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Joe Dumars, Chauncey Billups and the death of the Detroit Pistons

by Oly Sandor
Mar 16th, 2010

The Quick Hit: For years, almost everything Joe Dumars touched turned to gold.

After all, the Hall of Fame shooting guard turned General Manager built the Detroit Pistons into a perennial contender, model franchise, and World Champion by giving underappreciated players an opportunity.

Betting on those with something to prove paid off handsomely: Chauncey Billups developed into an elite point guard, All-Star, and Finals MVP; Rip Hamilton went from good in Washington to great in Detroit; Ben Wallace won Defensive Player of the Year multiple times; Tayshaun Prince became a respected glue-guy, contributing on both ends of the floor; and Rasheed Wallace silenced his critics by keeping his mouth quiet just long enough for his play to do the talking.

Very quickly, Dumars’ golden creation has morphed into coal. And those 50 win seasons are gone, replaced with annual trips to the draft lottery in New Jersey.

Dumars, however, has nobody to blame but himself for the club’s rapid decline.

Ironically, his big mistake was under-appreciating the underappreciated. In November of 2008, Dumars, believing Detroit’s run was over, traded Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson and his expiring contract.
 
Dumars prematurely broke up a team still capable of 50 wins. He traded an MVP candidate in Billups, who has since turned Denver into a contender. And instead of saving the cap space from Iverson’s expiring contract for this summer’s elite free agents, he overpaid mediocre talent like Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

Gordon and Villanueva have struggled, but they have company. Hamilton has had moments, but, like Prince, health has been an issue. Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey, Billups’ replacements, are talented -and inconsistent. And collectively, the hunger that was so synonymous with the Pistons, that desire to prove the doubters wrong, has disappeared.

For instance, tonight the aging Boston Celtics routed Detroit. Even against a hated rival like the green-and-white, they played little defense, offered zero resistance, and seemed distracted by thoughts of the off season.

This calamity is on Dumars. For the sake of the Pistons, he must regain his golden touch –and fast.

Is Dumars responsible for the end of Deeeeetroit Basketball? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts. Photo courtesy of  DTezz.   
 

 

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Comments (7)
Dan A March 16, 2010
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Dumars F'ed the Pistons future for the next 10 years. All the players we could have are in Denver. He passed on Carmelo in the draft, and gave them Billups and Afflalo for nothing.
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O.Sandor March 16, 2010
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Hey Dan A ... Thanks for commenting. Yes, passing on Carmelo hurt, but, at the time, he was somewhat set at that position with Prince thriving and that team winning. Of course, Prince and the Pistons have since floundered. And Carmelo would look pretty darn good. So would Bosh or Wade while we are at it. I think giving up on Affalo was also a blunder. He has become a very solid shut down guy in Denver. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Fire Joe March 16, 2010
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From Hero to Zero, such is life for Joey D
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sic March 17, 2010
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this team is horrible and i dont think it can be saved. the best thing to do now is blow it up and start from the very begining. i just pray that we get some that is hungry and if we really lucky with name value and try to bring respect back to the pistons. i'm not sure what joe d was thinking when he brought in b. gordon and charlie v. but he needs to get rid of them along with rip and prince. the only way i see the pistons turn around a lil is if they get the number 1 draft pick and get wall and then maybe go after joe johson,david lee,and przybilla. and depending on who they can/cant get this year wait and try to go after david west and j. noah. i kno that wouldnt be a championship team or even a play off team but im sure they could get some decent players for gordon,rip, prince, and charlie v.
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STAT is worried only about his Stats March 18, 2010
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The window closed on the Pistons years ago.
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cr125jairme March 28, 2010
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I have been an avid Pistons fan for well over a decade of my life. To see my favorite player, Chauncey Billups turn a bunch of mediocre players into champions was one of the greatest sports related experiences of my life. I don't blame Joe Dumars for passing on Carmelo for... hold on to something, pshh Darko. But if he wanted to save on salary, it was a terrible, TERRIBLE mistake to get rid of the Steve Yzerman of the Pistons. Thats what he did. It would be equivalent to giving away a team captain for a ball hogging, washed up, non team player that cared only of himself. I watched every game last year and this year up to their recent loss to the worst team in the NBA. I agree with previous posts of blowing up the team and starting from scratch with the exception of Jonas Jerebko and Ben Wallace. Rip wants to stay a Piston, but is too old and doesnt have the mentor/leadership skills that Mr. Ben Wallace has. and Prince is hit or miss. Jerebko will turn into everything that Prince was, is, and never will be. And FOR GOD SAKE, would kwame brown retire. The laziest POS that I've ever seen.
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cr125jairme March 28, 2010
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I am currently debating becoming a full time Denver fan. I might even move there if it wasn't for the Red Wings.
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