Le Basketbawl

This was going to be the off-season of change in the “Motor City” as the Pistons were going to undergo a metamorphosis. After Detroit was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third year in a row by three different teams, there was going to be a shakeup. Rumors were that none of the veterans who brought Detroit their first NBA Championship since the days of the “Bad Boys” were off limits. Detroit Team President Joe Dumars was going to have a busy Summer.

With about three weeks remaining until NBA training camps open up, the Detroit Pistons are not that much different than the team that fell to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. Coach Flip Saunders is gone, replaced by rookie coach Michael Curry. Detroit’s other big acquisition was center Kwame Brown, in this reporter’s opinion the biggest bust as a number one pick in the NBA Draft in the last decade. He signed a two year deal reportedly worth $4 million per season. The center has an opt-out clause at the end of the upcoming season. Brown who of course was the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, has a career average of 7.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists per game.

While the Pistons have pretty much stayed status quo, other teams in the East have improved. Some dramatically so, starting with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers who gave Detroit all they could handle in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, are now a much better team than they were at the end of last season. Philadelphia shocked the planet, when they stole forward Elton Brand in broad daylight away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Brand, if healthy and all indications are that he is will be a difference maker in the East.

The team also signed their own two restricted free agents Andre Iguodala, and Louis Williams.The Sixers have also strengthened their bench with the additions of guards Royal Ivey and Kareem Rush, and veteran big men Donyell Marshall, and Theo Ratliff.

Marshall’s former team the Cleveland Cavaliers, have also gotten a big boost in the off-season, by improving an area of need, their back court. Cleveland now has their strongest back court in the LeBron James era. Last month they traded for Mo Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks, and Friday they signed their own restricted free agent Delonte West.

Last month they locked up LBJ protege guard Daniel Gibson to a long term deal. Earlier this month they signed former Memphis Grizzlies guard Tarence Kinsey to contract as well as rookie Darnell Jackson who was a member of NCAA Champion Kansas last season. My sources out of Cleveland tell me that Anderson Varejao is being shopped, which means they would need another young power forward. With arguably the Association’s best player in James, the only question marks are veteran big men Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace.

The Toronto Raptors who are fully committed to Jose Calderon as their starting point guard traded T.J. Ford to the Indiana Pacers for Jermaine O’Neal. O’Neal will greatly improve with the change of scenery, as well as playing with Chris Bosh. The Miami Heat picked up two strong young players in the draft in Michael Beasley, and Mario Chalmers. And more importantly D-Wade looks to be fully recovered from his injuries. Look for major improvement from their lost season last campaign.

With reigning NBA Champs Boston being the team to beat and so many other teams improving this off-season, the Pistons have basically remained stagnant. I like young players Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell. Chauncey Billups made my list of top ten point guards in the Association, a couple of months back. Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are superb, Rasheed Wallace played the good soldier most of last season. But the question is has this team peaked, or will they remain among the elite in the East?

From my perspective this team has peaked, which means you can retool, or start to go on that downward spiral. Although there was talk of trading for Carmelo Anthony early this Summer, that talk died when the Denver Nuggets assured Melo and his agent he would play this season in Denver. But that type of shakeup may be exactly what the Pistons need at this point.

There are times when players are more valuable as commodities, than as playing for your team. As the Pistons players start to age, their market value will only decrease. Why has Dumars who promised change at the start of the off-season, not followed through on his pledge? Is there a move that will take place before training camp in the works? Or has Dumars developed the mindset that this team can still contend for a NBA Title? The next few weeks may be a telling time for the Detroit Pistons.