Absolute Power: Who do you want running your team?
Joe Dumars (right) and Charles Barkley
In a Wednesday press conference to confirm that Michael Curry will be back coaching the Pistons next season, team president Joe Dumars admitted he hasn’t been patient in the past with Detroit’s coaches, something he needs to do with Curry.
“The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been,” Dumars told reporters. “During the season I said to myself, ‘What affect is this having on him as a first-year coach.’ I tried to put myself in his shoes.”
When you consider the Pistons’ turnover at head coach this decade, Dumars does come out looking like a cross between the Black Donald Trump and the Human Al Davis. He dumped Rick Carlisle the same year Carlisle took Detroit to the conference finals (one year after winning NBA Coach of the Year). Dumars sent Larry Brown away the same year LB guided the team to the ’05 NBA Finals. And Flip Saunders got fired right after his third conference finals trip with the Pistons.
Any other front-office executive might get some heat for that quick trigger. But no matter what Dumars does — from firing coaches too soon to the Billups/Iverson trade to the Darko pick — Detroit fans and the organization’s higher-ups have total faith that he knows what he’s doing.
Not many power-wielding NBA execs have that luxury, or at least they haven’t had it for as long as Dumars. Danny Ainge only got a free pass in Boston after the KG/Ray offseason. (Imagine the reaction if Ainge had tried to sign Stephon Marbury a couple years ago.) Bryan Colangelo had it for a minute in Toronto, and while he still does have a lot of loyalists, his Midas touch isn’t looking so shiny after this past season. Kevin Pritchard has it in Portland, but it’s still fairly new. About the only ones who can relate to Dumars are the Spurs’ brain trust tandem of GM R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich.
The thing is, every NBA fan base probably has one guy who could walk in with that same undying trust. If circumstances allowed and the Sonics, you know, still existed, everybody in Seattle would hand over the keys of the franchise to Nate McMillan in a second and let him do whatever he wanted for at least a couple of years before anyone would dare criticize.
Whether it’s a former player or coach who has a history with the team, somebody else from within the organization, or an outside, who would you want running your favorite team?
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April 30th, 2009 at 9:20 am
doc says:
Me.I would get us to the chip.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:34 am
foolio_iglesias says:
Hubie Brown.And if he isn’t available,Hugh Bert Brown.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:50 am
buffaloballa says:
…since nobody on this blog has one, you might want to mention that Randy Brown’s Bulls rings will soon be available at auction-size 12 1/2.
BTW…if you’re not drafted, traded or played with the Pistons before,(newsflash) NOBODY is is willingly coming to the D.
THE CARMELO CURSE is in effect….
April 30th, 2009 at 10:05 am
karizmatic says:
I want Jerry West back for the Lakers!
April 30th, 2009 at 10:09 am
q says:
Larry Brown wasn’t dumped(like you will be dumped from Dime eventually, Burton.) He opted for NY job.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:30 am
rockstar32 says:
Q why the hell would the dump Austin him an CGF are the two best writers in the dime office
April 30th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Celts Fan says:
I’d take Danny Ainge (the Scal deal and drafting Giddens over Chalmers or Deandre Jordan are his only major mistakes, and they’re minor in comparison,) Jerry West, Buford from SA, Pritchard from Portland, and I’d let Dumars run ish here too (people conveniently forget this, but Darko was the clear cut #2 projection that year. Lots of us didn’t agree with it, but it wasn’t a huge reach or something, just didn’t work out. Also, the AI move was dumb, but clearly a salary dump that may work out long-term – tons of cap space this summer – even if it did cost them this year, probably handed down by the owner who’s most likely losing his shirt in the D.)
April 30th, 2009 at 10:53 am
rell says:
I wouldn’t want anyone that ever played for Boston or involved in the organization in any shape or form to run the Celtics. Our GM history have been horrible. McHale, Bird, DA, and Chris Wallace would be the running for the top 8 worst GM in the last decade.
If I had my choice it would be Jerry West because he helped the Lakers get Gasol while still under contract for the Grizzles. Now that’s gangsta.
My second choice would be Pritchard because he know how to make great deals with dumb GM. Asked DA do he regret trading Telfair for the #6 pick which turned out to be Brandon Roy.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Rainbow says:
John Ameichi
April 30th, 2009 at 11:13 am
yoda says:
mitch kupchak was hated till he pulled of gasol trade. now everyone says hes genius
April 30th, 2009 at 11:20 am
AB_40 says:
let dennis rodmann run the mavericks with mark cuban… make it into a reality tv show and you’re rich haha
April 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Kudabeen says:
Bring back Pat Croce in Philly…Not so much for the BBall decisions, but to hire that guy and push the energy level up…
He was a great Representative…
Barkley for the entertainment alone would be great…
As for just a pure basketball mind to really make things work on all fronts…RC Buford and Dumars have had my respect for years…But my darkhorse candidate would be Oscar Robertson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar…
They both keep up with all that is happening currently, they have knowledge of the game on and off the court and were apart of some of the groundbreaking times in contract negotiations and the player/owner CBA process…They both shoot from the hip and they don’t let BS slip by them…It is perfect in that neither would be required to give media time, but when they do they are liable to tell you straight up who isn’t doing what is required or what is needed to succeed.
Bring Big O into the fold somebody…
April 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
nic says:
Joey D or Kevin Pritchard. I want someone to name a better GM with sources than Kevin Pritchard. He has made amazing moves from dumping contracts, clearing out the Jailblazers, and NOBODY does draft day like KP….
Fires Mo Cheeks and hires NATE MCMILLAN
Drafted Foye and traded him for BROY.
Drafted Thomas and traded him for Lamarcus Aldridge
Traded on Draft day Zach Randolph who is an overpaid asshole/trouble maker/never going to be a champion.
Traded for Rudy Fernandez from the Suns for CASH CONSIDERATIONS
Tried to end D Miles career for about $10 million
Drafted Oden (don’t hate…yet)
Sent players to Chicago for Michael Ruffin who will give us 5 mill in cap space +
Raef Lafrenz expiring 13 mil contract.
He’s a trigger pulling maching who is said to go through 7 Blackberry chargers/day around the deadline and draft day.
April 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
flavur says:
I would let hakeem Olajuwon run my team or patrick Ewing and last but not least I would probably let chris webber run my team if I could not get Ewing or Hakeem. But Hakeem would definitely be my first option.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
tim says:
@buffaloballa…
Carmello curse? Does anyone think Melo would be as good as he is now if he’d of been backing up Prince the last few years…i think not…Joe D didn’t draft him because we had Prince playing great…besides…what if melo is in against the Pacers? NO Reggie Miller track down, Pistons don’t win the ship…
and yes. Joe D can do no wrong…even when he does something wrong…and usually, he corrects the mistake…see Darko, he trades darko to orlando, gets the pick that nets him Rodney Stuckey…
April 30th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
buffaloballa says:
who is better TODAY? Melo or Prince….
If Melo or D.Wade played for Detroit there would
likely be a THREE-peat, Iverson would have
never played there, Larry Brown would still
be coaching in the D and the greatest Piston highlight
of your life wouldn’t be a Reggie Miller block…
Rodney Stuckey at point is gonna get someone fired
(pssst he can’t shoot)
May 1st, 2009 at 8:13 am
chiaki says:
i want Bill Simmons to run my team