Back to the Drawing Board, Joe Dumars

The Pistons had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and blew it. They were outscored 23-8 to start the quarter; by the time the hurricane had passed through and they could look up at the scoreboard again, they were down seven points with less than three minutes left.

--Detroit Free Press, 5/31/08

Those "fortunate" enough to have watched game 6 of the ECFs with Joe Dumars nearby saw a man get mean. The Pistons lost control of the game, blew a 10 point lead, and sat by, helplessly, as the Big Bad Greenies laid Detroit to rest for another season.

Detroit lacked a go-to-guy of any note.

Detroit lacked a big man who could stop KG.

Detroit lacked a wing who could stop Paul Pierce, and, by the end of the series, Ray Allen.

Detroit would soon lack a coach as well, in what became Dumars' first response to the shellacking.

Next Dumars tried to trade his entire team for Carmello Anthony.

After that followed a similar offer for Tracy McGrady.

Finally, Dumars found a deal someone else would nibble on. Denver traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups.

Antonio McDyess was also included in the deal, though presumably he will return to Detroit in the near future.

Encouraged by Detroit's wins over the Lakers and the Cavs, Papa Joe can't be too pleased about being down 2-0 against the Celtics for the year.

No, these ain't no Ali-Frazier battles like last year. More like a Mike Tyson mugging from early in his career.

I suspect Papa Joe isn't done tinkering with the roster quite yet.