Moping in Motown

--Detroit Free Press
Free agency has become a wondrous scam, satisfying only those that feed most off its frenzy -- the agents and the fans. The agents seeking a quick buck for their favorite clients and the fans seeking a quick fix for their favorite teams.

The players get paid. The fans get excited.

But rarely does the marriage result in the underlying team objective -- erecting a championship cornerstone.

The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup mostly through developing those they drafted.

The Boston Celtics won the NBA championship a year after winning only 16 games through blockbuster trades that added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a mix including Paul Pierce, whom the Celtics drafted 10th overall in the 1998 draft.

This much is certain. There are no miracles waiting when it comes to free agency shopping.

James Posey proved himself a valuable reserve, getting a championship ring in Miami in 2006 and with the Celtics. But was it really worth overpaying him to retain his services? If you're the Pistons, seeking bold, decisive personnel changes, it's basically a waste of time.

The Pistons don't lure stars because they've discouraged them.

That attitude must change.

The Pistons have only attracted blemished free agents.

Signing Chauncey Billups in the summer of 2002 might rank as one of the NBA's greatest free-agent thefts, but there were sizeable doubts regarding his ability. Antonio McDyess was considered damaged goods because of his knees when the Pistons signed him in July 2004. He's become one of the league's better free-agent values.

But acknowledged stars don't come here when offered a choice.

There have been various rationalizations, like seeking a warmer year-round climate or even concerns about the city's negative perception regarding crime and lifestyle[where have we heard this before?].

But, quite honestly, the second argument is garbage. The Pistons play and practice next door to each other, 30 minutes away from Detroit city limits. If a player chose, he wouldn't have to set foot in Detroit for one second for business purposes, such as going to home games or traveling to the airport for road games.

The city has nothing to do with it.

The Wings have better luck luring top free agents than the Pistons because NHL stars are more open to sacrificing individual production and financial gain for collective success than their NBA counterparts.

But that might change in 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Redd, and Joe Johnson become available through unrestricted free agency.

It's time that the Pistons prepare for when free-agent-shopping season truly becomes exciting.