Why Joe Dumars can’t lose in the Iverson trade
Like many general managers in the association Joe Dumars is no stranger to controversy. The difference between Dumars however has been his ability to thrive on this controversy, to prove the critics wrong and above all, to win.
Dating back to his playing days, Dumars has been engulfed by controversy as a member of the Pistons during the Bad Boys era. Detroit was largely despised by fans and players alike for their rough and rugged approach to the game, but they won. Detroit always seemed seconds away from an eminent implosion, but when the chips were down they found a way to co-exist and pull out games.
The Pistons, with Dumars at the helm, won back to back championships in ’89 and ’90, cementing themselves as one of the most memorable teams since the NBA’s conception (only the Bulls, Lakers and Rockets have been able to repeat since).
As a player, Dumars was able to look controversy in the eye, silence the critics and win (even finding the time to add a Finals MVP award to his trophy case along the way).
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In 2004, Joe Dumars, again at the helm of the Pistons organization, but this time from the front office rather than on the court, found himself amidst another controversial scenario. The Pistons had a roster intact that won him the Executive of the Year award a year prior, but Dumars decided to roll the dice. He brought the all-time technical foul leading, controversy machine that is Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons from Portland, by way of Atlanta.
Critics were ready to hang Dumars, waiting for the experiment to fail. There was no way Larry Brown could get Sheed to cool his temper and co-exist in Detroit.
Dumars just smiled and watched. He watched the Pistons roll all the way to the NBA championship, he watched Wallace not only co-exist, but thrive and he watched the Bad Boys re-emerge in Detroit. Most importantly, he watched those who criticized him at the trade deadline bite their tongues.
Historically, Joe Dumars has been able to overcome controversy and lead the Detroit Pistons to the Promised Land. The question of whether he can do it has been answered. The question now becomes whether or not Dumars thrives on this controversy.
This offseason, Dumars promised to shake up the Pistons roster, but as the season began the only noticeable difference was the hiring of Michael Curry as the team’s new head coach. That all changed yesterday, when the league made public a trade between the Pistons and the Denver Nuggets.
Joe Dumars decided to roll the dice again, this time bringing another controversial player to the motor city. With the addition of Allen Iverson and his career averages of 27.7 and 6.3 assists, that aforementioned shake up has come to fruition. Gone are Chauncey Billups, the Finals MVP from 2004 and Antonio McDyess, a player whose career was resurrected by another one of Dumar’s risky acquisitions.
In their place is a former league MVP and scoring champion. The critics wonder whether Iverson can co-exist in Detroit, they wonder how much he has left in the tank and they wonder if Dumars has done it again.
Bringing in a player like AI, at this point in his career and having never won a championship, could spell trouble for the rest of the team’s in the league. But what if it doesn’t?
Do you actually believe Dumars hasn’t thought this out? If the Iverson experiment in Detroit fails, if the team’s performance declines and they fall out of contention, well in that case Iverson will be a free agent and so too could Rasheed Wallace at the end of the season. Suddenly, a team who seemed roster committed for years to come could have $35 million for free agency at its disposal.
If Iverson and the boys don’t get it done (or look to be able to do it in the next few years) the test can be over at season’s end and the Pistons can find themselves in the best financial situation in years. The league is built on ifs, it’s impossible to foresee how the season will turn out, but regardless of whether the Pistons win it all or end up in the lottery, this controversial move has ensured their ability to compete in the future.
Time will tell if the Iverson trade becomes the next controversial move made by Dumars that leads the Pistons to the NBA championship. Whether it is or not, you can be sure that the next time the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy is paraded through the streets of Detroit, both controversy and Joe Dumars will be close by.
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