Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes To me, I'm tired of hearing about the Chauncey Billups free agency speculation. I'm 110% sure, for the sake of Joe Dumars, Chauncey Billups will be a Piston next season and here's why:-The Pistons lost Ben Wallace for nothing. Pistons fans were able to turn the cheeks because of the idea that because of Ben Wallace's offensive inefficiency didn't warrant the contract he recieved from Chicago. -The Pistons lost Mehmet Okur for nothing. It's kind of creepy how nobody ever mentioned this or thought of this, obviously because of the title. It was kind of like the dirty stripper your friend slept with that one Saturday night that nobody ever mentions. You would think every Pistons fan was in Vegas the day Okur walked.-The Pistons lost Carlos Delfino for the next thing to nothing. We've had how good Delfino is going to be whispered in our ears for the last 3 seasons. Watching the conclusion of that is a low-blow. The timing would just impact thing.-Darko Milicic.-If you are an older Pistons fan and you remember (I know I do), the Mateen Cleaves and Rodney White picks still sting.-The mistake of hiring Flip Saunders when Larry Brown Larry-Browned us instead of taking a swing at an up and coming assistant, because it was the safest thing to do.Joe Dumars has been riding high since 2004 because of the title. I've heard "best GM in the league" tossed around more than once. All Pistons fans have been jaded with Dumars since 2004 but the jade is starting to wear off. We've had 2 completely demoralizing season-endings (3 if you count losing to S.A. in the 2005 Finals).Whether or not Billups is a Piston, Pistons fans are going into 2008 expecting another Finals appearance, and the organization will preach this to us. Losing Billups for nothing would magnify all of Dumars' mistakes and probably be the worst one yet. It would also bring on more than likely, another miserable ending to the season. Joe Dumars would quickly become the most wanted man in the NBA and would be driven out of Detroit faster than a fraternity member at a lesbian convention. He knows his career is on the line this summer. He will hand Billups a blank check. Under the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, we can offer Billups more than any other team in the league can. Unless Billups has some riff with the organization that we have not heard about, and he wants out of town for less, there's no reason to believe he will be gone. Dumars needs this more than anything.
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes Nobody is saying Dumars is going to let Billups walk, it would be insanely stupid for Dumars not try to resign him. But point is, if Billups wants to leave, hes going to leave. Right now, nobody knows of any intentions of what Billups wants to do, but I can say this, Billups might look at Detriot and see Flip Saunders returning, Rasheed getting older and older, Cleveland-Chicago rising in the ranks, and see how much Detriot has improved in the past 3 years and he might say to himself "this organization isnt going anywhere". Like I said, nobody knows what Billups wants to do, but never factor out him testing free agency...And all thise "misfortunes" you listed with Detriot...im sorry but that happens to every team, im tired of fans thinking they are getting the worse of everything. Do you really think Chauncey Billups is going to say "oh, Darko Milicic didint work out, now I HAVE to resign with Detriot"?
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes There are 2 main reasons why players leave teams in Free Agency.1. Another team offers a larger contract that the existing team won't match.2. An overwhelming distaste with something in the organization.We learned our lesson from #1 on more than one occasion and it won't happen again. There hasn't been any evidence of #2 ever happening.
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes I disagree, I think if a player feels that organization is not moving in the right direction(which Detriot has been a elite team for the past 5 or so years, but the past few seasons they really havent moved forward)I think that player will test free agency. Look at Rashard Lewis, he most likely wont get much more than he is already making, and I havent heard anyhting about him having a problem with the Sonic organization, but hes leaving..why? Because Seattle isnt moving forward quick enough for him.
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes Seattle and Rashard Lewis is a terrible comparison. Seattle hasn't been a title contendor for the past 5 seasons and they have been notorious for managerial complacency. Dumars hasn't been complacent, he's just been wrong on more than once.
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BluffCityBlue @ Jun 20 2007, 02:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I disagree, I think if a player feels that organization is not moving in the right direction(which Detriot has been a elite team for the past 5 or so years, but the past few seasons they really havent moved forward)I think that player will test free agency. Look at Rashard Lewis, he most likely wont get much more than he is already making, and I havent heard anyhting about him having a problem with the Sonic organization, but hes leaving..why? Because Seattle isnt moving forward quick enough for him.</div>So with that reasoning behind it, why would Billups leave the Pistons, who are one of the top teams in the East, and can offer him the best deal?
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes Theres not any top teams in the east who can offer him, but you put him on a Magic roster in the the Eastern Conference, they can go far and in a couple years Orlando will develop into a much better team...all im saying is Detriot is on the decline, and Billups might test free agency....
Re: Let's Be Completely Honest Here With The Billups Situation In Joe Dumars' Eyes He is also going to be 31 and has a ring. Why would he want to go to a team that has a chance to compete in a few years?
