Your mood may determine how you take the tone of the article headline. To be honest, I really don’t know how I feel about it. We have trusted Joe Dumars in the past with former lottery pick reclamation projects, but Kwame Brown?

The former number one overall draft pick in 2001 was dealt to Memphis from the Lakers last season as part of the Pau Gasol trade for his expiring contract. The contract with the Pistons calls for two years, $4 million per season with Brown holding a player option for year two. A bargain perhaps (at today’s NBA prices) but is this the end of the off-season shake-up?

Chauncey Billups was a lottery pick as was Richard Hamilton. Neither became all-stars until landing in Detroit. That is not to say the 26 year old Brown is going to become one either. For the price and the potential, it may be worth the chance. Michael Jordan was taken by Brown’s skill set when he drafted him in Washington, but we have seen Mike’s record as an executive.

Dumars on the other hand has had, for the most part, the magic touch. While the team is still approximately $10 million under the luxury tax limit, then may still have room to make a trade. It had better be something significant, or we can label this off-season summer just hot air.

Good move? Bad move? Like everyone else, get back with me, I could change my mind by lunch. High school players sometimes take years to develop and we do need some youth at the center spot. Is Detroit the place where Brown puts it altogether? Jordan once called Dumars one of the toughest defenders he had ever faced. Joe may have to defend this move as well, the same Jordan made in 2001.

Talk is cheap.

The salary cap and managing it in the NBA is not. I get it. I know trades don’t fall out of the sky and everything we think would work is a lot of wishful thinking.

Team president Joe Dumars spouted off at season’s end about big changes, no sacred cows, and the time had come for a shake-up. Free Agency is here, the draft is done and time is of the essence. All talk, no action.

No Carmelo Anthony. No Baron Davis. No James Posey or Mickael Pietrus or James Jones. And so far, no Tracy McGrady. Talking to Carlos Delfino? What? This is a moody bunch of veteran starters and the level of their play after being bandied about in trade talks could be risking danger for new head coach Michael Curry.

Dumars has said he isn’t going to make a move for the sake of making one or anything that he would consider lateral. I don’t blame him, I trust him, but I and many fans are getting impatient. I see Philadelphia making some noise and Orlando making moves. Not good. Not when the Pistons are puttering.

I believe Curry will have the players respect on a personal level and he is a former head of the players association. But is this enough to bring his troops to war over a long and grueling NBA season? If changes are needed, they should get underway if they are going to happen.

The longer Dumars waits, the long any sense of chemistry or cohesiveness is delayed in its appearance and moreover, if rumors and offers abound, what does that do to the psyche of the vets?

The Vegas Summer League is underway which is a proving ground for the young players on the team. With Trent Plaisted and Deron Washington likely heading to Europe this season, that leaves Walter Sharpe and Cheikh Samb’s development at the forefront of priorities on that end.

Dumars has done little to disappoint and if patience is a virtue here, it is he who is displaying it and the fans who are restless.  Is it the quiet before the storm with a thunderous result about to happen? Or is the sprinkle of rumor going to torment the fans and stagnate the team this off-season.

Joe has talked the talk, so we know whats left.

The cure for the NBA summertime blues? For the fanatic its the Las Vegas Summer League where those of us who have to go the off-season without the NBA title (again) can erase those bad memories and get on with the renewed fervor of next season’s hopes and promises.

We know as Piston fans that a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals is getting to be the standard, but leaving our season there is getting to be redundant.

While team president Joe Dumars has stated there aren’t any “sacred cows” amongst the veterans, Friday night’s opening game of the Las Vegas Summer League was his first opportunity to pour over the new prime choice young talent during their 84-73 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

While sifting through the expected rust, you could single out the standouts while noticing some of the promise of the newcomers. Guard Rodney Stuckey dominated the floor, seemingly getting to any spot he wanted, leaving himself with converting his only task.

While Stuck did not use the game to work on his three-point shooting, he went for 21 points on 6-16 shooting, working both the drive and the pull-up jumper equally. He added five rebounds and four assists, running from both guard spots.
While both Arron Afflalo (15 points) and Amir Johnson (5-5 FGs, 12 points) were a little overly aggressive on defense (you get 10 fouls before fouling out), they both made some strides on their respective weak offensive games.

Cheick Samb seems to be filling out that 7-0 frame with added muscle (up to 225 pounds) and working on his jump shot to become more of an offensive threat as well. His 3-12 showing means there’s work to be done, but he did add nine points and as many rebounds. Dumars is looking for him to be an asset soon.

The highlight for me was the chance to see the newest draftees, the ones who have been getting much criticism and have questions to answer. Each gave a good account of themselves and showed some flash. Walter Sharpe, the forward out of UAB got the start and showed excellent feet in and around the lane and passed the ball well.

His shot seemed hurried but smooth, so his 2-9 from the floor is a little misleading. He is agile and mobile, played good defense, both on-man and in the passing lanes, and will get more comfortable with more minutes.

“It feels good to get out there and do some positive things,” Sharpe stated, after finishing with eight points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists.

Trent Plaisted also played well after a shaky start and getting his feet wet. He ran the floor with ease and got out ahead of the pack, taking a pass from Stuckey and dunking. He got more acclimated as he played and scored 10 points (4-5) and grabbed five rebounds. I would have liked to seen more from the outside and off the dribble, but it was respectable for a first game.

Deron Washington has the look, but seemed to defer to everyone else out on the floor. He has the tools and his college stats back that up. In addition to his nearly 14 points per game last season at Virginia Tech, he averaged over six assists and rebounds well for his size. He gets an incomplete for this game and will get more opportunity in the upcoming contests.

Veterans Will Bynum and Derrick Allen played sparingly but solid and both could have been a little more aggressive going to the rim.  Kentrell Gransberry, a 6-9, 270 pound mountain looks to be a project, but is not awkward or plodding and seems to know what he’s doing around the basket. How much playing time he gets is up in the air, but Dumars agreed to take a look at him as his son is headed to South Florida to play and attend school.

The Pistons next game is Sunday versus the Clippers. With Jarvis Hayes leaving Detroit for the New Jersey Nets, the Pistons have more holes to fill and the door is open for these young players to walk through.

This is the final installment of a three-part look at each of Detroit’s three 2008 draft selections.

Call me crazy (or any of the other names you may already have picked out), but the more I look over the players Joe Dumars drafted, the less I am disappointed.

Other than some diehard Piston fans I have talked too, most were not only surprised but appalled that the team selected Indiana power-forward D.J. White and then immediately traded him away to Seattle (oops, Oklahoma City) for a pair of second round draft choices. While we can all agree that the draft can be a crap-shoot, if the dice come up, the Pistons really have some solid young pieces in place, including Deron Washington out of Virginia Tech.

No. 59: Deron Washington, 6-6, 202-pound guard/forward, Virginia Tech.

Washington has the potential to be a valuable asset off the bench and spot starter for the club. His scoring and rebounding improved each season at the college level and his athleticism is unquestioned, a must for a two guard and small forward. He is an explosive finisher around the rim and is a YouTube.com highlight favorite. His 6.5 rebounds per game speaks to his versatility and complete game and is impressive for a player his size.

The interesting question to me is where he begins the campaign in 2008-2009. Is he destined for the D-League or will his skill set allow for Washington to join the parent club and contribute right away. With Walter Sharpe and Trent Plaisted taken before him, will the bench support all of the new and current young Pistons? All have to potential to be strong scorers, rebounders, and defenders while providing support at multiple positions.

Regardless the answer, the jury is still out on what the expectations for the team will be this upcoming season. Dumars is looking to shake up the starting five with a trade off some magnitude. With free agency starting, the chips around the league should start to fall and availability and opportunity will begin to present itself and we can only sit back and wait to see what happens.

On one hand, its kind of exciting and at the same time, maddening because we all want to know which way the team will go. First-year coach Michael Curry could have a veteran laden starting unit and the expectations that group has produced over the last six seasons, or a young squad who may be said to be ready to get to the playoffs, but really buying time to gel and grow.

Either way, I would expect these three selections from this season’s draft to be part of the Piston future and I for one am excited to see their play in the upcoming Vegas league.

This is the second of a three-part look at each of Detroit’s three 2008 draft selections.

Just as Walter Sharpe will get the chance to develop for Detroit, their second selection will should be right along side him. While Sharpe maybe a better defender, Trent Plaisted looks a little more polished on the offensive end and like Sharpe, brings good size and athleticism.

No. 46: Trent Plaisted, 6-9, 240-pound forward/center, Brigham Young University.

At 6-11 and 240 pounds, Plaisted shows excellent footwork and a versatility to the low post with both a nice shooting touch and passing ability. Being a left hander poses a new set of problems for opponents because there are so few in the league and may grow to be similar offensively to Zach Randolph. Where he may lack is facing up to the basket and appears to be more effective catching the ball with his back to the basket. He will need to increase his intensity and trust his skills and not be satisfied with just “being out there”.

Can he defend the five position? Is he strictly a power forward? He does show the quickness to be effective at either position and a willingness to work. His workouts appeared to lessen as they moved to the NBA Draft Camp, but he showed enough in prior appearances to have the eye of many teams, especially Joe Dumars and the Pistons.

While Sharpe is scheduled to start for Detroit’s Summer League team in Las Vegas July 11-18, Plaisted is going to get a long look from new head coach Michael Curry, who is making the trip to coach and get a first hand look at the new arrivals along with holdovers Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Cheikh Samb, and Amir Johnson.

If all works according to plan, a front line rotation of Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Walter Sharpe, and Plaisted is in the cards for the Pistons as they attempt to stack their hand with an athletic and versatile set of bigs.

This is the first of a three-part look at each of Detroit’s three 2008 draft selections.

I have to be honest. I am still scratching my head, but have faith in Joe Dumars. He has his way of doing things and they have been effective thus far during his tenure at the helm of the Detroit Pistons.

The draft went from excitable to “huh?” in a heartbeat. The rumors had been that Detroit had their eye on D.J. White, a power presence down low from Indiana. Everything seemed to work according to plan as he was there at #29 and Dumars nabbed him. Sounded like just what the doctor ordered.

Many fans, including myself, we taken by surprise to see Dumars trade him so quickly to Seattle for two second round selections. Was money a factor? Could be, but with a rookie salary slot, it wouldn’t seem so. Dumars knows talented players and with second round picks, there are no guarantees and no guaranteed money. And with the D-League and a roster full of young players already, maybe this was the way to go. So who is who and new at The Palace? First up is Walter Sharpe.

No. 32: Walter Sharpe, 6-9, 245-pound forward, Alabama-Birmingham.

Many downgraded Sharpe due to a shady past and a “lazy” presence. Diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that led to tardiness to team functions and academic shortcomings, Sharpe now takes medication that he says turned his life around.

“It’s definitely behind me,” Sharpe boasts. “My worst days are behind me and my best days ahead of me. Nobody thought I had narcolepsy. People thought I was just lazy and slept a lot.”

And while some have compared his game to Laker forward Lamar Odom, it is unknown at this time if Sharpe will make the club out of camp of spend some time at Fort Wayne of the D-League. He will have to prove that an arrest at a club with four other UAB players was a case of poor judgment, and not a character issue that will continue. Though he says he was sticking up for team mates, he knows he should have known better. He is working on being a better man, and player.

“I can’t completely blame it on narcolepsy,” Sharpe admits. “I’d just say that some things I could have done better.”

“I like to put the ball on the floor,” Sharpe points out. “I’m not scared to dribble or shoot it from anywhere. I like to pass the ball. I like to do everything on the court that you can do on offense. Maybe by looking at me or reading my stat line, you might not notice that, but in due time, you’ll see.”

Trusting Joe Dumars has been easy, and this draft will test that loyalty, but the summer league should be fun to watch as these players get their first tests.

Maybe the rumors were true.

The Detroit Pistons have been busy all the way up to the draft denying rumors that they had promised Indiana forward D.J. White to select him with their 29th pick in the first round were he available. He was, and now is, a member of the Pistons. What they didn’t say was they had a notion to deal him once they drafted him. The team will send White to Seattle for their 32nd and 46th picks.

The 6-9, 250 pound White averaged 17.4 points and his 10.3 rebounds which led the Big Ten. While he would have been a great fit for the Pistons, team president Joe Dumars has something else in mind. While all trades are contingent on league approval until after, the teams who make deals make the selections for their trading partners.

Stay tuned this weekend for a look at who the Pistons select, who now have the 32nd, 46th, and 59th selections in the 2008 draft. Dumars is looking to add youth to this team and it looks like he’s doing just that.

While some will report that a trade for Carmelo Anthony is out of the question (and I wouldn’t close the door on that just yet), that doesn’t keep the rumor mill from churning in the waning days before the NBA Draft.

The latest report making the rounds of the association is Detroit is inquiring about the services of Golden State point guard Baron Davis. While he has a season remaining on his contract at a guaranteed $17.8 million, he has told team mates that he will not take advantage of an opt-out clause that would make him a free agent.

The possible Piston players to be parlayed? The word is a deal of point guard Chauncey Billups and forward/center Rasheed Wallace, who would make an estimated $25 million in ‘08-’09, which would require the Warriors to include another player, rumored to be Al Harrington, disgruntled at the way coach Don Nelson bounced him in and out of the rotation and is close to requesting a trade himself.

Billups would certainly step in and give Golden State a versatile backcourt with Monta Ellis, who could alternate at point. Wallace would give Nellie the three-point shooting threat he wanted Harrington to be and has an expiring contract after the upcoming year. Would Davis and Harrington fit the Piston mold? You would be surprised with what kind of transformation can change when playing for a title contender while having a chip on your shoulder and team president Joe Dumars has proven to be effective with such players.

Everything looks good on paper and the particulars look as if they are a fit. For myself, and I am certain some fans, we tire easily of talk and like action. While nothing is imminent and the draft is fast approaching, whom the Pistons select may have an impact on what deal is going to be made or not made.

Stay tuned.

Prince enjoyed an undefeated stint playing for Team USA in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Of the thirty players in the program, the final fourteen have been identified and Prince is amongst them as the team will be selected without holding tryouts according to director Jerry Colangelo. What seems to be happening is that the games may be a stage for Prince to audition for another team looking to add a young veteran with ample playoff experience and versatile defensively.

Amongst some of the names being bandied about are Prince, Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns, Richard Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets, Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks. With contract implications and salary cap constraints playing a major role in any trades made, many are looking for a time period closer to the NBA Draft this month for some action to take place.

It is not imminent that Prince will be traded as Joe Dumars’ phone has been ringing off the hook since he made the declaration that any Piston, sans Rodney Stuckey, would be available for the right price. It has been rumored and written that Prince may be part of a package deal in most scenarios with another Detroit starter, although everything is speculation at best.

If the price is right for Prince, he may be on the move after the Olympic games. The real dilemma will be recognizing who is looking to deal and who is just window shopping. The Pistons window for a championship may be closing, and this off-season will either prove to be a refurbish or a house cleaning.

The Associated Press and Detroit Free Press are reporting that the Detroit Pistons have hired their next head coach, former player and assistant Michael Curry to a three-year contract (with a team option for a fourth) that averages $2.5 million per season. It will be announced at a press conference held Tuesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

This is Curry’s first head coaching job of any kind, but Joe Dumars feels he will command the respect of the players, some which he actually played with. Dumars, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince were all team mates during Curry’s two stints with the team in 1996-97 and 1999-2003.

Being a Piston fan for over thirty years, I have always been wary of the coaching hires. Obviously some calls were good ones, but like the Lions, there have been many poor ones as well. While I always thought Curry was a solid defender and player, personifying the Pistons, I would have preferred a “name” coach, more for the experience than the splash it would bring. When you think about it, Avery Johnson is much like the departed Flip Saunders; great regular seasons and incomplete playoff runs. And while Dumars doesn’t like using the word “rebuilding”, what does this hire signify?

Of course, if Curry brings the same amount of success we have grown accustomed too, who can argue it? But this isn’t like bringing in Chuck Daly, Larry Brown, or even Flip. I am hoping that Dave Cowens stays on as an assistant while it looks like this may be Lindsey Hunter’s first foray into the assistant realm as well, we’ll see. This is untested waters with a team still performing well. This hire doesn’t shed much light on what roster moves are in store for the team, but as they are made, we may be able to see the direction the team is going in after the draft and as training camp approaches.   

We trust you Joe, makes us happy.