Joe Dumars out as Pistons president

**Lowell** · April-14-14, 02:15 PM

Not a lot of surprise here. IMO his decline started with the Darko draft pick and he hasn't had the magic since assembling the championship team.

Too bad but I'm glad he still has a job. He was my favorite Piston in his playing days, quietly being great in the shadow of Isiah. Super nice guy.

After 14 seasons, Joe Dumars is out as president of basketball operations for the struggling Detroit Pistons.

He’ll move into an advisory role.

“Dumars will continue his relationship with the franchise as an advisor to the organization and its ownership team,” the team said in a statement issued this morning.

From Crains

**softailrider** · April-14-14, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Not a lot of surprise here. IMO his decline started with the Darko draft pick and he hasn't had the magic since assembling the championship team.

Too bad but I'm glad he still has a job. He was my favorite Piston in his playing days, quietly being great in the shadow of Isiah. Super nice guy.

From Crains

That team needs to be blown up. Those guys aren't playing pro basketball, they're stealing Mr. Gores money. Totally pathetic season, couldn't even watch.

**Smirnoff** · April-14-14, 05:51 PM

Pistons could have selected Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, or Dwayne Wade instead of Dark-ough? Doesn't take a rocket scientist or Mensa genius to figure that out

. Bye-bye, see ya, later.....

**Hypestyles** · April-14-14, 06:56 PM

Team needs a lot of hands-on work, on all levels of management. I hope the team gets folks who want to win, and now. There needs to be a "Bill Belichek" of pro basketball to get in the mix.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · April-14-14, 07:53 PM

Great player, good man, asset to the team and our area. Yeah, they've been kinda crappy in recent years, but we did win a championship under him. It's the right time to make the change, though. I understand basketball less than I do the other 3 sports, so I'm not going to venture a suggestion as to who should be brought in. Except that I would strongly favor Kliff Kingsbury. I will now resume my letter writing campaign to the commissioner for a return to the shorter shorts of yore. The gold old days, when the game was a team sport and the players showed off their amazing legs.

But seriously, thanks Joe for being a Piston.

**KJ5** · April-15-14, 01:18 AM

Yes, Mr. Dumars, we feel we can no longer keep you on as General Manager, but we would like you to stay on and continue to serve the team in some capacity.
How do you feel about wearing this Hooper costume?
Honestly, I don't blame Gores for canning Joe D, but if I was Dumars I'd tell Gores to go fuck himself and hit the golf course before I stayed on as an executive advisor with no real say in day to day operations.
But that's just me. Joe D is a class act all the way. Maybe a little too classy, if you ask me...

**sirrealone** · April-15-14, 07:11 AM

Joe can't be blamed for the Darko pick. Hindsight is 20/20, but at the time, at least 75% of the General Managers would have made the same pick if they were in the Pistons draft slot.

I think it was over for Joe when Bill Davidson died. Those two had a special bond and formed an incredible team. When Mr. Davidson died, so did the Pistons. Davidson's widow put a stop to all spending, denying Joe the coach he wanted, prohibiting any in-season trades that would have increased salary a nickel, and in general just killing any and all morale on the team. I had hoped that once the wretched gold digger sold the team, it would allow for good fortune to return, but Gores has no idea what he's doing. He's made his fortune by slicing and dicing up companies, and selling off the pieces for profit. That model doesn't work in the sports world, so he's a fish out of water.

Dumars is better off now. I have nothing but respect for what he accomplished here. To be a central part of three championships [[should have been four, thanks Rasheed) is something very few people in this world can say they've accomplished. He's a legend.

**TheUsualSuspect** · April-15-14, 07:48 AM

His ability to assess and acquire talent though, either through the draft, trades, or free agent signings...is nothing short of awful.

Leaving Darko out of the conversation. Ben Gordon, Charlie V, the trade for Allen Iversion, both Rodney's [[White and Stuckey).

Joe hit paydirt early in his career in the Grant Hill trade which brought Big Ben...and has mostly been coasting on that success since. Piston basketball over the past 5 years has been putrid...and is unlikely to see much change over the next 5 years. Just too much turnover required.

For a man who you would have thought valued team chemistry and construction, his player additions have done anything but mesh within a team concept. Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings....shudder.

From all accounts, he's a very good human being. As a basketball GM, let the longer term results speak for themselves. Not very good.

**Hypestyles** · April-15-14, 09:16 AM

So where in downtown Detroit could a special non-season exhibition game be played? Hmm.

**Danny** · April-15-14, 12:52 PM

Good riddance to that bad boy!

**Smirnoff** · April-15-14, 05:07 PM

Passed on local "superstar" Trey Burke who would have at least added 1000's in attendance which equals additional revenue [[$), along with an increase [[double) in PPG over KCP.....unbelievable folks, just!

Mensa membership Not required on this one either.

**Dbest** · April-15-14, 07:49 PM

Smirnoff: If he takes Anthony we likely don't trade for Rasheed. What a horrible trade that was. Only 8 teams have won title[[s) in the last 30 years, I certainly wouldn't trade the 04 championship for the "privilege" of watching Melo bolt here after 4 years. Most people celebrating this decision aren't true Piston fans. I understand not wanting him here anymore, I wanted him gone too. But it seems a bit ungrateful considering what he accomplished here as a player/gm... Real Piston fans understood why he chose Darko, the #4 is where we needed help. We had a young SF in Prince so why draft another 3? This may have gone over your head unless you are a true fan though, no offense....

**Cincinnati_Kid** · April-16-14, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Dbest

Smirnoff: If he takes Anthony we likely don't trade for Rasheed. What a horrible trade that was. Only 8 teams have won title[[s) in the last 30 years, I certainly wouldn't trade the 04 championship for the "privilege" of watching Melo bolt here after 4 years. Most people celebrating this decision aren't true Piston fans. I understand not wanting him here anymore, I wanted him gone too. But it seems a bit ungrateful considering what he accomplished here as a player/gm... Real Piston fans understood why he chose Darko, the #4 is where we needed help. We had a young SF in Prince so why draft another 3? This may have gone over your head unless you are a true fan though, no offense....

I agree. Tayshaun Prince was the main reason Joe didn't draft Melo. He even said as much. Young Tayshaun wasn't the scorer that Melo is, but I highly doubt Melo would have blocked that shot by Reggie Miller to preserve the Piston's victory in game 2 of the East Finals in 04 and went on to win the title. Prince was a great defender. I don't understand all the Dumars "hate".
Sure, his time has passed, but Detroit was the dominant team in the East for 6 straight years in the late 2000's, and Joe has his imprint on that.

**Dbest** · April-16-14, 03:25 PM

What a fun team to watch it was. How many other GM's would have had a defense first team like Joe D? He believed in defense and rightfully so, he created a brand built around effort. I liked how everyone had a chip on their shoulder or something to prove, including their coach. Ahh the good times...

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · April-16-14, 04:38 PM

As we know from the Tigers and the Wings, teams can have long droughts and then return to top form. Gores might not be a basketball guy, but he seems to be neither complacent nor cheap. The Pistons will be back as a force, I think. The Lions are the only franchise I have no confidence in; and that is because I have been conditioned all these years to not raise my hopes too high for them.

**Dbest** · April-16-14, 06:08 PM

Mikey I wish I could share your optimism about the future of the team. I have begun to sour on our new owner, it started when he didn't use the amnesty on Ben Gordon. He would of had to pay the 15+ million to use the amnesty and rid the team of the bad contract. Instead he has Dumars pair a conditional 2015 first round pick[[9th or later) with Gordon to Charlottefor Corey Magette. We almost lost that pick this year...

Same story again next year with our pick....

**sirrealone** · April-17-14, 06:35 AM

The pick is top eight protected this year. We have the eighth worst record. My understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that we could still lose the pick if one of the teams below us [[9-14) draws a lottery ball and we don't, which would result in us dropping down at least one slot, and out of the protection. As the Pistons have no luck except bad luck these days, I sort of expect that this scenario unfolding is a given.

**Dbest** · April-17-14, 07:58 AM

Yeah you are correct that they could still lose the pick but the odds of that happening are at less than 5%. That being said it could happen. Our luck hasn't been the worst atleast we somehow got Andre, still dont know how that happened.

**401don** · April-17-14, 08:21 AM

Watched the last game last night as the Tigers bats were putting me to sleep again. It was one of their best efforts which was shocking as I expected them to roll over once again to end the season. Clearly Monroe and Drummond can play well together, although they need to learn how to stop players driving the lane. Caldwell-Pope may actually be finding his shot. He definitely has all the other tools. The biggest problem is getting rid of yet another bad Dumars signing in Josh Smith. He doesn't fit [[not his fault although his stupid shot selection is) and if there is any way to move him and get a true small forward in the draft this team should play over .500. It will be interesting to see what kind of offers Monroe receives as a restricted free agent.

**sirrealone** · April-17-14, 12:04 PM

Gores and his 'make the playoffs now' mantra effectively crippled this team. I firmly believe that the Smith and Jennings moves were both made because of that mantra.

Smith is a round peg in a square hole. Doing nothing would have been better. In fact, I'll get to that in a second.

Jennings is good but I liked Knight and wished they would have kept him. That trade was effectively Jerry Stackhouse for Rip Hamilton, just in reverse.

Look at if those moves hadn't have been made. Envision the following scenario.

--We don't sign Smith
--We don't trade Knight and we commit to him as our point guard.
--Draft night, we make the trade to Utah instead of Minnesota, so they can get Burke. We move down to 14 and say for the sake of argument we make the same pick, Shabazz Muhammed. He looks like he'll be OK. Instead of the #21 pick we ask for Utah's first round pick this year.

We probably would've stunk this year but at least we'd have our lottery pick and not risk losing it. We'd also have Utah's pick though in fairness we might not have gotten it if it was protected. Either way, I'd be happier with that core, money to spend that could be better spent than Smith, and a guaranteed lottery pick. Much better future outlook versus the mess we have today.