GM Troy Weaver finally speaks, albeit not to local media, and has a message for the frustrated Detroit Pistons fanbase.
The Detroit Pistons have endured a profoundly challenging 2023-24 campaign, marked by a record-setting streak of consecutive losses, prompting significant concern amidst the silence from owner Tom Gores and GM Troy Weaver. Even after Gores publicly addressed the team’s struggles, it provided minimal comfort to fans. Now, Weaver has finally broken his season-long silence, speaking publicly for the first time and his comments included a message for the fans.
The Detroit Pistons are now 3-31 through 34 games
Following their overtime loss to the Utah Jazz, the Pistons’ season record now stands at a remarkably poor 3-31 after 34 games. Before their rare victory against the Toronto Raptors on home turf, they endured a staggering 28-game losing streak. Throughout this period, the fan base grew increasingly frustrated due to the lack of public address from Gores and Weaver amidst the team’s stunning struggles.
Gores finally spoke late last month, albeit in a limited capacity during a Friday night news release before Christmas, exclusively with a few select media members. His comments didn’t resonate well with fans as he labeled those advocating for him to sell the franchise as “ridiculous,” failing to instill confidence among supporters.
Troy Weaver finally speaks, albeit with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
Rather than facing local media members, Weaver instead joined ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski as part of “The Woj Pod”.
“I didn’t see this coming,” Weaver said of the disastrous Detroit Pistons season. “But it’s where we landed. Nobody’s happy with this. Going through it has been tough. … For our fans, nobody wanted to be here, but we’re here and we’re going to continue to fight our way through it. (Pistons owner) Tom (Gores) has come out and said things that are spot on with the way we view it. We’re not happy.”
“(Gores) is on me every day about making sure we turn over every stone, making sure we’re looking at every way to improve this team and get the Pistons back to being competitive,” Weaver said. “That’s what we’re doing. There’s no sleep. There’s no rest, and we’re going to continue to beat the drum and turn it over and fight for every crumb we can to get this franchise going in the right direction.”
Weaver is undoubtedly cognizant of the fan base’s mounting frustration, evident in chants of “Sell The Team” resonating through Little Caesars Arena during home games. The arena, typically half-empty during this challenging season, reflects the disillusionment of many fans.
“I empathize with the fans,” Weaver said. “Nobody wanted this, and I appreciate their support, but I also appreciate them not being happy. Because guess what? We’re not happy. We want to continue to fight and get this right. There’s always a purpose for your pain and what’s come out of this has been the resilience of this group.”
Meanwhile, it sounds as though Weaver will be allowed to continue making changes to the roster that he’s been in charge of for the last four years, yielding the most losses in the NBA across that span.
“We call it a restoration,” he said. “As you’re going through this, it’s not going to always line up. Sometimes, you gotta take a step back to take a step forward. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to march forward this year, but we had to take a step back and deal with this adversity and the losing streak, etcetera.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Detroit Pistons’ GM Troy Weaver broke his season-long silence by choosing ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast over addressing local media.
- In his discussion, Weaver expressed an understanding of the fan base’s frustration, admitting he hadn’t anticipated Detroit’s struggles this season.
- He touched upon a “restoration” process, suggesting that despite overseeing the NBA’s losingest team over the past four years, owner Tom Gores would grant him the leeway to make further moves.
Bottom Line: The Pistons are completely tone-deaf if Troy Weaver is allowed to make more moves
The perception among the Detroit Pistons’ fan base and national pundits is clear: Weaver’s influence on the franchise has yielded setbacks and consistent failures throughout his tenure. If the organization seeks to regain credibility, many believe they cannot afford to let Weaver continue shaping the team.
Continuing to entrust roster decisions to Weaver might be likened to allowing a chef whose cooking consistently causes food poisoning to prepare a meal for a large gathering. There’s concern that persistent problems might persist if Weaver remains in charge of the team’s direction.
