This was a good deal by the Pistons. Since losing to the Miami Heat in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals Detroit’s play has grown steadily more complacent. The malaise that surrounds this team is easy to see.
Think about it, each year the Pistons would bring back the same veterans, run pretty much the same plays without any threat of change.
Every year you had Chauncey at the 1, Rip at the 2, Rasheed and Tayshaun in the front court with whatever five fouls du jour at the 5. I know Antonio McDyess has shown flashes but he didn’t bring a ton to the table.

It’s easy to see how these guys could start taking their jobs and winning around 50-55 regular season games for granted. With youngsters in Rodney Stuckey (star in the making), Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell you could just feel that a shift in the team’s balance of power was brewing.

This team needed to change to get better, to no longer be a solid team that can’t get over the hump. GM Joe Dumars had been promising change for a while and today he certainly delivered.

It’s too early to tell if the Pistons won this deal but let me throw my hat in the ring in support of Dumars.

Allen Iverson immediately brings a level of energy and accountability that hasn’t been seen in years in Detroit. AI is the most competitive player in the league. Don’t let his wasted year in Denver fool you. That team was so dysfunctional and had no chance of winning the way it was constructed. But in Detroit you have a great mix of talented vets (Sheed, Prince and Hamilton) plus young stars (Maxiell and Stuckey) playing in a conference that is there for the taking. Iverson will do whatever it takes to win and will force everyone around him to play at his level.

Also what did Detroit give up? Chauncey’s best years are way behind him; and it has been years since his play in the postseason deserved the nickname “Mr. Big Shot”. McDyess is 34 and hasn’t averaged in double digits in either points or rebounds since 2002. The Pistons have enough depth to replace McDyess and I believe that Iverson is a huge upgrade over Iverson.

Finally the Pistons saw what the Celtics did last year putting together a bunch of hungry veterans who had never a title. Iverson is desperate to win it all before he retires. No way he doesn’t elevate his play to a level we haven’t seen in years.

Besides Detroit needs to win it now before Lebron James develops a consistent mid range jump shot.

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