As the Detroit Pistons prepare for their upcoming season one has to wonder, does anyone still care? Detroit generally isn’t known as a fair weather fan base, but as the Pistons have quickly fallen to the basement of the Eastern Conference and fans interest is in heavy decline. The Pistons had built a sound fan base that even survived the teal jersey years, yet they appear to be the odd team out when it comes to fans interest. The Pistons trail in popularity with the Red Wings as they have re-loaded for another Cup run, the Tigers have a big offseason approaching and Lions are showing signs of life. It’s shocking to see the Pistons decline despite the fact that the Pistons have been the 2nd most successful team next to the Red Wings over the last twenty years.
Robin Buckson / The Detroit News
Ask the average person who coach’s the Pistons, or to name 3 starters, few will know and shockingly even more don’t care. Currently the main news surrounding the Pistons isn’t about their top players, hype surrounding the upcoming season or he team’s playoff chances, but about Mike Ilitch being in the process of buying the team. However one of the main stories revolving around this purchase has been how it will affect the Red Wings. Upon purchasing the team one of the top priorities must be revitalizing this franchise.
In the recent title contending years fans rallied around the ‘going to work’ era led by defense and team play. While this Pistons team still has left overs from that era (Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince) they lack star power, defense and strong team play. The Pistons have turned in their defensive hard hats and are looking to out score teams this year, despite lacking size down low. The team has young talent in Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Jonas Jerebko, Greg Monroe and Austin Daye, yet none of these players possess the skill to be future super stars of the league. It’s one thing to lack excitement, lack of cap flexibility, trade chips or talent, but currently the Pistons lack all four. If Mike Ilitch, or whoever the next Pistons owner is, takes over the first order of business must deciding the fate of GM Joe Dumars, despite his positive track record does he have what it takes to turn this team around? Next is Kuester the right coach to lead this team? Finally who can and should the Pistons build around? It’s hard to believe this franchise has found itself in such a dreary cross road, but if they can’t get this team on track the fan base will continue to dwindle. While winning generally cures everything this team seems far away from contending or winning its fans back.
Dave Sandford/Getty Images
Today Crain’s Detroit Business announced that Karen Davidson has opened negotiations to sell the Detroit Pistons to Mike Ilitch. After months of speculation and various names thrown into the circle of possibilities, Ilitch has emerged as the chosen one. Tentatively a deal is believed to be reached within the next month, but no figures of how much Ilitch will buy the team for have been released. While Forbes has valued the team at $475 million, it would be surprising to see Ilitch pay that much. This is great news on many levels for the Detroit Pistons organization. As owner of the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings he has shown a tremendous amount of passion for his teams and has displayed a strong commitment to winning. However it would have been nice to see the Pistons have their own owner who could place all there attention on them. The main concern from Ilitch buying the Pistons from the very beginning would be that owning three teams would spread him too thin. It is also hard to ignore that it took several years for Ilitch to fully invest in building the Detroit Tigers into a winner. Since the sale has to be approved by NBA Commissioner David Stern, proving he can own three teams will be a challenge, but clearly Ilitch has confidence he is more than capable.
Overall this is a big win for the Pistons and eventually the city of Detroit. It is unclear if the Pistons will be moved downtown, but Ilitch has built an empire in Detroit and it would seem highly unlikely that he would have any interest in keeping the team in Auburn Hills. Obviously this is a major blow to Auburn Hills, and the Palace. Ilitch is still in the beginning stages of searching for a new home for the Red Wings, but the long term future of the Palace being a sports arena look grey. While good news this purchase brings many questions: Is it a good thing for Ilitch to have monopoly on Detroit sports teams? Since he is 81 how long will Ilitch truly be in charge and are his kids up to the task of owning three teams? Does this purchase have a negative impact on the Tigers, Pistons, or Red Wings? Will the Pistons move to Detroit or will the Red Wings move to Auburn Hills? Could Ilitch sell the Palace to help pay for new arena for Pistons and Red Wings? This is a developing story and more details are sure to follow as this sale progresses.
DetroitLives.org
Here is another inspiring documentary about the positive movement occurring in Detroit. The website Detroit Lives! has completed their first film: The Farmer and the Philosopher. Here is their enticing description of the outstanding short film documentary: “DL!’s first film production, is a short film documentary about Detroit featuring Toby Barlow (NYTimes and Huffington Post contributor, Team Detroit) and Mark Covington (Chairman, Georgia Street Community Collective). The film takes a positive look at Detroit’s forward rumbles through the prism of two totally different figures that are changing the city for the better in their own way. The good news is that the filmmaking is going to continue, with more short films ala The Farmer and the Philosopher to be produced over the next year.” Watch the moving video here: The Farmer and the Philosopher
Recently Johnny Knoxville, of all people, came to Detroit to shoot a documentary on the real Detroit. Many often assume this city is too damaged, corrupt, and poor to ever rebound, but Detroit is very much alive. This city is full of opportunity, and has a community that is building change whether the city government wants to help or not.
You can doubt Detroit, but this city is making a come back with or without your help, why not speed up the process by contributing and become part of something special. Watch Knoxville’s documentary about what he discovered and see how Detroit is the new land of opportunity. http://www.palladiumboots.com/exploration/detroit.
As Knoxville highlights there is plenty positive movements happening in Detroit beyond sports teams and casinos. From the River Walk, to the growing farming community, the under appreciated Eastern Market, numerous fabulous restaurants, the forgotten Motown Museum, the Detroit music scene, and so much more. Not to mention there is unlimited opportunities to start your own business and create your own success. Think of Detroit as a blank canvas, waiting for you to make an impact. Let’s wake up Detroit and contribute to this movement, as Motown’s own Michael Jackson once sang “make that change”.
Check out insidedetroit.org for the latest information on happenings in Detroit and tours of hidden gems across the city.
The Pistons have been waiting all summer to make trades to jump start the franchise’s rebuilding process. GM Joe Dumars has had a difficult time finding a trade partner, but as the season draws closer a deal seems more and more likely. It was recently reported by ESPN’s Ric Bucher that a split between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets is likely. Anthony was one of the many players the Pistons past on in the 2004 draft in order to take Darko Milicic, but Anthony has been the one player the Pistons have consistently tried to acquire. When the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups to Denver they desperately tried to work out a deal that revolved around Anthony before settling on Allen Iverson. Dumars has been scrutinized for his lack of activity this offseason, and he is heading into this season on the hot seat. However pulling off a trade that would bring Anthony to town would be tremendous. Since Anthony is a free agent and has made it clear when he becomes a free agent the New York Knicks will be one of his top choices, news that diminishes his trade value for other teams.
The Pistons would prefer to make the deal a sign and trade to avoid trading away pieces for a free agent who will leave in the offseason. Even if the Pistons rolled the dice and gambled on trading for Anthony with out a contract in place, Dumars has struggled to spend money on free agents (i.e Gordon, Ben and Villaneuva, Charlie). Not to mention can the Pistons even assemble a package that would entice the Nuggets to send Anthony to Detroit? Offering a trade that would send Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and a 1st round pick to Denver could be enticing, but likely not something they would jump on. Stuckey and Billups would clash since both require the ball (as proven in Detroit), Prince is a nice player, but not someone to replace Anthony and Daye hasn’t proved he has the ability to be more than a bench player in this league. The Nuggets could use these pieces for other deals, but if the Pistons haven’t been able to receive quality value for these players then why would the Nuggets. Another option would be to include Ben Gordon instead of Prince, but then the the Nuggets would be taking on more money and have two shooting guards in J.R. Smith and Ben Gordon.
Although the Pistons owe it to themselves to investigate potential deals with the Nuggets I can’t imagine the Pistons being able to offer the best deal. Especially without any guarantee of Anthony re-signing with the Pistons. Granted it is all relative to what the Nuggets get offered, and how desperate they become to trade Anthony. It helps that the Pistons have the flexibility to trade virtually any one on their roster, but they are one of many teams that would be willing to do so for Anthony’s services. However the NBA is a league filled with insane GM’s and common sense frequently goes out the window when making trades. The Pistons must inquire about Carmelo Anthony, a long shot at best that he would re-sign here, but he would provide the franchise quality player the Pistons can re-build their championship hopes around. I am a huge advocate for building the Pistons as a team instead of around a trio of superstars, but you still need a star. The Pistons have won three championships built around excellent teams, but they still had stars in Isaiah Thomas and Chauncey Billups/Ben Wallace(defensive star). Anthony is a player who is committed to winning and I think he would fit right in to being the star on an excellent team.
Any other thoughts on potential deals the Pistons could offer or reasons for or against the Pistons pursuing Carmelo Anthony?
The Detroit News reported today that Flint native Tom Gores is establishing himself as the lead candidate to purchase the Detroit Pistons. Its been reported that Gores has been the only interested candidate to visit the Palace multiple times according to an unnamed source. Gores has a strong ties to the state of Michigan as he grew up Flint, attended Michigan State University and currently owns a home in Grosse Ille, despite his business being in California. There is no indication that this is a done deal, simply pointing out that Gores has expressed the most interested. Forbes lists him as the 147th richest man in America (2.2Billion) so he has the money to make a serious offer. It has been documented that he is an avid sports fan and has a history of turning around struggling businesses. The Pistons deserve an owner who is business savvy, but also takes pride in the state of Michigan and is a fan of basketball. It sounds like Gores would be a prime candidate and unlike Ilitch would be able to invest all of his time solely with the Pistons. This saga continues, with no clear end in sight, but at least the current front runner sounds like a great option thus far.
It was announced today that Detroit Pistons have signed former All-Star Tracy McGrady to a one year deal worth 1.35 million. If the Pistons weren’t trying to trade Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince before, than this signing practically forces them to. McGrady’s history of injuries are well documented, but the Pistons must have felt they couldn’t pass up on this sticker price for a proven scorer. He doesn’t make the team a playoff contender, and obviously isn’t a long term solution, but he should provide a stop gap as they pursue other options for the future.
If GM Joe Dumars didn’t have a hard enough time trading Hamilton or Prince before, being forced to sure isn’t going to make it easier to get value in return. Unfortunately I don’t see how signing McGrady makes them better, but if not having a player like him was the reason Dumars hasn’t pulled the trigger on a deal to trade Hamilton or Prince then I like this deal. The Pistons are desperate to rebuild and trading one or both of those players is when they will finally begin their transition towards reshaping this franchise.
*Maybe a trade isn’t on the horizon after all, NBA.com’s David Aldridge is reporting that McGrady is coming to the Pistons with the understanding that he will be coming off of the bench.
The Detroit News and Fox Sports Detroit reported today that Tigers and Red Wings Owner Mike Ilitch has officially expressed interest in purchasing the Detroit Pistons. Ilitch has long been rumored to be interested in adding the Pistons to his sports empire, but he has been reluctant to announce his intentions. Today’s announcement has made it perfectly clear that he has begun investigating purchasing the Pistons and moving them to downtown Detroit. Early speculation has the Pistons and Red Wings sharing a new arena downtown near Ilitch’s FoxTown properties. While Pistons Owner Karen Davidson hasn’t commented on this story, she has expressed interest in the past of selling the team to a passionate owner who wants to keep the Pistons in Michigan. Ilitch fits both of those qualifications, but agreeing to move the team and coming to terms on a price will obviously be the main portion of the negotiations.
I am a huge fan of the Ilitch’s, but the main criticism against them as owners has been that they have had trouble juggling owning two teams. As the Tigers struggled through the 90s and early 00s many accused Ilitch of not investing the same amount of money and interest as his beloved Red Wings. Over the last five years Ilitch got a sniff of success and has consistently put the team’s payroll in the leagues top ten. This raises obvious concerns about how they will handle owning three teams. Financially it makes sense to invest in the Pistons, a storied franchise that has loyal fans (consistently in the top ten in attendance), and will never come with a lower price tag. However the team is also struggling to rebuild and has no true face of the franchise. In many ways this allows the opportunity to take control and for a smoother transition, but will also require a lot of attention.
Mike Ilitch has the experience, passion, money, and community support to easily add the Pistons to his sports empire, however expressing interest will bring far more questions than answers for the time being. Will the Pistons and Red Wings play in the Palace until a downtown arena can be built? How does sharing an arena effect the ice surface for Red Wings games? Will Ilitch’s interest draw other interested buyers into the fold? Can Ilitch successfully handle owning three teams? Will this be the beginning of $7 Hot-N-Ready Pizza’s? It would be great to have all four Detroit teams in downtown Detroit, but I worry that one owner juggling three teams will ultimately effect one, two, or all three franchises.
The Detroit News reported today that the Pistons are in serious negotiations with seven time All-Star shooting guard Tracy McGrady. If both sides can come to an agreement it would be for the veterans minimum of 1.2 million. This is would be an odd move by the Pistons, as they are currently over loaded at the guard position. McGrady has put some great numbers over the course of his career, but has no success in being on a team that has advance past the first round of the playoffs. Detroit News writer Vincent Goodwill suggested the if the Pistons sign McGrady it would make it small forward Tayshaun Prince and shooting guard Richard Hamilton more expendable. An odd statement considering the Pistons have been actively trying to trade both players since last year’s trade deadline. While signing McGrady would pose as a low risk/high reward for the Pistons it is not a deal that makes a lot of sense. Especially if the Pistons cannot find a way to trade Prince or Hamilton, I would hope the Pistons are simply gaging McGrady’s interest in joining the team. He could serve as a cheap stop gap player for the Pistons as they continue to rebuild. McGrady obviously is not a long term solution, but could bring excitement and scoring. However, the Pistons should wait to pursue this deal until they make a trade. This sounds like a desperate move on the Pistons part, in hopes of drawing fan interest towards a rebuilding team. I suppose the Pistons are in position to explore any and all options to improve their team, but I would prefer to hear stories in the news about Piston trade rumors instead of signing injury prone former All-Stars.
