An Open and Honest Plea to Joe Dumars

Oh no, here we go again. 

As the free agent season opened today, what has been (and figures to continue to be) the most exciting offseason in recent memory for Detroit became a little more interesting.

Just like how he attacked the offseason a few years ago when he unsuccessfully tried to lure Chris Webber to Detroit, Joe Dumars is off like a gunshot. Word is that Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon and Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva are in Detroit as I write this, and deals could be imminent.

Okay, before we do anything foolish, let's think about what we need and what these players would give us.

Detroit has a lot of needs, but mostly there is a gaping hole in the frontcourt. Free agency and a trade likely leave three of the top four big men of a year ago off of the team. 

Amir Johnson has been traded, Rasheed Wallace is likely gone and Antonio McDyess is going to be a difficult talent to re-sign. That leaves (gasp) Jason Maxiell and (double gasp and a heart attack) Kwame Brown as the only, I guess you could say proven, veterans. Untested first-year man Walter Sharpe rounds out the roster.

Add to that mix the three rookie forwards that Detroit drafted this month and you have the makings of a very young and woefully inexperienced frontcourt. If this remains, Brown will be the mentoring big man—a frightful thought if you've ever had one.

Therefore, finding a big man is priority a through z. 

Villanueva is technically a front court player, but you should have reservations about him. First, why is Milwaukee willing to cut loose a high first round pick of just a few years ago? If 6'10" forwards don't grow on trees, why does it seem they are treating him like they do?

Obviously, you could say that the Bucks are trying to trim salary, and that may be true.  But nobody would cut loose a young big man if just a $5-$8 million contract is standing in the way.

Personally, I am not sold on Charlie "don't call me hustle" Villanueva.  He has shown a decent inside game with a solid array of back-to-the-basket moves. However, he has never averaged more than 6.7 rebounds or 0.7 blocks per game. To me, that seems soft, but that's just my opinion.

But don't take it from me. Here is the opinion of ESPN's John Hollinger:

Villanueva is a lazy, soft defender whose effort and mental acuity are often found wanting. As a help defender, his support is nonexistent; as an on-ball defender, he tends to play too close to his man and allow drives. He also makes baffling blunders, like charging in to crash the offensive boards when he's the only guy back. The Bucks were a horrible defensive team last year to begin with, yet were vastly worse (5.5 points per 48 minutes more) with Villanueva on the court.

Also, this would be his third team in five years, and that is a scary.

One last thing: he has shown a tendency to spend too much time out on the perimeter shooting three pointers when he should be using his size and playing with his back to the basket. Does that sound familiar Rasheed Wallace detractors?

I would rather have Memo Okur, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap (I know the first two are under contract, but the third is who they really want, so one of the first two will be dealt, trust me), David Lee, Tyson Chandler or even Chris Kaman for that matter, but I will stop talking about Charlie.

The other player visiting Detroit right now is Ben Gordon, the undersized, high-scoring yet turnover-prone, poor defensive effort and terrible dribbling combo guard from Chicago.

Okay Joe, stop it already. You are killing me! 

For the longest time, I felt as though I was the one little Dutch boy with his finger in the damn that is your reputation, beating back the critics with a ferocious fervor. But I can't justify these choices.

At least Villanueva is a big man and that fills a need. But Gordon would be brought in just to deal Rip Hamilton. The two can not co-exist; Gordon is essentially a younger, slightly bigger version of Allen Iverson, and we all know how well that worked out here.

Joe, please, remember what got us to the promised land: tough, strong-willed cast offs that put on a hard hat and "went to work."  They played the best defense in the league, and the fans loved them (and you) for it. 

We love defense, and those that love to play it. Do not bring two guys here that have the warning signs of "does not play defense" tattooed on their foreheads. You are begging for the fans to revolt.

I have stood behind you for this long, Joe, and I have drank the Kool-Aid and defended your methods with every last breath I possess. But please, I beg you, do not sign these players—they will lead to your dismissal. 

If you follow through with these players, you will be fired within two years. I guarantee it.

I know this has been a tough year for you with the deaths of Chuck Daly and Bill Davidson. I know how much you loved those men, and how much they meant to the development of you as a person and a player. 

But this is not the way to honor them.  These players are everything they would hate.

When a friend is in trouble, it is up to those that love him or her to pull them aside and plead with them to think things through. If your friend is a drunk, take the drink from their hand.  If your friend is a gambler, grab the dice.  If your friend is a wife beater, take their hand.

If your friend is the president of the Pistons, grab their cash. I am grabbing your cash right now, Joe. 

Please, think this through.