Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons Zaza Pachulia was a good pickup
By KC Whitten
1. Championship pedigree
For nearly one and a half seasons, Zaza Pachulia started on the best team in the NBA. He was a part of two championship teams, and started 15 games in the 2016-17 playoffs with Golden State. In Detroit, he will be the only player on the roster that knows what it takes to win a title.
As mentioned earlier, some Pistons fans were upset with the signing of Zaza. However, Detroit didn’t have the cap space available to offer big money contracts. They had nothing to lose by signing Pachulia to the veteran minimum.
I know i'm late...but why in the world did the Pistons sign Zaza Pachulia?
— 14KT (@14KT) July 17, 2018
Straight up, ima always be a Pistons fan in my heart, but I officially need a second team to cheer for....
He can also be a mentor to guys like Drummond and Henry Ellenson. Every superstar player has had a mentor at some point throughout their career. The Pistons needed a guy on their roster that can teach their younger big men. With 15 years of NBA experience, Zaza can fill that void.
Entering the offseason with limited funds, the Pistons needed to find a way to add veteran leadership to their roster. They already had young talented players, and signing Pachulia and Jose Calderon to veteran minimum contracts was a wise decision.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
The Pistons haven’t been a legitimate playoff contender since 2007-08. The current roster might not be able to compete with Boston and Philadelphia in the East, but it has the potential to be the best team Detroit has seen in over a decade.