<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Joe Dumars hopes to take his chances at competing for a title next year with the top six players the Detroit Pistons have had the past two seasons. If Detroit is able to re-sign Ben Wallace, an unrestricted free agent, the Pistons president of basketball operations said he expects to keep the team's nucleus intact to make another run after falling short of the NBA finals for the first time since 2003. "This window we have right now is not closed by any means, so you have to maximize that as much as possible," Dumars said Monday at a postseason news conference. "You don't do what we did and get to where we got and say, 'We're not good enough."' Dumars said he was "very disappointed" Detroit was eliminated by the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night. But the player-turned-executive does not agree with those who said the Pistons failed or collapsed. "If you want to call it disappointing, I'm with you 100 percent," he said. The Pistons won a franchise-record and NBA-high 64 games and had four All-Stars for the first time in franchise history last season. Tayshaun Prince, the only starter that wasn't an All-Star, was their most consistent player in the playoffs, and reserve Antonio McDyess was a key contributor for much of the year. Dumars wants those top six players back but acknowledged Ben Wallace could opt to sign for more money elsewhere. "He's an unrestricted free agent, so at the end of the day, it's going to be Ben's call," Dumars said. But what if a team offers Wallace a maximum contract? "You're going too deep," Dumars said with a smile, declining to answer the question he might have to answer this summer. Dumars said he talked briefly to Wallace last weekend about the upcoming negotiations with his agent, Arn Tellem, that can begin July 1. "My thing to him was, 'How do you want me to deal with Arn?"' Dumars recalled. "And he said, 'Just get it done as quick as possible.' I was like, 'Cool."' Besides re-signing Wallace, the Pistons would like to add more scoring off the bench, perhaps from a quick point guard. They plan to use the midlevel exception -- paying a free agent, or free agents, about $5 million annually -- and could also make a move with a trade. "We have to rely less on the top six guys to carry everything. That can only go on so long," Dumars said. "We've relied on this starting five, top six for a while, and that has to change." Dumars said he expects to have three or four new reserves next season but intends to bring back Carlos Delfino. He said the seldom-used player has not requested a trade. The Pistons parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown last summer after he led them to a championship and a return trip to the finals. Three years ago, they fired former coach Rick Carlisle after he took them to the conference finals in his second season. Dumars said coach Flip Saunders will definitely return next fall for a second year. "He's as safe as anybody here. That's a non-issue," Dumars said.</div> Good to hear he's keen to keep the boys together, I'm also relieved to hear Flip will be back next season, that was my biggest worry heading into the off season.
IMO the real question this offseason is how will they be able to address their bench when their key 6 is gonna put them over the luxury tax. My guess is that the Pistons' owner is gonna take that gamble in hopes of them delivering another title soon. I think he should cuz in the NBA everything is a gamble and there's no sure-fire shot at a title. If there was, everyone would be doing it by now.
Of course they should keep their starters and add more players to the bench. Just because the team didn't go all the way means they are not elite any more. Big Ben's D is still good, and I think their choice to pass on Melo and develop Prince was not a bad idea. I'm sure Prince will win more games than Melo in his career.
Yea prince was a great choice im still amazed at that block to Reggie Miller lol and they should keep that starting 5 it is an amazing line up, but they should add more role players from the bench.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Shiver:</div><div class="quote_post">they should keep that starting 5 it is an amazing line up, but they should add more role players from the bench.</div> i agree, they do not use their bench much except for linsey hunter and antonio mcdyess. One person i think that yall really missed this season was elden cambell. im serious he was one guy that could guard shaq. last year when elden was guarding him, Shaq rarely shot the ball. the only thing i did not understand was y Larry Brown when he was coaching last year did not put him in longer. thats the person yall were missing i really would not blame flip saunders either,the NBA is fixed so Miami had to get to the finals some how since pat riley created the team and coached it and he couldnt even get them to the finals he would get fired. and have yall noticed that they made more of a big deal when yall were eliminated but didnt say anything when the defending champs the spurs didnt even make it back to the finals. thats why all this talk is coming from saying its the coaches fault but the NBA is fixed. also they are saying that yall should get rid of the players and stuff but if yall do that then Miami will be the #1 seed and then the Cavs the #2 seed thats the medias plan to do to make Miami the best. The media did not want to c another Spurs vs. Pistons series 3 years in a row they were losing viewers because people do not want to c the correct way of playing basketball but alley-oops and open dunks all the time. So if i was yall i would not watch the finals because of this like im not too. all the media cares about is Miami, Cav, Dallas and Phoenix. Also wut are the odds that both teams who have never made it to the finals before go their on the same year? Its Fixed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting taurus515th:</div><div class="quote_post">i agree, they do not use their bench much except for linsey hunter and antonio mcdyess. One person i think that yall really missed this season was elden cambell. im serious he was one guy that could guard shaq. last year when elden was guarding him, Shaq rarely shot the ball. the only thing i did not understand was y Larry Brown when he was coaching last year did not put him in longer. thats the person yall were missing i really would not blame flip saunders either,the NBA is fixed so Miami had to get to the finals some how since pat riley created the team and coached it and he couldnt even get them to the finals he would get fired. and have yall noticed that they made more of a big deal when yall were eliminated but didnt say anything when the defending champs the spurs didnt even make it back to the finals. thats why all this talk is coming from saying its the coaches fault but the NBA is fixed. also they are saying that yall should get rid of the players and stuff but if yall do that then Miami will be the #1 seed and then the Cavs the #2 seed thats the medias plan to do to make Miami the best. The media did not want to c another Spurs vs. Pistons series 3 years in a row they were losing viewers because people do not want to c the correct way of playing basketball but alley-oops and open dunks all the time. So if i was yall i would not watch the finals because of this like im not too. all the media cares about is Miami, Cav, Dallas and Phoenix. Also wut are the odds that both teams who have never made it to the finals before go their on the same year? Its Fixed.</div> Oh please, the NBA is not fixed. The better teams won, its that simple.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting NTC187:</div><div class="quote_post">Oh please, the NBA is not fixed. The better teams won, its that simple.</div> Not always the better teams, but the teams that played better ball.
I think that's a mistake. It's time to break up this band. Their main problem is they don't have one guy who is UNSTOPPABLE. Like a DWade LeBron, Dirk or whatever. They have maxed out the potential of this bunch of guys.
