Wasn't there a player on the Detroit team this past season that they had sent to Europe for "seasoning"?

One other point to make, is that while being drafted probably feels good, he's not going to play for the Pistons or be paid soley by the Pistons.

He's going to end up with a job in Europe and be stuck with Detroit having his rights.

This is not neccessariy a good thing. Had Trent gone to Europe as a free agent, he would have the ability to sign with any NBA team that wanted to give him a 10 day contract or better in the future. Now he is stuck in Europe for as long as Detroit holds his rights and decides to exercise them (or lose them- I don't know how long a team can hold the rights to a player are)

The fact that he got drafted might end up being a particularly bad thing in the long run. I just don't see Detroit bringing in a particularly soft big guy to play for them. They're not a finesse team and Trent is a finesse player (it's hard to say finesse about a guy that can't shoot free throws or a 10 footer, but that's what he is)

People will say, "It's a job, he's getting paid well." etc. but in the realm of professional sports, he's going to be paid like a janitor and treated like one. This is primarily due to #1 his inability to ever improve and add league worthy basketball skills whie at BYU #2 taking advice from the wrong people

It would be the equivalent of going to medical school, getting your md, and then taking an RNs salary because you didn't want to do a residency.

I just hope that future BYU players learn from this. It seems every 10 years there's a John Walsh that has his eyes on a fat wallet, but doesn't realize that the real fat wallets come from those that have good timing and that bad timing can leave you selling cell phones at University mall.

If anything, John Walsh, Luke Staley, and now Trent Plaisted are victims of bad timing. (Some will argue that Staleys bad timing was due exclusively to injury.... I know the situation well enough that I guarantee you that he had no choice but to leave his junior year, even with broken wheels, he would never have academically qualified to return to BYU for his senior year)

Shawn Bradley, Haffa, John Beck, even Bryan Kehl --- say what you want about their professional careers -- but they got paid and made the best of their timing whether it be leaving early and making megabucks like Bradley or had stellar senior years and got guaranteed fat contracts like Haffa and Beck.

Trent has always been a bit too much of an eager beaver. He thought he was ready for the NBA after his freshman year. If you think you are already ready, would you spend a lot of time improving yourself or really listen to others that told you otherwise? I have no problem with college players wanting to go pro, every one of them should. But, it's one thing to have the dream of going pro, working hard and doing what it takes to get there (ie. developing your shot, listening to coaches and playing hard), and it's another thing after one good season to deem yourself NBA material, dismiss the expertise of your coaches and play as though you belonged elsewhere. Too many rumors of Trent dissatisfied with his coaching at BYU, his desire to go pro after his freshman year, marginal improvement and lackluster play this year (wasn't even up for MWC POY and he thinks he's ready for the NBA) lead me to believe Trent thought he was too cool for school at BYU.

In my opinion, it's a waste of a scholarship, coaching time and money to have such a player on the team. Glad he's gone. He may think fans are rough on him in Provo, but he's not going to get an ounce of love from Detroit or in Europe. He'll be sitting on the bench in Europe wishing he was back starting for BYU. If he doesn't impress Detroit during the summer, he'll never hear from them again. By the time the season ends in Europe next year, Detroit and Trent's agent will already be looking for their next draft out of college and Trent will be completely forgotten.

I predict Trent Plaisted will never play a minute in an NBA game.

Jared Cowley

Trent is incredibly lucky to have been drafted by Joe Dumars and the Pistons, they are one of the best and most classy teams in the league. Trent is going to Europe not because he isnt a good player but because Joe Dumars cannot afford to sign a draft pick that cannot immediately contribute to the team. THe Pistons have around 8 mil in space before they hit the lux tax and they need to sign around 3 more players, it is more beneficial to a championship run for them to sign veterans and not rookies with that space. Mehmet Okur and Cheick Samb are two guys that Detroit drafted in the 2nd round, let develop overseas and then brought over to the team. Plaisted will likely join those two.

Detroits frontline looks like this
PF-Dice-6'9''- 34 years old
C-Sheed- 6'11'' 34 years old
PF-Jason Maxiel-6'5'' 24 years old
PF- Amir Johnson- 6'11'' 21 years old (drafted 56th overall in 05)
C-Cheick Samb- 7'1'' 23 years old (drafted 51 overall in 06)


Joe Dumars has a knack for finding value later in the draft and Plaisted definately fills a void for them- 6'11'' C that plays in the post and can rebound. I have little doubt that Plaisted will suit up for the Pistons considering the age of Detroits starting unit and the lack of a good sized center. Plaisted is not bad, and he has a future in this league, working with Detroits coaching staff will no doubt be beneficial to his game.