I like what they've done this offseason. I initially hated the Josh Smith signing because of his lack of ability to space the floor... but he's a good defender, a smart cutter and a very good passer for a big man. I don't see how him at small forward is going to be much different than an unreliable Tayshaun Prince (as far as shooting goes). Huge upgrade defensively. I like the idea of a lineup combination of Smith and Monroe as bigs who are skilled passers surrounded by shooters (some combo of Billups, Knight, Singler, Datome and KCP). I also like Smith paired with Drummond for some high-low lob action.
I hope Billups can be a good mentor for Knight. He can come off the bench, play 15-20 minutes and be a good voice in the young PG's ear. Knight needs to be allowed to develop as a PG instead of this combo guard crap. Hard to develop as a PG if you're constantly being moved off the ball and looking over your shoulder so a disinterested Rodney Stuckey can get minutes. Knight doesn't need to be Chris Paul for this team to be good- if he turns into Mike Conley 2.0, I would be happy. Run the offense, defend, and pick your spots. Nothing wrong with that.
It seems like the Pistons are trying to replicate Memphis' blueprint- clog the lane with big men who can defend and hope to surround them with enough athletes and shooters to be effective offensively. Memphis went to the Western finals last year without a real deep shooting threat, so it's possible that blueprint can succeed.
Looking forward to watching the Pistons this year!