NBA Season – Joshua Graves: Exploring the Collision of Culture & Faith

NBA Season

October 25, 2009

Every once in a while I need to write about sports, lest some of my readers continue to send me disgruntled mail (by disgruntled, I’m thinking of one friend . . . won’t mention any names . . . just had a baby named Parker).

I think Joe Dumars has handled the Pistons transition fairly well from an annual contender (they went to the conference finals more than any NBA team in recent memory, snagging one championship from the Lakers in 2004) to a team on the rise.

Besides Darko (affectionately known as the ‘human victory cigar’), most of his moves have been effective. While many quibble with the Chauncey-for-AI-trade (which admittedly went as bad as possible with AI), Dumars did manage to clear a lot of cap space.

Had Dumars not signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva they would have won 30 games total this upcoming season. By adding those two proven NBA competitors Dumars essentially guarantees the Pistons will a) be in the playoff hunt during a rebuilding year b) sell tickets with a high-scoring team and c) THEY NOW HAVE MAJOR PIECES IN PLACE TO MAKE A RUN AT A TOP FREE AGENT. A little history lesson: When Grant Hill decided to leave for Orlando back in the early 2000’s Detroit almost rioted. Dumars managed to pull of a sign-in-trade for a lesser known Ben Wallace.

For instance, if it’s clear that Chris Bosh is not going to re-sign with Toronto, the Raptors will be forced to shop him to a team like the Pistons who can a) put a new/extended contract together and b) offer one or two solid players in return. The Raptors cannot come away this summer empty-handed. Period. Several other teams are in the same boat.

Because Dumars now has depth at guard (Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton and Bynum) and small forward–he has the luxury of piecing together a scenario that will attract talks from NBA GM’s.

However, had he not spent any money this off-season AND in addition, failed to land a marquee player–it would have spelled disaster for those who remember the teal years.

—

I look for the Lakers to win back-to-back and Kobe officially distance himself from Shaq as the premiere player of the last decade.

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4 Comments

thank you!

by ash (Oct 25 2009, 4:24 pm)

Dang Josh, your glass sure is half full with the 09-10 Pistons.
A couple things I would contest.
I agree the Pistons are not contender but I am not sure they could be classify them as a team on the rise. Charlie and Gordon are younger but Joe D signed them to BIG contracts (for their track records) which could prove to be hand cuffs for the Pistons for then next 5 years if they do not raise their level of play.
Joe D has made good decisions in the past, but his track record is getting mediocre fast. Mike Curry, AI, Darko, and I think Charlie will be a question mark as well.
Pistons have pieces to make a run at free agency but Miami has 2 guys under contract after this season. They will have tons of Cash and we can’t tell if cash or trades will rule free agency next year.

Bigger point is the number of question marks for next season. First year without Davidson owning the team, so we don’t know how liberal the new ownership team will be. Totally unproven coach that could be the next Carlisle or the next mike curry. Since Chauncey left, it does not seem that a player has stepped up as a team leader. Hopefully Rip will do that this year.

Final point, the Pistons might prove to have depth but it might also prove to be the second year of a log jam at multiple positions. AI and Rip playing the same postion created a problem, so Joe D went and signed Ben Gordon (same position as Rip) Charlie (probably same position at Tay) and we still have Stuckey and Bynum at the PG.
Any team that has Kwame as a starting Center is suspect.

I do agree Lakers go back to back, and hope the next off season is great for the pistons.

PS-Don’t forget Amare is still on the trading blocks and that could be SWEET!

by Kyle (Oct 25 2009, 4:33 pm)

I’m probably drinking the Joe D kool-aid but most folks don’t realize how hard it is to win consistently at the NBA level. Just ask the Celtics, Rockets, and Bulls.

For a mid-size market in a difficult economy, Joe D is very, very good.

Ash–I couldn’t write the Tigers blog. Still trying to figure out if I’m mad or not.
Miggy better get to AA this off-season. We’ve got too much riding on his swing.

by josh (Oct 26 2009, 10:38 am)

What we will have to see is how much of a loss John Hammond is. Since Hammond left the Pistons hired and fired Curry, traded Chauncey, Signed Kwame Brown and resigned Ben and Chucky. We might see that Joe D’s brain moved to Milwaukee

by Kyle (Oct 26 2009, 3:41 pm)