10 Reasons to Embrace "The Answer" in Detroit

"There are no sacred cows here. You lose that sacred cow status when you lose three straight years." - Pistons GM Joe Dumars, June 3, 2008.

And you all thought he was just blowing smoke.

The NBA season started up, and Dumars told everyone he didn't find any offers he liked, so we all settled in. We were all in for another "more of the same" season. Myself included.

Okay. Way to make me look bad, Joe. By trading two of the Pistons' "old reliable" starters in Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for a flashy play-maker in Allen Iverson, Dumars sends a clear message that he wants to win it all, not just 50 games a season.

Clearly, Dumars was itching for a shakeup. The only notable move he had made since the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace in 2004 is getting any value at all out of Nazr Mohammed when he traded him and his bloated contract to Charlotte for Primoz Brezec and Walter Herrmann. Herrmann is starting to show some upside, and Brezec was traded to Toronto months later, but it was far from a blockbuster deal.

Now, only a week into the NBA season, we see a gigantic deal in Detroit, and Dumars has proved his point. So is the team better off? It's impossible to say, of course, but unless fans were going to be content with another "close but no cigar" season, he had to do something.

Now, I like the trade. Billups and McDyess will be missed in their own ways, of course, but this gives Detroit the best chance to win this season and in future seasons.

Here's why

1. Iverson gives the Pistons an offensive threat that doesn't have to score his points with jump shots. He is a consistent slasher on the inside, and that is a role that the Pistons have repeatedly tried and failed to fill in the past, digging as low as Flip Murray to do it. With the inside scoring threat comes an increase in foul calls, especially on opposing big men.

2. Iverson is a more consistent performer in the playoffs, averaging almost 30 PPG in the playoffs, compared to Billups' 17. Since the playoffs are a guarantee for the Pistons, anyway, playoff performance is key. I already know what your rebuttal is to that statement, and I urge you to save it: Iverson averages six assists per game in the playoffs, as compared to Billups' 5.8. This, of course, is with notably weaker teams than the Pistons. Now that he is surrounded by a proven team, we may see a considerable bump in his assist numbers.

3. Iverson has not yet won a championship ring, and thus will bring a hunger to the starting lineup not seen since 2004. Complacency is now gone.

4. McDyess is out of the lineup, and as reliable as he was, he had limited abilities, and his absence gives Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and Walter Herrmann the opportunity to pull more playing time and develop.

5. On the business side, Iverson's contract is up after this season, which, in addition to Rasheed Wallace's contract expiring, frees up about $35 million in cap space to spend in the offseason. By then, Rodney Stuckey can assume his role as starting point guard, and Detroit can pursue a quality center, or whatever else they want (LeBron James rumors are already starting to fly.)

6. Dumars made a move. Any move at all. The starting lineup needed a wake up call, something to show them that the attitude of just going out and chilling, maybe shooting some hoops, was not going to cut it. Much of the complacency seen by the Pistons was a result of the same group of guys getting too comfortable with one another.

7. Reportedly, McDyess does not want to go to Denver. Despite starting his career there, he has said he "will not put on a Nuggets uniform" and may instead retire. This is leading Denver to discuss a buyout of his contract. What this means to Pistons fans? If Denver buys out McDyess' contract, he effectively becomes a free agent. So if the team misses him too much, he may be available for signing later this season. Kind of like when the Pistons traded Elden Campbell to Utah for Carlos Arroyo, then re-signed the released Campbell two days later.

8. Chemistry. There are legitimate concerns about Iverson's effect on team play, and how his personality and Wallace's will mesh. Admittedly, they are a pair of explosive personalities at times. Iverson has been known as a chemistry killer, but Detroit has been known as a chemistry builder. There were talks about chemistry and flaring tempers when Wallace arrived on the team, too, but for all his faults, he has been one of the biggest advocates of team play and strongest (and most vocal) team supporters since his arrival. There is no reason Iverson can't undergo a similar transformation. Besides, the chemistry in Motown was accustomed to losing in the playoffs, so pardon me if I don't consider that a major loss.

9. Iverson's presence on the floor will improve the numbers of those around him. This move instantly makes Richard Hamilton a second option on the floor, rather than a first. Therefore, Hamilton will draw weaker defenders, less double-teams, and more open looks. The same is true of Tayshaun Prince and Stuckey. I won't even go into the possibility of a three-guard formation with Iverson, Hamilton, and Stuckey, who are three quick, active guards who like to run and wear down the opposition.

10. Stuckey's development will improve drastically as AI's understudy. Stuckey had a year to learn from Billups, now he'll have a year to learn from Iverson. If that's not well-rounded development, I don't know what is.