"The Pistons Biggest Error Coming into the 1986 Draft, the defending champion, Boston Celtics were in the precarious position of holding the #2 overall pick and selected the highly touted Len Bias. While Bias subsequent death was no fault of the Celtics, it does represent one of the greatest what-ifs in NBA history and continues speculation even today about how his talent could have impacted the Celtics dynasty. Bias was destined to join a pantheon of legendary Celtics, carry their dominance into the 90s and add to the Celtics bevy of championship trophies. Instead, they have not won a championship since and the Celtic mystique has been a curse since. Flash forward to the present. With the Super Bowl now behind us, baseball still months away, and the NHL playing on public access television, my short attention span has naturally been drawn back to the NBA as it approaches the regular season stretch and the jockeying for playoff positioning. While the West is seemingly dominated by the run-n-gun Suns and Mavs, the ageless Spurs have quietly kept pace with their stolid offensive style and suffocating defense. The Eastern Conference meanwhile has been an enigma all season. However, the most interesting development has been the suddenly revamped Detroit Pistons, whose recent signing of former Michigan legend Chris Webber has helped resurface talk of a Detroit dynasty. Since acquiring Webber, the Pistons have won 11 of 15 and re-emerged as title contenders with the top record in the East. The faade however, could not be further from the truth. Though they may appear be on the familiar path to another NBA Finals, the Pistons squandered their chance at a dynasty with a pivotal decision 3 years ago. Behind the smoke and mirrors, the Pistons are an aging team, without a go-to playmaker on offense and whose reign on the perch of the Eastern Conference is quickly dwindling. Flash back to 2003. After coming off consecutive 50 win seasons and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons were in the precarious position of owning the 2nd overall pick acquired through a trade. In what would turn out to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory and possibly all-time the Pistons hold the ignominious honor of being the team that passed on Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, & Chris Bosh, not to mention Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw later in the first round. After leading the Syracuse Orangeman to the NCAA championshipas a freshman, Anthony was highly touted as a special talent along the lines of Lebron James. Now in his fourth year Anthony has jettisoned to the NBA scoring lead, meanwhile the Pistons are mired in the bottom of the leagues offensive standings. At the time Wade was considered the most explosive guard in the draft after taking an underwhelming Marquette team on his back and into to the Final Four. Ironically, Wade has since become the bane of Detroits existence by leading the Heat past the Pistons on their way to an NBA championship last season and drawing MJ comparisons along the way. Wade has also developed into one of the best clutch finishers in the NBA; something the Pistons have lacked at the guard position. (Why is Chauncey Billups nicknamed Big Shot?) While Bosh was not quite as hyped as either Wade or Anthony, he was a 6-11 freshman phenom at Georgia Tech who many believed could soon develop into a perennial All-Star forward, which is exactly what he has done. At least with Bosh in the post the Pistons could have a Plan B to implement when Ben Wallace jumped ship to the rival Bulls. Instead, The [Joe] Dumars made one of the most scrutinized, second guessed decisions in NBA Draft history by selecting Darko Baby Nowitzki Milicic, a player who came off the bench for his own team back home! To make matters worse, later in the same draft, the Pistons passed on Leandro Barbosa, and Wake Forest senior Josh Howard in the favor of the other International Flava Carlos Delfino from Argentina. While Barbosa has developed into an offensive juggernaut in the explosive Phoenix Suns rotation and Howard made his All-Star debut Sunday Night, Delfino has been a little used reserve averaging a career high 4.9 points per game in 2007. Combined Delfino and Milicic dont even equate to two quarters of Josh Howards production, much less Anthony or Wade. The Pistons fledging Eastern Conference domination could have been prolonged by the acquisition of Anthony, Wade, or Bosh in the Draft and supplied the Pistons with a go to offensive weapon theyve lacked since Grant Hills departure. The addition, of Carmelo Anthony, Wade or Bosh to a nucleus of Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups and later Rasheed Wallace would have firmed the Pistons grip on the Eastern Conference for years to come the same way . This is where revisionist history comes in. Can you envision the trio of Melo, Prince and Sheed, or the musical I meant defensive stylings of Bosh and the Wallaces? Or perhaps even the sweet harmony of Billups, Wade, and Rip ripping through the playoffs for another decade? Since their NBA championship in 2004, the Pistons have done little to establish them as a legit dynasty. You cant win a championship with just what you had the previous season. From the 2004 season to the next season until now, the Pistons have done less and less with less. Since winning the NBA championship in 2004, the Pistons have done little to infuse their roster with young talent via free agency or the Draft. Add Antonio McDyess, Nazir Mohammed, Kelvin Cato, Will Blalock, Amir Johnson subtract Ben Wallace and Mehmet Okur and these are a glimpse of the roster changes the Pistons have made since their championship season. Theyve allowed their All-Star centers to sign with rival title contenders and attempted to replace them with aging role players and 2nd round draft picks. In the off-season, Billups may also jump ship for a flashier contender.Now with their hopes for another NBA championship dwindling, theyve been forced to turn to another aging legend that still possesses the best passing skills of any power forward in the game but has been robbed of his gifted athleticism. While Dumars supporters defend his action by pointing to the teams chemistry en route to their NBA title, this Pistons teams legacy will unfortunately end with just one NBA championship to show for it. What could have been a dynasty will indeed be known for its one hit wonder. Sure they had four records reach gold but the platinum is all anyone will ever remember. Drafting one of those future superstars might have vaulted the Pistons into the Shaq-Kobe Lakers, Bad Boy Pistons or the Showtime Lakers-type stratosphere. Instead theyll be tossed into the deck of forgettable championship teams. Now with Darko gone they have nothing to show for their gaffe except Kelvin Cato. Darko represented the potential of a future superstar, all Kato represents is the Pistons curse. At least the Red Sox got cold hard cash for Babe Ruth. How will Pistons fans respond if Darko and Dwight team up at the 2009 All-Star Game-- in Detroit? It could happen. Now with Billups, set to become a free agent in the off-season, the Pistons may be unwilling to pay him his final big contract and the sun may finally set on the saga of the Nameless Pistons. But until then enjoy the Pistons success while you can because just like the Red Sox, Cubs, and Celtics used to because their future likely contains a generation of losing and misery thanks to the Curse of Darko. Over 20 years later, the Celtics should finally have a chance to reverse their fortunes and begin their journey back to the NBAs elite with either Oden or Durant but the question is how long will the Pistons have to wait? -- D.J. Dunsonhttp://cdunson.myweb.uga.edu/pistonscurse.htmThis article made a lot of sense, because we could of at least had 3 titles by now if Joe D and the rest of the organization only drafted smart. I am not putting all the blame on Joe D because he was the one who got the Pistons to a title in 04 and a beast in the Eastern conference the last 5 seasons, but we could be the ones w/ the dynasty instead of the Spurs. Or at least the Pistons and Spurs could of became the new Celtics v. Lakers.Even if Big Ben did leave for the Bulls and we did draft Bosh at least we would have the inside scoring that Big Ben never gave. The offense would of ran so swift with Chauncey-Rip-Carmelo/Wade, not to mention I can't believe we passed on Josh Howard and Leandro Barbosa for Carlos Delfino(who recently just got traded). I mean in past posts I believed in Delfino and his potential to become the Ginobli of the squad but he never had the consistency. If we drafted Barbosa we could of re-signed Chauncey for about 3 more seasons or if he was ready start Barbosa and do a sign and trade w/ Chauncey while his value is still high.There are so many possibilities that could of happend if we just went another direction than Darko. I mean as I keep stressing, if Amir can become the player we wanted Darko to be and if the player we draft at #15(or wherever) this coming Thursday can come even remotely close to the scoring threat as a Wade or Anthony and help the Pistons get back to the finals and win it then all will be forgotten. HoLLa baCk
