Las Vegas, Sin City. Not only will the All-Star game be played there this weekend, but also all of the NBA General Managers are having their yearly meeting. Who's ear is Joe in this weekend? Did he have a quiet dinner with Jerry Weiss or Mitch Kupchak? Maybe Joe met with Danny Ainge after a nice tennis match (They both love tennis) to discuss a trade. Probably no contact with Rod Thorn (too much hostility there). I read somewhere that during allstar weekend, the majority of NBA trades are brokered but not consumated until after. If this is true, then Joe D is definitely bending someone's ear this weekend.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas I don't like Rod Thorn, from the stuff I've read about him, he seems like a major "weasel". He probably uses his past connections of being in the NBA circles to "grease" some wheels. He's tried to stop guys from making trades with other teams and such. I would have NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM. I know that he's made numerous inquiries about getting Darko from Joe while Darko was still a Piston, but Joe would have none of that, THANK GOODNESS.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas I venture to guess, that Joe D. is comfortable with this squad, unless he could steal a point guard who can shoot and play top notch defense. I think he likes the idea of having two bigs with big time experience, in addition to Dyess; i.e., Nazr and DD, sitting on the bench in case of injury to to C-Webb and or Sheed.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas I think JD should get Kidd as Bup-Bups back up.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas I hope that is not the case. If it were, it would mark the moment that people interested in this team winning should get uncomfortable with Joe D. I thought about that also until I looked up his salary and saw that he had the 7th highest one in the entire NBA at 18 mil and change this year. I believe it would be near impossible for Joe to pull off a trade for Kidd that wouldn't involve the Pistons getting fleeced unless Thorn was willing to package Kidd and Kristic for Sheed, Dale, and Murray. And why he would do that...I have no idea.
You would have to give up 18 million in talent. Tay and Sheed. I don't like that. Your lineup would become Kidd, Billups, Hamilton, McDyess, Webber. Rod Thorn is a legendary Pistons hater and a GM who only makes deals that are heavily in his favour. I can't see him making this one.
Hopefully Joe D is having some major minutes talking with Danny Ainge. Danny is easy and has been known to make some uneven deals. Maybe he will take Kevin Mchale to dinner and come to some agreement regarding Mke James.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas I agree Cloudwalker, very scary if Joe has no plans to build his bench before playoffs. I am very uncomfortable going inot the preseason with this rag tag bunch.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas What is not the case? Is he going to replace one of his starters? I don't think so Is he going to replace Dyess. I think not. So that means he has two guys he can replace; Delfino and Hunter, because you generally only play 8 guys in the playoffs. What guard out there "that would be available" is better than defensively than Hunter? Please tell me. I am all ears. So that leaves Delfino. At this point with Delfino's developing game which is now a pretty darn good game are you going to replace him with a bum like Jaric? I sure hope not. So you make a trade for a guy that isn't going to play in the playoffs? I think not. Again no trade unless Joe can make a steal for someone that can break into the 8 man rotation.
Mohammed and Murry are still on the block. Dumars did not get any offers he liked so is waiting for the trade deadline when the other GM's will start getting desperate. Like a bunch of students with a deadline, no one seems to do much until the last minute. I am still confident that a deal will get done that will be much better than that Jaric offer he got.
Re: Wll Joe Dumars Pull the Trigger While In Las Vegas My comment was about getting "comfortable", and nothing else. Should Tayshaun Prince be "comfortable" with the player he is? Should J-Max, Amir,Delfino? When players get comfortable they quit getting better. When GM's get comfortable the team better be good the way it is, because it isn't going to get better either. Joe Dumars better not be comfortable with being Miami's Footstool while they make a dynasty run. If he ever was, it would be time for him to step down. It doesn't really behoove us to break down trade scenarios involving our favorite players, because we already see them through rose colored glasses. I would rather point out what the team has done over the last two years. They have pretty much failed. You want to look for positives? Thats fine with me, but I'm not comfortable, and I hope Joe isn't comfortable either. It isn't his job to be comfortable or satisfied. If it were we'd still have StackHouse.
Lets hope he had lunch with McHale, Jerry West or Bernie Bickerstaff and Mike James, Chucky Atkins or Brevin Knight will be suited up in a Piston uni next Friday.
