The Detroit Pistons were looking to put an emphasis on shoring up some shooting on the wing by trading for Tony Snell. The Pistons made the playoffs this past season, but that lack of shooting hurt their offense.
According to Keith Langlois of NBA.com, head coach Dwayne Casey feels Snell provides just that:
“When the trade presented itself, they had nothing but rave reviews,” Dwane Casey said of Snell. “He didn’t have a great year last year, but you don’t forget how to shoot. I remember preparing for him when (Toronto) had them in the playoffs.”
“Excellent addition to our team with the size, the length,” Casey said. “Forty percent 3-point shooter. We ranked in the top of the league in attempts – now we’ve got to make some of ’em. In today’s NBA, we have to be able to make shots and he adds to that. More of a stand-still 3-point shooter than off of (dribble handoffs) and bounce than some guys do, but excellent addition for our team. Defensively, he can guard bigger guys. The length and size at that position is huge.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Casey's comments. Detroit had high hopes for its trio of point guard Reggie Jackson, power forward Blake Griffin, and center Andre Drummond. While the Pistons snuck into the playoffs, they were promptly destroyed by the Milwaukee Bucks in a four-game sweep.
Snell struggled to make his presence felt amidst the Bucks' stellar campaign. An ankle injury delayed his ability to play against the Pistons in the first round. Regardless, he finished the regular season averaging 6.0 points on nearly 40 percent 3-point shooting in 17.6 minutes per game.
Although Tony Snell is coming off a bit of a down year, there is a good chance that he becomes the immediate starter in Detroit. Casey's praise for his skill set could very well solidify that notion. He will have an opportunity at a potential resurgence for a Pistons team looking to become a potential contender in the East moving forward.
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