We still are weak at point, and nothing we hear about has anything to do with point guards. We still are weak at center, and we hear nothing about centers. We still don't have a backup small forward to play when Tay sits. And we hear nothing in the works to get a small forward. (And don't even bring up any rookies or 2nd year players with zero experience at small forward.) Joe is juggling power forwards and shooting guards. Pointless activity. Once upon a time, Joe knew how to build a team, by filling the holes. Now Joe just postures for the fans, gives us nothing, just pointless moves, and hopes us fans don't take notice. Well, I heard a lot of fans voice their opinions today, (radio 950) and most I heard say its time for Joe to go. What I say - Joe, get to work. No more non-sense. We ain't listening. Go build a team. Back in Carlisle's first year, I immediately started watching every game I could. Joe Dumars had taken a very bad team and plugged a bunch of holes and made it a very promising team. He can do the job. For now, I don't know why he is asleep at the wheel. Everyone tell Joe to wake up, do something to actually improve the team.
We don't know what Joe Dumars is going to do, and his work is far from over! We the fans should give the man a chance. He just hired a head coach and signed two top-tier free agents. Stay tuned!
Easy there Stun. Lee, I don't think Joe's done yet. He can't be. We all see what you see. Let's wait a month or two.
dropping the old cliche "Rome wasn't built in a day" Let the man have some time We've made the playoffs for how many years in a row now? So cut the man some slack.. Be glad we're not the Clippers... or Knicks (although I think they're turning it around)
It's still early, if Joe can trade Rip for someone decent, even a twofer, trade Rip and Tay for someone really good, I'd be happy. Until the trade deadline is over, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. But if this is the team that we have in February, Joe should be fired on the spot. Here's an idea for Joe, RIp, Tay, and a future 1st rounder for Rubio and bodies to make the deal work. We give up a lot, but there's a chance to get that one game altering player.
I am still thinking Lee should take Cowens place if Joe doesn't hire Laimbeer. Lee does bring up a point that I pondered and even questioned when Gordon and CV were agreeing to sign .....Why no one was questioning how good or bad Stuckey might be in his junior year/ third season?? In other words Joe was still going with the assumption that he could make a PG out of a combo. I still am not sold on [strike]Stinkey[/strike] [strike]Suckey[/strike] mean Stuckey yet. Its a shame he can't go back to the Summer League one more time to refine those point guard skills and learn some defense.
Wow lee. I would have figured that a roster loaded with youngsters would be right up your alley. I thought for sure that you'd be downright giddy at the prospect of having a whole grip of rookies to get behind and pimp as the next big thing. Can't you at least find a little comfort in the fact that Walt Herrmann and Dyess won't be back? Joe got rid of 2 players that are too slow to even be in the NBA. Cheer up buddy!
I compare Dumars building a team to growing a garden. You need patience and timing to get things done. With a garden you plant your seeds and then you have to wait for the right time to harvest your crop. Same with Dumars and the Pistons. Joe has planted his seeds and now he has harvested a Banana Pepper and a green onion so to speak. He still could use a Hungarian Wax Pepper and a Beefsteak Tomato but the time isn't right to harvest those two. Sure, he could subtitute and grab a regular green pepper and a cherry tomato....but that Hungarian Wax Pepper is spicy and tasty and that Beefsteak Tomato is big and good. Good things are worth waiting for.
My wife is Hungarian, and I found a Hungarian Wax Pepper at the nursery not too long ago. She almost had a heart attack. Still waiting for the peppers to come out. Good eating.
Just because there is MORE to do does NOT mean that he has done NOTHING. If one thinks it is easy to build a team or that it can be done overnight then one is truly clueless. That being said, I think your points are valid, albeit highly obvious, that we need to address the point guard and Center position. Definitely a concern. It's only July. Early July.
Except with gardens, all 30 GM's could go plant theirs and then harvest them at the same time and everyone would be a winner. This is more like a pumkin growing contest where each contestant is dumping gallons of miracle grow in their soil and trying to sabatage eachother's harvest.
As far as PG's I would rather have Stuckey than Damon Jones or Chuckie Atkins ( which is what we started with until CB was signed ) With that said I will be very disappointing if we go into next season with what we have now. Lot of talk about Rip for Boozer which would be nice. One thing though about what he used to do in the earlier days was he always had a couple of Centers. They may not have been very good but we always had some size.
@NYP...TMI (although it may help microscoe solve some of his dating problems). Being There...Great movie.
Lee, good to see you back. As is, the work is incomplete, yes. The center position is a glaring weakness. I am sure Joe understands that. It is obvious. But here is what he has done. Maybe a foundation has been laid. 1) Gordon. He brought in the one guy in free agency this year who does things very few players can do--a real piece. He can score even when good playoff teams key on him with or without the ball. I submit to you that no Piston in the last few years could do that and few players in the league can. 2) Stuckey. Obviously, his continued development is important as Joe is projecting him as another piece. If you watched the point guards in the playoffs, Stuckey has the athletic ability to match and surpass the majority of them. He needs to get both his long range and pull up shot. Right now, he is too one dimensional. I wouldn't count any young player until he actually produces, but Stuckey should be just around the corner. A Stuckey/Gordon back court could not only work, I think it can excel inside of two years. 3)An aging team is suddenly young. Charlie (24), Gordon (26), Stuckey (24). And these players are skilled or at least not far off projects. Gordon plays offense like the 3rd pick that he is and Charlie is a 7th pick. I don't know enough about Charlie's game to make a statement beyond that he has some skills. He can shoot. The Pistons did not have young bigs who could shoot. 4)He pulled the plug on our young players. I know you probably don't like that but none of them (Stuckey included--my guy) can shoot the ball for the NBA level. They were all low draft picks due to height (Maxiel), lack of a game (Amir), lack of a shot (the trio), etc. Joe did not sit and hope that they could produce. In fact, going after Bass (24) is another indication of how he rated our young bigs. 5)The team was on a one way ticket to the lottery with the return not inevitable any time soon. This seems to have been avoided. What Joe needs to due is get a center and in my opinion, Rip should be traded for a big. Time will tell. This year and next whether of not Joe has succeeded in building a top team. So far, he has just avoided the lottery.
