Within a Few Hours, the Detroit Pistons Become Contenders Again

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

It appeared for a few weeks that the 2009 season was going to be one to forget for the Detroit Pistons. They were coming off a sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing each game by double digits, and had their first losing season since 2000. They missed the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2002.

The trade to acquire Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets and letting go of their leader in Chauncey Billups backfired as Billups was thriving with his new team and Iverson was not fitting in with the Pistons and missed the last few weeks of the season, while experiencing career lows.

To the dismay of the Detroit fan base, Richard Hamilton was forced to ride the bench to allow Iverson to start with the team fairing 4-12 in Iverson's first 16 games.

It appeared the whole team was failing, a side of Rasheed Wallace was seen that has never been seen before by Detroit. He missed 16 games and experienced his lowest output in points since his rookie season 13 years ago.

Not to mention, Kwame Brown was the starting center.

The Pistons appeared to be heading down the path that they wouldn't come out of for awhile. The loss of their all star point guard and team leader, their emotional leader can't develop any sort of positive side to his play and a coach fired after just one season.

Just when you thought the Pistons were going to mull around the bottom of the league praying for a high lottery pick to find a logical answer to their problems, a shining beacon arises from their own division.

Well, actually two.

Within a few hours, two of the most high end free agents on the market in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva were signed to Detroit. Gordon's deal worth $55 million and Villanueva's $35 million.

With the Eastern Conference powerhouses stacking up over the off-season, Detroit has emerged as one of the top contenders again after failing to advance past the first round for the first time in eight years.

With Rodney Stuckey having a breakout year filling in for Billups, his presence now provides some stability in the lineup.

Along with an already suitable lineup that will most likely have Stuckey at the point guard spot, Hamilton at shooting guard, Tayshaun Prince at small forward, Villanueva at power forward and Antonio McDyess at center, Gordon can now fit in his usual spot as sixth man.

McDyess will most likely be the starting center due to the likelihood of Wallace finding another team and Stuckey will be at the point guard spot due to Iverson also most likely finding a new team later on this off-season.

Villanueva had his best year of his young career last year when he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

Gordon, who won a sixth man of the year in his rookie year, has not averaged less than 15 points per game. He played a career-high 36 minutes per game last year while averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game off the bench.

With the addition of a prolific scorer off the bench and stability at the power forward spot, the Pistons immediately launch themselves near, if not in the upper tier of the eastern conference with Cleveland, Orlando and Boston.

Expect a lot from the Pistons this year as they will make a deep playoff run in the 2009 season and will be at a spot where they were familiar with only a few years ago. Near the top of their conference.

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