Remember Joe Dumars for his best, not this Pistons mess

Laimbeer · Post #1 » by **Laimbeer** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:29 pm

Joe Dumars, I’m told, might step down this week. There should be applause. Not the cynical applause of critics who think Dumars is why the Pistons have sunk in recent years. Applause for one of Detroit’s most intelligent, talented and decent sports legends, who is ending nearly 30 years of service because he still stands for what this franchise was, and likely can’t stand what it has become.

As a player, Dumars was unique in Pistons history, a shooting guard good for 20 points and five assists a game, yet whose defense was his calling card, the best Michael Jordan ever faced. He was an NBA Finals MVP, the steady anchor of the Bad Boys’ rollicking ship and a consistent face of positivity in the community. Name one bad headline Joe Dumars ever made off the court. There should be applause for that...

http://www.freep.com/article/20140413/C ... joe-dumars

ComboGuardCity · Post #2 » by **ComboGuardCity** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:44 pm

Totally agree

ImHeisenberg · Post #3 » by **ImHeisenberg** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:58 pm

This was already posted in the Dumars resigns thread.

I'll appreciate Dumars the player, and hate Dumars the GM. Sure, they won the title in 2004, but considering Dumars' track record, I can't help but believe he really wasn't the mastermind behind that team.

piston1423 · Post #4 » by **piston1423** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:17 pm

ImHeisenberg wrote:This was already posted in the Dumars resigns thread.

I'll appreciate Dumars the player, and hate Dumars the GM. Sure, they won the title in 2004, but considering Dumars' track record, I can't help but believe he really wasn't the mastermind behind that team.

Can't take anything away from what he did as a GM in the 2000's. Just because his last few years were crap, doesn't mean he wasn't the mastermind behind our championship team. He deserves respect.

Kilo · Post #5 » by **Kilo** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:37 pm

Maybe in awhile. Not now. Right now he's a hot garbage GM who twice created a friggin redundant mess with max cap room. Good riddance.

Post #6 » by **ajaX82** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:45 pm

Kilo wrote:Maybe in awhile. Not now. Right now he's a hot garbage GM who twice created a friggin redundant mess with max cap room. Good riddance.

Amen. The time for good feelings is later, when there are no reminders of the Dumars era. Given how long I think we are going to be down for after this, it may be a while.

sfballa13 · Post #7 » by **sfballa13** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 11:30 pm

Thank him for 5 years of being in the lottery :noway:

Thank him for a least another 2-3 maybe even 3-4 years of bad play

Thats a decade of trash basketball

THANKS JOE D! :crazy:

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Even after it's all said and done people on these boards are still lapping up Joe D's poop (not talkinga bout Jerebk either)

ChainLink · Post #8 » by **ChainLink** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 11:39 pm

Love this post. We have NO championships (or even Finals appearances) without Joe D. His first 25 years in this organization brought out some of the best this franchise has ever seen.

I understand most people will not remember fondly of him as I do, or it will take some time. We've weathered through a tough 5 years Piston fans, but we have pieces that make me believe we have a good future ahead of us.

MotownMadness · Post #9 » by **MotownMadness** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:41 am

Agree with others, I love the guy but hes done alot of damage that we now have to hope we can fix again before I start shedding any sort of tears over the past.

ImHeisenberg · Post #10 » by **ImHeisenberg** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:49 am

piston1423 wrote:Can't take anything away from what he did as a GM in the 2000's. Just because his last few years were crap, doesn't mean he wasn't the mastermind behind our championship team. He deserves respect.

And NOTHING states that he was the mastermind behind our championship team. What I do know if that this team went to hell in a hand basket after Davidson passed away.

I'm not going to get into anything that's been run through a thousand times in other threads.

Pharaoh · Post #11 » by **Pharaoh** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:07 am

It's entirely plausible that immediately after retiring from playing Joe KNEW which players to acquire or was still in touch with the qualities a quality player needed and could spot it as easily as we can see the sun!

Then as his playing/training days slipped further and further into the past he lost touch with the qualities that really matter

People want to blame meddling or incompetent ownership because it deflects blame from (arguably) "our" greatest Piston

IMO ownership allowed Joe free reign! He's JOE! Why would you doubt him? Karen had no reason to meddle. In the beginning Gores had no reason to meddle.

Joe just lost his magic. Everyone does, even Jerry West did!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using RealGM Forums mobile app

Post #12 » by **Snakebites** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:46 am

I think once there's some distance behind us I might feel this way.

Its hard to feel it now while we're still suffering from the mistakes he made and likely will be for some time.

Get back to me 10 years from now and his legacy will look different.

Minas · Post #13 » by **Minas** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:17 am

Hear hear

vic · Post #14 » by **vic** » Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:03 pm

ONe thing people don't talk about is how Joe Dumars made the NBA make defense illegal- TWICE!

After his championships, the NBA changed the rules for Jordan and for Lebron.

That could have a little bit to do with why he lost his touch and changed his approach so much. They changed the rules in the middle of the game, just to stop him! TWICE!

Spider156 · Post #15 » by **Spider156** » Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:16 pm

I love you Dumars! Thanks for everything! You got us Drummond! You gave us a superstar in the making and possibly a second one this draft. I'm not mad at you. I respect you. We just kept doing it wrong and had to let go.

mercury · Post #16 » by **mercury** » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:04 pm

This ain't right... if you spend 30 years, mostly with excellent results there should be something more than just a token comment as the door hits you in the ass... Gores don't be a dick... give this man his just recognition.
True fans of this franchise remember the good things!

Liver_Pooty · Post #17 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:12 am

Apart of me feels like he shouldn't even be fired. He swung and missed big time this past offseason, but hes done so freaking much for your organization as a player and GM I would still give him a chance to rectify it. I know this past offseason was his 3rd strike after the Gordon and Villanueva signings, but hes a Detroit legend.

Either way I respect the hell out of him.

triplet1984 · Post #18 » by **triplet1984** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:25 am

2009. 2013. Same exact **** 4 years apart. Man. It's like he made a devil's bargain "Give us a championship... at a price."

That price is a decade in the gutter (i'm counting the rest of Smith's contract here).

Hotmayo · Post #19 » by **Hotmayo** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 3:28 pm

When mo cheeks was fired our record was 21-29

and when we won the nba chanpionship on 04 our record through the first 29 games was 16-13

Just thought that it's interesting to point out new coaches/new system requires transition periods. Obviously 04 team had more talent to overcome a new staff, but if you notice patience was key for this year.

Also, our bench this year had been horrible compared to 04 bench that included Corliss,mehmet, elder Campbell, hunter

Things to work on:

Solid coach is key
Solid bench
Developing team identity
Team pride
Team confidence

Final goodbye to joe d! Thanks for everything!

wallace72 · Post #20 » by **wallace72** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 4:09 pm

mercury wrote:This ain't right... if you spend 30 years, mostly with excellent results there should be something more than just a token comment as the door hits you in the ass... Gores don't be a dick... give this man his just recognition.
True fans of this franchise remember the good things!

Right,
and some of the fans only remember the last years, wich gives no
good feelings, even for the true fans !!