Troy Weaver has been officially introduced as General Manager of the Detroit Pistons. These introductory press conferences are usually long and repetitive and even in a world where sports are on a standstill, it can be a chore to watch. We combed through the internet to bring you the best quotes from Weaver's introduction. A very big hat tip to Rod Beard, to whom most of these tweets are attributed.
New Pistons GM Troy Weaver lays out a big line:
"This isn't a rebuild. This is a restoring. We're not here to re-invent the wheel. We're here to install it back in Detroit." pic.twitter.com/XRHEXVGnfE
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 22, 2020
We'll start with a cool mantra about the Pistons job being a restoration instead of a rebuild. I wonder how long Weaver had this in his back pocket. It's not disingenuous, but it certainly plays up to the fans which all new GMs do. It doesn't really mean anything, but it does show that Weaver has a good grasp on the history of the franchise and should appeal to many die-hards of the ‘Bad Boys' era who never let you forget the Pistons were the ones beating down Michael Jordan in the late 80s and early 90s.
Weaver: "We don't draft players, we draft people. High picks that don't pan out the way people see it, you miss on the person. We'll work hard as a group to make sure we get the person right. If you do that, the basketball will take care of itself."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) June 22, 2020
This is an interesting look into how Weaver plans to run a draft. Every GM talks about prioritizing character, but most aren't this on the head about it. We will have to let the drafts play themselves out to see if this is lip service or not. Would the Pistons pass up on a higher ceiling talent guy to draft a guy with solid talent but is a hall of fame interviewer? Where I can see this scaring some Pistons fans is the philosophy of “character over talent” sounds very Lions-esque and that has certainly not worked out for them.
#Pistons GM Troy Weaver on Christian Wood: "Christian will be a free agent, so I don't want to comment on him at the moment."
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) June 22, 2020
This is very close to the vest but worth mentioning. It's not a proclamation of Christian Wood's value to the team which would be the case if he was essential to the Pistons' future. This could confirm that Wood's free agency simply comes down to a number that Weaver and the rest of the front office feel comfortable offering.
New Pistons GM Troy Weaver on Blake Griffin:
"As long as Blake is in a Pistons uniform and under contract, I look forward to working with him. He is in our plans moving forward."
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 22, 2020
Weaver had some other quotes talking about how familiar he is with Blake Griffin because of the time he spent in Oklahoma. It's clear he's a fan of Blake and will value him for as long as he is here. Blake has shown nothing but solidarity with the franchise since being traded to Detroit and Weaver is returning the courtesy.
Tom Gores said that while finding a person of color for the GM job was a priority, it takes nothing away from Troy Weaver's qualifications. Pistons have long coveted Weaver. "He’s the best man period, best person period, in the world for this job."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) June 22, 2020
Pistons Owner Tom Gores talked about how having a diverse front office was important to the team. What this should signal to the fanbase is that the rest of the front office roles will be filled not because a man or woman fits a certain description but because the Pistons genuinely feel that they're the best candidate that said yes.
#Pistons GM Troy Weaver on moving to Detroit: "The weather doesn't scare me; I'm excited to get four seasons."
I mean…let's go.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) June 22, 2020
I will never be convinced anybody can enjoy days that are seven degrees or below but Weaver did his homework and knew Michiganders *love* when you play up the ‘seasons' card. Bravo, Mr. Weaver.
#Pistons GM Troy Weaver: "In OKC, we retooled the team a few times and just having flexibility in turning great players into more players and more picks … we had to be extremely open-minded because it's different now — traditional rebuilds are a thing of the past."
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) June 22, 2020
This is the good good. Oklahoma City the last couple of seasons has been a monument of “competitive rebuilding”. They lost Kevin Durant, shipped out Paul George and Russell Westbrook, and have still managed to stay a fixture in the playoffs. Oh, and all of that in the Western Conference. That's what the Pistons have tried to do and have failed miserably at. While Weaver may not have the same kind of luck he struck in Oklahoma City, I am not expecting a 76ers level tank job. Look for the Pistons to strike deals that make sense and help the team get better without mortgaging their future.
All around, it was good day for Weaver and for the fans who were eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say. He hit on some of the points that Detroiters love and gave at least some insight into how he plans of running and ‘restoring' the Pistons.
