Cracks In The Foundation: Is Dumars In Trouble?

Okay, I know what you are thinking. Joe Dumars is the best GM in basketball, if not sports. He rebuilt the Pistons into a perennial contender, and put the pieces in place to win a title and come close to another.

Hey, you might just canonize him for bringing back the old colors and dropping the teal uniforms with the horse from Rainbow Brite.

I get it, and I am among your ranks. 

Lately however, the disgruntled and sometimes suicidal Pistons Nation has been spitting venom and calling for the blood of everyone connected to this once-proud franchise. 

And with these rants, the once untouchable Joe Dumars has been thrown into the heap.

First, it came slowly. Fans unhappy with the naming of Michael Curry as head coach, questioned Dumars over his treatment of the previous coaching staffs. This exposed a clear division among Pistons fans dating back a few years, those that believed Flip Saunders was the problem, and those that believed Saunders was the sacrificial lamb.

I count myself among the former, and therefore I called for patience with the pick of Curry as coach.

Then, the drumbeat started to gain some steam and the first true cracks in Dumars' untouchable mantle began to show when Chauncey Billups was traded. 

Fans were conflicted, but angry. They were conflicted because they knew that Billups was a major factor in the playoff exits over the past few seasons with his sub-par play against quicker point guards. 

However, the big issue was that most fans in Detroit had and continue to have a major problem with Allen Iverson. 

I can't fully explain this, but I have some theories. In essence, I believe it is a culmination of a multitude of factors. 

Some Pistons fans are purists that believe Iverson is the poster-child for the "me-first," new generation of basketball stars. 

Another factor is that Iverson plays a style of basketball that is at odds with what Detroit Pistons basketball has been over the past decade.  He creates his own shot, he doesn't play strong position defense and he tends to take chances on offense that can lead to turnovers.

Also, Iverson-led teams have rarely advanced very far in the playoffs, lending steam to the assertion that he does not have the basketball DNA to win it all.

And the last, albeit less talked about factor is the "hip-hop" issue. Let's face it, there is a small, although very loud contingent of Pistons fans that view Iverson as a common street thug, equating him with guys like "Pacman" Jones.

I'm not going to dive too much further into this here, although look for a future article on this issue.  

The bottom line is that Detroit fans have not embraced Iverson, and this is adding to Dumars' troubles.

Lastly, the recent poor, if not uninspired play of Detroit against the eastern conference elite has left a bad taste in the fans' mouths.

Don't believe me? Check out any of a number of Pistons forums and you will see some of the most negative and hateful commentary.  There is true anger out there, and it is coming to fruition at this moment. 

Granted, the biggest targets of the fans' ire continue to be old ones.  

Coach Curry and his sometimes questionable substitution patterns are at the top of the list. 

Rasheed Wallace and his inability to stay in the post on offense for longer than a cup of coffee continues to infuriate fans. 

Iverson is being blamed for everything up to and including job out-sourcing and unemployment.

Prince is being blamed for inconsistent play and a failure to assert himself on offense.

These are old gripes, and they will be there even in good times. But the new strain of venom has moved up the food chain and has finally reached Dumars. 

The perceived failures of Iverson and Curry have been dropped off directly on Dumars' doorstep. Is this fair? Of course. He built the team, and for better or worse the buck stops with him.  But is there reason to question a man that was branded a genius just a few years ago?  Let's explore what Dumars has done since he became the Pistons' general manager in 2000-2001.

Trades

Grant Hill for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace

Obviously, Hill had spurned Detroit and was not planning on re-signing with the Pistons.  However, Dumars was able to get Orlando to throw in Atkins and Wallace. While Atkins eventually gave way to Billups as point guard, Wallace remained with Detroit for several seasons and was one of the building blocks for a championship team. Great trade.

Jerome Williams for Corliss Williamson

Williams, the "Junkyard Dog", was a very popular player in Detroit. However, Williamson became one of the league's top sixth men, and was instrumental in leading them to the title in 2004. Good trade.

Mateen Cleaves for Jon Barry

Cleaves was a flop as a draft pick, and Barry was a fan-favorite for Detroit and a key member of the "Alternatorz," the Pistons second unit in 2002 and 2003.  Good trade.

Jud Buechler for Clifford Robinson

Robinson was a strong front-court contributor for a Pistons team that transformed itself from borderline playoff team to contender. He was, however, not retained following the Pistons loss in the conference finals in 2003. Good trade.

Jerry Stackhouse for Rip Hamilton

It was obvious that the Stackhouse-led Pistons reached their peak in 2002 when they were eliminated from the playoffs, due in large part to Stackhouse's inconsistent shooting. The series against Toronto that year was unwatchable. Rip immediately developed into one of the games top mid-range shooters and continues to help lead Detroit. Great trade.

Zeljko Rebraca, Bob Sura, Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter and two first-round picks for Rasheed Wallace and Mike James

This is generally viewed as one of the best trades of the decade, if not the best. This trade unloaded the oft-injured Sura and Rebraca, as well as Hunter (who would later return to the team,) for the two pieces of the puzzle that helped finally deliver a title to Motown. The two first-round picks turned into Josh Smith and Tony Allen. Even though Smith is very talented, I think Detroit would do this trade again in a New York second.  Legendarily great trade.

Elden Campbell for Carlos Arroyo

Arroyo generally is considered a bust in Detroit, as he and coach Larry Brown seemed at odds with one another from day one. Luckily, Campbell would return and was instrumental in guarding Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA Finals. Inconsequential trade.

Nazr Mohammed for Primo Brezec and Walter Hermann

Mohammed was a poor choice to replace Ben Wallace, and Dumars wasted little time getting rid of him. While Brezec was largely unused and eventually left the team, Hermann has shown glimpses of potential. Mohammed had decent numbers last year, but is plastered to the bench this year. Okay trade.

Darko Milicic for a first-round draft pick

One of the most painfully bad draft picks in club history, Dumars was able to transform the disappointment into Rodney Stuckey. Great trade.

Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb for Allen Iverson

Billups has flourished in his hometown, while Iverson has struggled in Detroit. McDyess returned to the Pistons, but has struggled with his shot.  Even if this move doesn't lead to a championship, it will help clear over $25 million in cap space starting this offseason. While many will disagree with me, this cannot be fully judged at this time. Incomplete.

Signings

Joe Smith

Smith was signed midway through Dumars' first season as GM, and was mostly inconsequential in a disappointing season. However, it did bring some excitement and got the fan's attention. Inconsequential signing.

Chauncey Billups

Some people viewed this signing with disbelief, but most Pistons fans were optimistic.  Billups had played well for the Minnesota Timberwolves while filling in for an injured Terrell Brandon, and turned out to be a major bargain. A player that once was considered a draft bust turned into an NBA Finals MVP for Detroit. Great signing.

Antonio McDyess

A player that most people considered to be washed up, McDyess continues to impress with his strong interior defense, excellent rebounding, and top-notch mid-range shooting.  Great signing.

Rick Carlisle

Carlisle helped focus the team in a new direction, and was instrumental in developing the strong defense-first mantra that would become the team's calling card.  Eventually, rumored rifts with upper management helped to lead to his ousting as head coach. Good signing.

Larry Brown

Brown was brought in to lead a contender to the promised land, and he was able to do so. Although there was plenty of drama surrounding Brown during the 2005 season, leading to his eventual firing, his resume includes one championship as well as a runner-up finish in his two seasons as Pistons coach. Great signing.

Nazr Mohammed

Mohammed was brought in to ease the pain of the loss of Ben Wallace to the Chicago Bulls in free agency. He did not fit in with the Pistons, and was eventually traded. Bad signing.

Chris Webber

It was hoped that Webber had enough in the tank to help lead Detroit back to the NBA Finals. He did not. Bad signing.

Flip Saunders

Saunders was the best coach available when Brown was fired. Many hoped that he would bring in a new, versatile offense to complement the defense. Instead, he never fully gained the respect of the players, and his implementation of the zone defense was instrumental in killing the Pistons' bread and butter one-on-one defense and self-reliance. Bad signing.

Michael Curry

Curry has been put in a difficult position due to the Pistons acquisition of Iverson. That being said, his substitution patterns have left a lot to be desired, and his small-ball lineup was a disaster. Additionally, he waited too long to move either Iverson or Hamilton to the bench, and once he made that decision, he made the wrong one. It is an unenviable position he has been thrust into, but he has not always made the right choices. But, it is too early to judge this signing. Incomplete.

Kwame Brown

Brown was brought in to add depth to the bench, and to supply a big body to go up against some of the league's big centers. So far, he has been nearly non- existent.  Inconsequential signing.

Mehmet Okur

Okur makes this list not because he was signed, but rather because he was not re-signed. Dumars had the choice of either re-signing Okur or Rasheed Wallace. He chose Wallace.

While Wallace continues to be a strong frontcourt presence, Okur has quietly become one of the top power forward/centers in the league, averaging as much as 18 points and nine rebounds per game. This season he is averaging 17 and eight. Bad (non)signing.

Draft Picks

2000 (Mateen Cleaves and Brian Cardinal)

Cleaves was an absolute bust, but was traded for Jon Barry and a draft pick. Cardinal did not stay in town long, but eventually found a niche in the league. Bad draft.

2001 (Rodney White, Mehmet Okur)

White is generally considered one of the biggest draft busts in Pistons history. Okur, of course, was an absolute steal, but doesn't quite make up for the fact that Dumars passed on Joe Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph and Tony Parker in order to take White. Ouch! Bad draft.

2002 (Tayshaun Prince)

Enough said. Great draft.

2003 (Darko Milicic, Carlos Delfino, and Andreas Gliniadakis)

Enough said already. Horrible draft.

2004 (Rickey Paulding)

Inconsequential draft.

2005 (Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and Alex Acker)

Maxiell and Johnson have become valuable contributors and a big part of the Pistons' youth movement. Good draft.

2006 (Will Blalock)

Inconsequential draft.

2007 (Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, and Sammy Meija)

Stuckey has been one of the most electric young players in the league, and Afflalo is looking like a steal as a clutch defensive sub. Good draft.

2008 (D.J. White and Deron Washington)

White was traded for Walter Sharpe, who has been in the developmental league and has shown some potential. Incomplete draft.

Overall, Dumars has had a nice run. He has made very few bad moves in free agency, and has been great at making trades. As for the draft, Dumars has been great at finding talent late in the draft, but only one of his four mid-to-high draft picks have been successful. 

As for his signing and treatment of coaches, his success has been wildly inconsistent.  His early choices were inspired, but his last two have been hotly debated. He probably should have chosen a stronger personality than Saunders, and a more experienced candidate than Curry. 

Saunders proved to be unsuccessful, but the jury is still out on Curry. He will be given more time to develop, but look for him to be watched closely next year. 

My prediction is that if Dumars makes a significant move in free agency before next season, Curry will find himself on the hot seat if he doesn't go far in the playoffs. 

So should Joe Dumars be in trouble? 

The answer is a resounding and thunderous "NO!" 

Dumars has proven himself to be one of the best general managers in basketball history.  He has made mistakes, but he has always drawn something positive from those mistakes.  

He has shown that he has a strong vision for what makes a champion, and he has the shrewdness needed to make the moves to realize that vision. 

My advice to the fans that have begun to grow impatient with their brilliant leader is to show some patience.

Remember, Dumars built a consistent, championship-contending winner once. I, for one, say he deserves a chance to do it again.