Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight Forming a Detroit Pistons Dynamic Duo?

Joe Dumars had a memorable NBA playing career, spending all 14 seasons with the Detroit Pistons.

The six-time All-Star teamed with Isiah Thomas and the rest of the "Bad Boy" crew to lead the Pistons to back-to back championships. 

Dumars was named Finals MVP in 1989, averaging 27 points per game as Detroit swept the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers.  

After retiring from the game in 1999, Joe D became the Pistons President of Basketball Operations in June 2000. He had obviously contributed a lot to the Pistons organization as a player and he would end up contributing a great deal as an executive as well.

Dumars added pieces like Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, who would lead the team to a title in 2004 and six consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference finals.   

The last two seasons, though, have been disastrous for the Pistons as they've camped out in the NBA's basement with teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. 

Detroit fans haven't been exactly thrilled with Dumars' decision to give high-dollar contracts to free-agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in the summer of 2009.   

But fans have been thrilled with Dumars' drafting of Greg Monroe (seventh overall in the 2010 NBA draft) and Brandon Knight, who was taken eighth overall in last month's draft.

Monroe, the 6'11" forward-center from Georgetown University, didn't start off his rookie season exceptionally great. In fact he didn't even start until his 22nd game. But as the season progressed, he transformed into a reliable big man, recording 21 double-doubles for the season.

Monroe would average 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his first year in Detroit and finished in sixth place for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He appears to have an extremely bright future in the league.

After leading the University of Kentucky to the Final Four this past season, Knight will likely start at point guard for the Pistons next season as former "point guard of the future" Rodney Stuckey moves to the shooting guard spot.

Dumars jumped at the chance to select Knight, who shocked fans and experts by slipping so far in the draft. Some mock drafts had him being picked as high as No. 3.

There's a good chance that Knight will develop into a valuable NBA player. During his one-and-done season at Kentucky, he played under John Calipari, who has an impressive track record of coaching freshmen point guards who've gone on to become impact players in the pros. 

Before Knight, Calipari had 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans at the University of Memphis, and then John Wall at Kentucky. Don't look for Knight to become the next Rose, but expect him to become a star.

In a few years from now, Monroe and Knight just might be considered one of the league's most dangerous duos.

Monroe will probably turn into one of the game's top rebounders and an effective inside scoring threat. And chances are, Knight will emerge as one of the top shooting point guards around and remind folks of former Pistons All-Star Chauncey Billups.

The Monroe-Knight combo could end up leading Detroit to respectability for the first time in years. These two talented youngsters definitely have the potential to do so.

Dumars hasn't made a whole lot of fantastic decisions over the last several years. But drafting Monroe and Knight may lead to Pistons fans calling him genius again in the near future.