Published: July 30, 2008
When it was announced on Monday that the Detroit Pistons had unofficially come to terms with Kwame Brown, it stumped a considerable portion of the basketball community. Even more confusing though, than general manager Joe Dumars shelling out eight million dollars for the former draft flop, is the fact that he did so despite an already sound front court and the promise of so much more.
When the deal officially crosses the table, probably later this week, stop considering this an underwhelming move on the heels of a disappointing playoff exit. By acquiring Brown, Dumars not only nabs another project to work with, but opens up even more options to finally make that trade we’ve all been waiting for.
When Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons fell at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics last May, it marked the unofficial end of an era. The growing frustration and need for change had reached its limit. If nothing else, coming up short in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight year marked the end of complacency.
Franchise architect Dumars consummated the revolution at a press conference not long after, addressing both his desire to shake things up and – more specifically – the lack of “sacred cows” on the Pistons’ roster that had been spoiled by their own success.
Heads would roll, Pistons fans thought, and who better to quarterback the movement than the man who built the team in the first place. At Dumars’ discretion, the Pistons would make a blockbuster swap whilst maintaining the competitive edge that had made them the envy of 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference over the past half decade.
But then the NBA Draft came and the traditionally quiet Dumars remained on the sidelines. Not long after that, the Philadelphia 76ers would usher in the beginning of a new free agent period with a deal that would bring them both Elton Brand and a reservation amongst the East’s elite, while Dumars, reluctant to make a move of his own, stood pat.
Enter Kwame Brown.
Though the 2001 first overall pick has showed little to no consistent development over the course of the first seven years of his NBA career, strip him of all the lofty expectations and past performance and you still have a 26-year-old athlete with a decent work ethic and an impeccable NBA body.
Even more promising for the future of the Detroit franchise is the fact that the Pistons have taken on former draft disappointments in the past with relative success. One in particular would go on to become the 2004 NBA Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups.
It’s important to remember that back when Brown became the first high schooler chosen with the top spot in the NBA Draft, he wasn’t the one who asked David Stern to call his name. It was Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards who saw enough promise to make it happen, and the unsuspecting Brown has suffered the consequences of their mistake ever since. It’s all but fact that if Brown had been selected in the middle of the first round he would have a lot more support from the often-harsh NBA audience.
It’s hard to predict with any certainty that Brown’s career will enjoy a similar fate to Billups, but it’s easy to judge the rest of the deal’s promise. With the addition of Brown, the Pistons now host more than enough solid big men in him, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell.
One could make a case for nearly any combination of the five on the opening night starting roster, but even more telling than the team’s partial monopoly on reputable power forwards in the conference is the position this puts them in in relation to Dumars’ master plan.
With the addition of yet another serviceable forward/center, the Pistons are even better suited to make that move we’ve all been coveting. At this point, parting ways with Wallace seems all the more likely as rookie coach Michael Curry faces only headaches with so much talent and so little minutes to fill in the front court.
No logical human being would rather part with McDyess, and opting to move Maxiell or Johnson is all but contradictory to any long term plans Dumars may have (unless the player coming in is as promising of a prospect).
Simply put, when Kwame Brown puts on a Pistons jersey this fall, don’t expect him to still be the new guy in the locker room. The fact that Dumars hasn’t rushed to pull the trigger on any particular deal is a blessing. We all know how the reflex signing of Nazr Mohammed went when Ben Wallace fled for Chicago.
With these stones set in place, a deal looks more likely now than ever before, but from here the picture gets murky. Rumors involving Emeka Okafor and Ron Artest have come and gone (and rightfully so), leaving nothing but a speculator’s guess as to what will shake down in the coming weeks.
As Okafor re-ups in Charlotte and Artest heads to Houston, the field of potential trade partners continues to change almost daily. With Brown added to the depth chart, Detroit can essentially dangle Wallace and his expiring contract to anyone either looking to win this year, or have cap space for next with more peace of mind than ever.
Is it too optimistic to note the $10M trade exception the Denver Nuggets acquired in the Marcus Camby deal and rehash the Carmelo Anthony rumors? Maybe so, but just when you thought the offseason hype was cooling off in Detroit, it turns out it’s only getting hotter.
Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media
6 Comments on "(Mis)understanding Joe Dumars"
Rashad Mobley on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 6:12 pm
I think its a brilliant move, and I really wish the Wizards had never given him away. He’s a 7 footer, who may not be too well off offensively, but gives 110% defensively.
khandor on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 1:11 am
Despite my affection for Joe D. … IMO, he is reaching here with Kwame Brown, like he did previously when he mistakenly went for Darko instead of Melo in the first place.
The harsh reality is this … Kwame Brown is not a top flight NBA Big Man, and the only saving grace is that … the good folks who run the show in Denver might just be silly enough to deal Melo in return for Rasheed (although I don’t think so).
Austin Kent on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 1:17 am
You’re right about that khandor, chances are slim that the Nuggets part with Anthony. The only saving grace is the fact that they were silly enough to part with Camby for nothing in the first place. If that can happen than maybe more is going on behind the scenes than we think. Purely speculation at this point, but isn’t it fun? Hahah.
Ryan McNeill on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 12:17 pm
I agree with Rashad, you can’t undervalue a big man who’s happy to do all the dirty work without needing a lot of touches. Most big men need the ball to run the floor or some touches in halfcourt sets to work hard on the defensive end, not Kwame. He’s happy being a role player that thrives on the defensive end.
As a small side note, didn’t Shaq call him one of the stronger players in the NBA a couple seasons back?
Brendan de Haan on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 12:37 pm
Kwame lacks on the O side of the ball but is considered one of the top post up defenders on the block.
Ryan – Yes Shaq did say that.
Austin Kent on Thu, 31st Jul 2008 6:05 pm
Kwame Brown is not going to save the day, but he’s a serviceable big to have off the bench. In other words, he’s a great option off the bench if either Jason Maxiell or Amir Johnson are promoted into the starting line up. There’s no way Brown takes minutes away from either of Max or AJ so I can’t see any merit to this move unless either Rasheed Wallace or one of Max and AJ are being shipped out. I’m okay with Kwame Brown on the Detroit bench, but I’m not okay with him taking minutes away from the front court Joe Dumars is trying to develop. Dumars’ ain’t dumb, I don’t suppose he would clog up the front court if he didn’t have plans to continue making moves. I’ll part with Sheed long before I’ll part with MAx or AJ but if the right deal comes along then maybe we swap one of the youngers guys instead in order to bring in a younger player in return.