats, all of whom are highly capable of erupting for 30 or more points at any given moment.

Can Manu Ginobili and the Spurs fight past LA? (Credit: interbasket.net)

Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, should be able to rip opponents apart now. Once a double team collapses, the options to dish to Richard Jefferson, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner for open 3s will wreak havoc to all defensive schematics. When all else fails, San  Antonio can spread the floor, and dump the ball into an isolated Tim Duncan for one on one post play.

If his ankle is fully recovered, Manu Ginobili should have no problems picking up 6th  Man of the Year.

Tim Duncan will keep opponents D honest. (Credit: onemanfastbreak.com)

Tim Duncan is a highly apt passer from the post, and he now has one more option forcing teams to play him straight up. Duncan’s scoring and assists total should see a spike this year. Duncan will make sure everyone is a beneficiary of defenses trying to figure out how to guard them.

The harsh reality is that the Spurs managed 54 wins in 2008-09. They did so with Parker out 1 month, Ginobili in and out all season recovering from his ankle surgery, and Tim Duncan’s problematic sore knees. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix makes it hard to imagine even the Lakers getting past them in 7 games.

San Antonio will have a higher playoff seed than 2008-09 (3rd), if not the #1 seed. With home court advantage for the majority, if not all of their match ups, the post season will become easier.

Look to see them in the NBA Finals in 2010. Oh yeah, and winning the NBA Championship.