The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a one-year deal with center Zaza Pachulia, who brings championship experience to a franchise trying to relive past glory.
Even as the NBA continues to evolve as a decidedly non-combative game and culture, a lot of Detroit Pistons fans still yearn for a team that reminds them of the aggressively combative “Bad Boys” of the 1980s and 90s.
So there should be a significant section of the fanbase that appreciates Detroit’s latest addition. On Sunday, Yahoo! Sports‘ Shams Charania reported that Detroit has agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million contract with center Zaza Pachulia, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.
Pachulia is an NBA journeyman, having played with five teams in 15 seasons after coming to the league from Georgia (the country, not the college). The 34-year-old been a starter for about half of his career, averaging 20.7 minutes per game in which he’s scored 6.9 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds a night.
Pachulia won two NBA championships in his two years with the Warriors. During that time he also picked up a reputation as the dirtiest player in the league.
The most (in)famous moment of Pachulia’s career was when he — intentionally or unintentionally, we’ll probably never know — caused the ankle injury to Kawhi Leonard that helped pave the way for the Warriors’ 2017 championship.
Pachulia has always denied that he meant to hurt Leonard. But when the NBA edited its rulebook to allow officials to crack down on “reckless” or “dangerous” close-outs by a defender, Pachulia’s denials didn’t stop anyone from dubbing it “The Zaza Pachulia Rule.”
Bill Laimbeer is the easy old school comparison for Pachulia; not due to their actual style of play, but their intangibles on and off the court. Pachulia’s teammates and coaches love him and will rave about his toughness, leadership and willingness to sacrifice for the group. If he’s not on your side, though, you probably don’t think so positively of him.
“Zaza is part of the moral compass of this team,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in the aftermath of a controversial incident involving Pachulia and Russell Westbrook. “He’s the ultimate pro. No matter what role you give him, he’s going to support his teammates.”
If Pistons fans want players who remind them of the goon old days, Pachulia is as close as you’re going to get in 2018.
But don’t forget: Pachulia can play a little bit of basketball, too.
The Pistons did not have a true backup for All-Star center Andre Drummond; now they do. Pachulia averaged 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in just over 14 minutes per game for the Warriors last season, although his playing time dropped sharply in the playoffs as JaVale McGee and Kevon Looney took on bigger roles against faster teams.
With Golden State having added another All-Star in center Demarcus Cousins, there wasn’t room for Pachulia with the defending champs.
That doesn’t mean Pachulia cannot be a valuable contributor for the Pistons. He is a solid screen-setter, a good rebounder and someone who can pass out of the post. He isn’t a great defender, but he is aggressive and will make use of his six allotted personal fouls.
Pachulia also makes financial sense for the Pistons, who are dangerously close to luxury tax territory.
Here's the value to #Pistons' signings: Both Calderon and Pachulia are coming on at vet minimum of $2.4M, but each has a $1.5M cap/tax hit, so it's actually a big savings, with added experience.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 8, 2018
Pachulia brings championship experience to the Pistons as the franchise tries to re-establish a winning culture. Detroit has missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008.
It appears the team is committed to adding experienced winners with its offseason moves.
New head coach Dwane Casey led the Toronto Raptors to five straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals. He guided the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins last season, earning NBA Coach of the Year honors despite being fired by the team after another swift playoff exit. Casey has an NBA championship ring from his time as an assistant with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks.
Jose Calderon, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Pistons last week, most recently played for the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pachulia comes to the Pistons with 73 postseason games under is belt, more than any player on the team by far. Blake Griffin is second with 51 playoff games.
As the Detroit Pistons attempt to get back on track as a relevant presence in the league, additions like Pachulia are small steps in the right direction.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: B