Glenn
02-16-2008, 09:57 AM
From today's Freep
JOE DUMARS PART ONE: 'Right now I don't see a big move' at trade deadline
February 16, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Joe Dumars interviewed with ESPN.com's Chad Ford on Thursday. Here is a portion of the interview:
On the Pistons' chances in the East:
We feel as good as we could possibly feel right now. We’re playing well and there’s some scenarios that are going on right now here with us that makes me feel better this year than I have last year or the year before, and that is two things. One, we’re right under the radar because Boston is doing so well, and I like that. I like the fact that we're not out with the best record in the league ahead of everybody. I love the fact that Boston is playing well. It’s great, it’s great for the Eastern Conference and it’s great for us. The second thing that’s going on is we’re not playing our starters 40 minutes a game to have this record and to have this streak. Those two things for me make this run especially good because if we were out front and chasing the best record in the league or if we were playing our starters 40 minutes to have this record, I wouldn’t be as pleased.
On the Pistons' bench:
Well, you know, the only way you can get ready for the playoffs is you gotta play them now. And so, you have to be seeing how well they do or don’t do in the playoffs, but one thing I do know for sure is there’s no chance of them having any success in the playoffs if you don’t play them now.
On the progress of Amir Johnson:
One little small fact about him is he was the last high school player drafted straight to the NBA. He was in that draft, he was the 56th pick and he was the last player in high school drafted. In high school he put up numbers, but his first two years here with us he played in the NBDL, and put up the same type of numbers. So we seen him do that at practice, we seen him do that in the NBDL, and now we’re seeing him do it on the court and so internally here, none of us are really surprised because we see it every day from him in practice. We’ve seen it the last two years, and I think what happened was this kid got hurt really bad early in the season, maybe preseason. Somewhere in there he had a terrible ankle sprain. It was during training camp and it took him a month and a half just to get back to being full speed and all and so that’s what really slowed him up this year. In training camp and in the preseason he was going really well before he got hurt.
On the chances of making a move before the trade deadline:
Here’s the thing about making a move: Sometimes moves are made and it’s not you initiating them. And so right now, I don’t see a huge move out there that we’re going to initiate. If I’m on the phone for the next week here — as I will be — and something comes up and I look at it and say, ‘Wow, this is a deal I can’t pass up,’ then of course I’d definitely look at doing it. But as I sit here today, I can’t tell you of some big deal that we’re trying to pull off because we’re not. Other teams make deals, but that can’t dictate the course and the direction and the vision of your own franchise. You can’t allow that to happen unless you don’t like your team. Unless you don’t really like where you are and you feel like, ‘Well, I don’t like my team I have to make some changes.'
JOE DUMARS PART TWO: Pistons president endorses Barack Obama
February 16, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Joe Dumars interviewed with ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Here is a portion of the interview.
On this year’s trades reminding him of the Rasheed Wallace trade in 2004:
They remind me, especially the Lakers deal, because they didn’t give up any significant pieces as we did with Rasheed. So it reminds me of that. The Phoenix deal, obviously they gave up Shawn Marion, who is a very good player and so that’s a little different, but it definitely reminds me of that. I personally sit here, and whether the trades work out or not, I commend the teams for going for it. It’s so easy to stand pat and sit back and not do anything. Like I told people, when we were in the same position as Phoenix and the Lakers were in, we pulled the trigger and said, ‘Listen, we’re going to go for it and we’re going to trade all these pieces away and they want core pieces and we’re going to get a big time player back and I know it’s a roll of the dice.’ But I feel like that’s the only way you can win. That’s the only way you can do it, you have to put yourself out there. So I commend the teams for doing it.
On the reluctance of teams to make a bold move:
There’s always going to be reluctance on a team’s part at times to make these big deals. It’s not easy to sit there and pull the trigger on these big deals and I don’t advocate that everybody should go out and pull the trigger on big deals. I’ll tell you what does make people reluctant. What makes people reluctant is when you do these big deals, most of the time you have to give up a big-time player. It’s rare that you do the deals that the Lakers did for Pau (Gasol) and we did for Rasheed. In all honesty, it’s easier to make those deals, because you’re not giving up as much. All you’re saying is, I hope the chemistry works. You have to commend (Suns GM) Steve Kerr because he gave up a big time player, and that’s a whole lot different than giving up some pieces that are not a part of your core. So I commend teams who do that, but when you ask about the reluctance is when you have to give up such a big-time player or someone who has been as good as, let’s say a Shawn Marion has been, for Phoenix. That’s the reluctance, man.
On the importance of avoiding the luxury tax:
I think it’s huge. I think there are 20-some teams that are either at the luxury tax, over, or right there. So that’s real, man. That’s reality in the world of the NBA now when you talk about making deals. It’s not easy to say, ‘Oh, we’ll just take on $500-$600,000,’ if it’s going to put you over the luxury tax. And here’s a fundamental question that comes up a lot of the times: Who is going to put you over the luxury tax? When I say that, I mean if you’re talking about trading for Gasol, if you’re talking about trading for Shaquille or even Jason Kidd. An owner or GM can look and say, ‘We’re getting that guy and it’s worth it to go over the luxury tax because we’re getting a star player.’ But when you’re talking about making these small deals, and it’s a minimum guy or close to a minimum guy, and it’s going to put you over the luxury tax, that’s tough to sell to an owner. You have to understand that from an owner’s standpoint. You’re not talking about bringing in a star that’s going to put you over the luxury tax, you’re talking about bringing in maybe a minimum guy and that’s tough for owners and a lot of GM’s to justify.
On whom he endorses in the Democratic primary:
I’m a big Clinton fan, man. Barack (Obama) seems to be knighting people though, and I think that’s why you see so much of a groundswell behind him. Because at least he’s speaking of something different than the status quo business as usual. I think people are hungry for that and I think that’s why people have so much momentum behind him. So I’m sticking behind the guy that’s not the status quo, because you and I talk about that a lot in sports. Let’s get away from the status quo and so since Barack is doing it, I’m going to go with the man that’s not staying with the status quo. I’m gonna go with Barack.
JOE DUMARS PART ONE: 'Right now I don't see a big move' at trade deadline
February 16, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Joe Dumars interviewed with ESPN.com's Chad Ford on Thursday. Here is a portion of the interview:
On the Pistons' chances in the East:
We feel as good as we could possibly feel right now. We’re playing well and there’s some scenarios that are going on right now here with us that makes me feel better this year than I have last year or the year before, and that is two things. One, we’re right under the radar because Boston is doing so well, and I like that. I like the fact that we're not out with the best record in the league ahead of everybody. I love the fact that Boston is playing well. It’s great, it’s great for the Eastern Conference and it’s great for us. The second thing that’s going on is we’re not playing our starters 40 minutes a game to have this record and to have this streak. Those two things for me make this run especially good because if we were out front and chasing the best record in the league or if we were playing our starters 40 minutes to have this record, I wouldn’t be as pleased.
On the Pistons' bench:
Well, you know, the only way you can get ready for the playoffs is you gotta play them now. And so, you have to be seeing how well they do or don’t do in the playoffs, but one thing I do know for sure is there’s no chance of them having any success in the playoffs if you don’t play them now.
On the progress of Amir Johnson:
One little small fact about him is he was the last high school player drafted straight to the NBA. He was in that draft, he was the 56th pick and he was the last player in high school drafted. In high school he put up numbers, but his first two years here with us he played in the NBDL, and put up the same type of numbers. So we seen him do that at practice, we seen him do that in the NBDL, and now we’re seeing him do it on the court and so internally here, none of us are really surprised because we see it every day from him in practice. We’ve seen it the last two years, and I think what happened was this kid got hurt really bad early in the season, maybe preseason. Somewhere in there he had a terrible ankle sprain. It was during training camp and it took him a month and a half just to get back to being full speed and all and so that’s what really slowed him up this year. In training camp and in the preseason he was going really well before he got hurt.
On the chances of making a move before the trade deadline:
Here’s the thing about making a move: Sometimes moves are made and it’s not you initiating them. And so right now, I don’t see a huge move out there that we’re going to initiate. If I’m on the phone for the next week here — as I will be — and something comes up and I look at it and say, ‘Wow, this is a deal I can’t pass up,’ then of course I’d definitely look at doing it. But as I sit here today, I can’t tell you of some big deal that we’re trying to pull off because we’re not. Other teams make deals, but that can’t dictate the course and the direction and the vision of your own franchise. You can’t allow that to happen unless you don’t like your team. Unless you don’t really like where you are and you feel like, ‘Well, I don’t like my team I have to make some changes.'
JOE DUMARS PART TWO: Pistons president endorses Barack Obama
February 16, 2008
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Joe Dumars interviewed with ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Here is a portion of the interview.
On this year’s trades reminding him of the Rasheed Wallace trade in 2004:
They remind me, especially the Lakers deal, because they didn’t give up any significant pieces as we did with Rasheed. So it reminds me of that. The Phoenix deal, obviously they gave up Shawn Marion, who is a very good player and so that’s a little different, but it definitely reminds me of that. I personally sit here, and whether the trades work out or not, I commend the teams for going for it. It’s so easy to stand pat and sit back and not do anything. Like I told people, when we were in the same position as Phoenix and the Lakers were in, we pulled the trigger and said, ‘Listen, we’re going to go for it and we’re going to trade all these pieces away and they want core pieces and we’re going to get a big time player back and I know it’s a roll of the dice.’ But I feel like that’s the only way you can win. That’s the only way you can do it, you have to put yourself out there. So I commend the teams for doing it.
On the reluctance of teams to make a bold move:
There’s always going to be reluctance on a team’s part at times to make these big deals. It’s not easy to sit there and pull the trigger on these big deals and I don’t advocate that everybody should go out and pull the trigger on big deals. I’ll tell you what does make people reluctant. What makes people reluctant is when you do these big deals, most of the time you have to give up a big-time player. It’s rare that you do the deals that the Lakers did for Pau (Gasol) and we did for Rasheed. In all honesty, it’s easier to make those deals, because you’re not giving up as much. All you’re saying is, I hope the chemistry works. You have to commend (Suns GM) Steve Kerr because he gave up a big time player, and that’s a whole lot different than giving up some pieces that are not a part of your core. So I commend teams who do that, but when you ask about the reluctance is when you have to give up such a big-time player or someone who has been as good as, let’s say a Shawn Marion has been, for Phoenix. That’s the reluctance, man.
On the importance of avoiding the luxury tax:
I think it’s huge. I think there are 20-some teams that are either at the luxury tax, over, or right there. So that’s real, man. That’s reality in the world of the NBA now when you talk about making deals. It’s not easy to say, ‘Oh, we’ll just take on $500-$600,000,’ if it’s going to put you over the luxury tax. And here’s a fundamental question that comes up a lot of the times: Who is going to put you over the luxury tax? When I say that, I mean if you’re talking about trading for Gasol, if you’re talking about trading for Shaquille or even Jason Kidd. An owner or GM can look and say, ‘We’re getting that guy and it’s worth it to go over the luxury tax because we’re getting a star player.’ But when you’re talking about making these small deals, and it’s a minimum guy or close to a minimum guy, and it’s going to put you over the luxury tax, that’s tough to sell to an owner. You have to understand that from an owner’s standpoint. You’re not talking about bringing in a star that’s going to put you over the luxury tax, you’re talking about bringing in maybe a minimum guy and that’s tough for owners and a lot of GM’s to justify.
On whom he endorses in the Democratic primary:
I’m a big Clinton fan, man. Barack (Obama) seems to be knighting people though, and I think that’s why you see so much of a groundswell behind him. Because at least he’s speaking of something different than the status quo business as usual. I think people are hungry for that and I think that’s why people have so much momentum behind him. So I’m sticking behind the guy that’s not the status quo, because you and I talk about that a lot in sports. Let’s get away from the status quo and so since Barack is doing it, I’m going to go with the man that’s not staying with the status quo. I’m gonna go with Barack.