Glenn
07-19-2006, 07:52 AM
http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/fullcourtpress/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_fcpress/archives/2006_07.html#162603
Davidson WDFN notes: Pistons had peaked with Ben
Pistons owner Bill Davidson tells WDFN http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/fullcourtpress/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/audio02.html that the Pistons starters had become bored playing with each other because they had peaked as a unit. With new players they can reenergize, and Ben Wallace moving to Chicago was a win-win situation.
All notes are paraphrased.
Q: Can you talk about the way the whole Ben Wallace thing ended for you? Was it disappointing?
A: No, it wasn't disappointing. What you saw with Ben was like the bell curve. Ben had a peak and these five players played together longer than any five players ever had, but there are pluses and minuses to that. I think they all got a little bit bored with each other. So we were kind of on the downside of that curve with Ben and we needed to shake things up. I think we're going to see a new spirit with the other four guys. It's not that there was anything wrong with Ben, it's just that the team got too used to each other.
Q: Do you think something internally snapped, maybe after the Cleveland series?
A: I think the team just started to wear on each other. Familiarity with each other and with the same plays left them without a challenge like there had been in years past.
Q: When you put so much into a guy over the years and he comes to represent the team, is there any sense of disloyalty with him leaving the team?
A: No absolutely not. We're really pleased that Ben got the kind of contract that he did. He's happy, his wife is happy and we're happy. The situation really was win-win even though it may not appear that way.
Q: Do you think it was really just about the money?
A: No, I don't think it was just about the money, but I think it was the major factor.
Q: Joe says expectations in this organization do not change; you still intend on competing for the championship. I imagine that starts form you on down?
A: Absolutely. Joe is able to put together the right people at hopefully the right time. What you saw in the press conference today was pretty honest. These are players that fit our four All-Stars and will make a difference. They're also the type of players that will begin to allow Flip Saunders to put his imprint on the team.
Q: For the last three years this team has expected to compete for the championship. Would you say the same thing about your team this year?
A: Absolutely. I think we are in better position, than we were last year.
Q: Why do you say that?
A: The bell curve with Ben and the overall boredom. It was subtle, but it was there.
Q: Does that surprise you when you say boredom? This team had a chance to win a championship, certainly there's nothing boring about winning championships right?
A: Absolutely not, but sometimes the situation just splits at the wrong time and that's what happened. We got off to a fantastic start and it just happened to hit at the wrong time during the playoffs.
Q: There is a perception that no Piston player will ever be offered a max contract. Is that just a false perception?
A: That is absolutely a false perception. If we are getting value, we are more than happy to pay a player. But how many players do we think qualify for that in the league? Not many.
Q: On you current roster how many might qualify?
A: I wouldn't like to answer that.
Q: Does what happened in New York between Larry and Isiah surprise you at all?
A: Absolutely not. I haven't talked to Larry yet, but I've talked to Isiah relatively consistently, about once or twice a month, and it was pretty clear what was going to happen.
Q: Did Isiah express his frustration about what was going on there?
A: He was happy to have Larry in front of him, but now he has to be the number one guy taking the flack.
Dumars WDFN notes: Being a GM isn't like fantasy basketball
Joe Dumars tells WDFN Detroit http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/fullcourtpress/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/audio03.html that he's amused by fans who think he should just try to trade for certain players like Kevin Garnett without any regard for the financial implications.
All notes are paraphrased.
Q: Do you honestly believe losing Ben Wallace was just about the money or were there other factors involved?
A: If there were factors it was for him not for us. We put an offer out there that "I don't think anybody can sneeze at and say it wasn't fair." It was important for this organization to offer to make him the highest paid player here. It wasn't enough to keep him here and if there are other reasons Ben left I'm sure he explained those reasons. But yeah, it was nothing on our part. We stepped up and did what we needed to do.
Q: Are you surprised that the face of the franchise left for money after the persona that was created around him?
A: Well I've been involved in pro sports for 21 years so I'd be lying if I said I was surprised. I've been in so many negotiations where perception and reality are two different things. Ben decided to take the big dollars and head to Chicago and I read some statements where people felt it was time for a change. When I talked to Ben, we had a very honest and open conversation. He said he needed a new challenge. I thanked him for what he's done here for the last six years and told him we couldn't have gotten here without him. I wished him well in Chicago and told him I was proud of him.
Q: Now that Ben is gone, do you ever think back and wish you had handled things differently? When he refused to reenter the Orlando game and you handled it in-house with no suspension. The same thing when he kind of threw Flip under the bus during the playoffs. Would you handle things different in the future or are you going to stay the same?
A: We will stay the same. We've been extremely successful doing it this way. With those two incidents you mentioned with Ben, I pulled him aside and he and I had a short conversation about how you handle things. He understood and I'm very comfortable with the way I handle these guys. I have to live with these guys every day and it's not just how you discipline them, but what kind of relationship you have with them.
Q: You've talked about keeping the core together and guys like Memo and Darko were kind of let go to free up money for Ben. In retrospect was it a bad move getting no help back for Darko at last year's trading deadline?
A: It was only a wrong move if I had come out and told you that was the reason we traded Darko. The media jumped out and said it was about money. I'll say now what I said then, it doesn't fit here for Darko anymore. It's not happening here for him on the court. He needed a new start and there were too many obstacles and negative history here for him to overcome. The money aspect of it was completely secondary and to make it the primary focus now is disingenuous.
Q: So there was nothing available that could have helped you more in the playoffs instead of Cato and the number one pick?
A: If there was we would have made the move. There was no deal for a player that would have put us over the hump.
Q: Joe, you made an interesting comment at the press conference today saying you don't run this team like a fantasy basketball team. Is it frustrating that fans think you can just go out and acquire Kevin Garnett?
A: It's not as much frustrating as it is amusing. If you watch a team build for five or six years you should realize that this is not like fantasy. You just don't pick out guys for what there stats were with no regards for his salary, the luxury tax or the salary cap or any other financial implications. You cannot run a team like that. You have to be cognizant about having flexibility to continue to become better. I hear you talking about how the Tigers should go get this guy or that guy. I don't know how easy it is to do that in baseball, but I wish basketball was like that.
Q: Speaking of the luxury tax, there's a perception that the Pistons will not pay luxury tax. Is that false?
A: Well, we paid it the year we won the championship. If paying the luxury tax would assure us the title, we would do it. You should see the checks that teams like New York and Dallas are writing and they have no championship to show for it. We have been one of the most efficient teams over the last five years and now everyone thinks we should just pay the luxury tax and we'll be just fine. It doesn't work like that. You can't run a business like that. Once you get in that luxury tax range you make it nearly impossible to make deals. That's New York's problem.
Q: We spoke to Flip last week and he seemed almost liberated with Ben leaving. Is it a fair statement to say this team will be better offensively while remaining tough defensively?
A: I expect us to be tough defensively. But let me say this first and foremost: There are going to be some nights when I look out on that court and say "God we miss that guy tonight." It's inevitable, that's just the way it is. But there will be other nights where we'll be clicking and it will be great.
I don't want to say anything to disparage what Ben did for us for the last six years. We are not having this conversation if he didn't do these things the last six years. So all I can do is praise him for what he brought to the table for those six seasons.
Q: These two players you've brought in, Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray, have both played for winning basketball teams. Is part of your strategy to pluck guys up that have gone deep into the playoffs?
A: If you think back to the postseason press conference, I said the important thing was to expand the core. We needed to get guys that could hit the floor and play. We don't need to worry if they can play at this level, because both of these guys already have done it before.
Q: There is speculation that you acquired Roland Dupree in case you have to move Carlos Delfino in a trade; perhaps a sign-and-trade deal with Al Harrington. Is there any truth to that speculation?
A: No. First of all, Al Harrington is looking for $10 million a year and Delfino makes no where near that, so a sign-and-trade doesn't really work. We got Dupree because we needed depth after losing a guy like Mo Evans. We felt comfortable bringing in Dupree to fill that hole because he doesn't need to make a big transition to learn the system.
Q: Is Flip going to give Carlos Delfino a bigger chance this season?
A: I think he did well with his minutes down the stretch. Yeah, we've had that conversation and we intend for him to play this year. He's a guy that deserves to get some time. He's a 24-year-old guy that brings something to the table that we didn't have last season. He's a good open-court player, a good finisher around the basket and I like him a lot.
Q: What impressed you most about the young guys in Vegas?
A: They were focused. They showed up everyday and they were dead serious. They came out to prove they deserved to be apart of the rotation we've been talking about. Acker was very good and scored very well, Maxiell was a monster out there for the most part and Amir did an excellent job. We were very happy with him. Plus out two draft picks, Samb and Blalock played well.
Davidson WDFN notes: Pistons had peaked with Ben
Pistons owner Bill Davidson tells WDFN http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/fullcourtpress/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/audio02.html that the Pistons starters had become bored playing with each other because they had peaked as a unit. With new players they can reenergize, and Ben Wallace moving to Chicago was a win-win situation.
All notes are paraphrased.
Q: Can you talk about the way the whole Ben Wallace thing ended for you? Was it disappointing?
A: No, it wasn't disappointing. What you saw with Ben was like the bell curve. Ben had a peak and these five players played together longer than any five players ever had, but there are pluses and minuses to that. I think they all got a little bit bored with each other. So we were kind of on the downside of that curve with Ben and we needed to shake things up. I think we're going to see a new spirit with the other four guys. It's not that there was anything wrong with Ben, it's just that the team got too used to each other.
Q: Do you think something internally snapped, maybe after the Cleveland series?
A: I think the team just started to wear on each other. Familiarity with each other and with the same plays left them without a challenge like there had been in years past.
Q: When you put so much into a guy over the years and he comes to represent the team, is there any sense of disloyalty with him leaving the team?
A: No absolutely not. We're really pleased that Ben got the kind of contract that he did. He's happy, his wife is happy and we're happy. The situation really was win-win even though it may not appear that way.
Q: Do you think it was really just about the money?
A: No, I don't think it was just about the money, but I think it was the major factor.
Q: Joe says expectations in this organization do not change; you still intend on competing for the championship. I imagine that starts form you on down?
A: Absolutely. Joe is able to put together the right people at hopefully the right time. What you saw in the press conference today was pretty honest. These are players that fit our four All-Stars and will make a difference. They're also the type of players that will begin to allow Flip Saunders to put his imprint on the team.
Q: For the last three years this team has expected to compete for the championship. Would you say the same thing about your team this year?
A: Absolutely. I think we are in better position, than we were last year.
Q: Why do you say that?
A: The bell curve with Ben and the overall boredom. It was subtle, but it was there.
Q: Does that surprise you when you say boredom? This team had a chance to win a championship, certainly there's nothing boring about winning championships right?
A: Absolutely not, but sometimes the situation just splits at the wrong time and that's what happened. We got off to a fantastic start and it just happened to hit at the wrong time during the playoffs.
Q: There is a perception that no Piston player will ever be offered a max contract. Is that just a false perception?
A: That is absolutely a false perception. If we are getting value, we are more than happy to pay a player. But how many players do we think qualify for that in the league? Not many.
Q: On you current roster how many might qualify?
A: I wouldn't like to answer that.
Q: Does what happened in New York between Larry and Isiah surprise you at all?
A: Absolutely not. I haven't talked to Larry yet, but I've talked to Isiah relatively consistently, about once or twice a month, and it was pretty clear what was going to happen.
Q: Did Isiah express his frustration about what was going on there?
A: He was happy to have Larry in front of him, but now he has to be the number one guy taking the flack.
Dumars WDFN notes: Being a GM isn't like fantasy basketball
Joe Dumars tells WDFN Detroit http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/fullcourtpress/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/index.ssf?/pistons/audio/audio03.html that he's amused by fans who think he should just try to trade for certain players like Kevin Garnett without any regard for the financial implications.
All notes are paraphrased.
Q: Do you honestly believe losing Ben Wallace was just about the money or were there other factors involved?
A: If there were factors it was for him not for us. We put an offer out there that "I don't think anybody can sneeze at and say it wasn't fair." It was important for this organization to offer to make him the highest paid player here. It wasn't enough to keep him here and if there are other reasons Ben left I'm sure he explained those reasons. But yeah, it was nothing on our part. We stepped up and did what we needed to do.
Q: Are you surprised that the face of the franchise left for money after the persona that was created around him?
A: Well I've been involved in pro sports for 21 years so I'd be lying if I said I was surprised. I've been in so many negotiations where perception and reality are two different things. Ben decided to take the big dollars and head to Chicago and I read some statements where people felt it was time for a change. When I talked to Ben, we had a very honest and open conversation. He said he needed a new challenge. I thanked him for what he's done here for the last six years and told him we couldn't have gotten here without him. I wished him well in Chicago and told him I was proud of him.
Q: Now that Ben is gone, do you ever think back and wish you had handled things differently? When he refused to reenter the Orlando game and you handled it in-house with no suspension. The same thing when he kind of threw Flip under the bus during the playoffs. Would you handle things different in the future or are you going to stay the same?
A: We will stay the same. We've been extremely successful doing it this way. With those two incidents you mentioned with Ben, I pulled him aside and he and I had a short conversation about how you handle things. He understood and I'm very comfortable with the way I handle these guys. I have to live with these guys every day and it's not just how you discipline them, but what kind of relationship you have with them.
Q: You've talked about keeping the core together and guys like Memo and Darko were kind of let go to free up money for Ben. In retrospect was it a bad move getting no help back for Darko at last year's trading deadline?
A: It was only a wrong move if I had come out and told you that was the reason we traded Darko. The media jumped out and said it was about money. I'll say now what I said then, it doesn't fit here for Darko anymore. It's not happening here for him on the court. He needed a new start and there were too many obstacles and negative history here for him to overcome. The money aspect of it was completely secondary and to make it the primary focus now is disingenuous.
Q: So there was nothing available that could have helped you more in the playoffs instead of Cato and the number one pick?
A: If there was we would have made the move. There was no deal for a player that would have put us over the hump.
Q: Joe, you made an interesting comment at the press conference today saying you don't run this team like a fantasy basketball team. Is it frustrating that fans think you can just go out and acquire Kevin Garnett?
A: It's not as much frustrating as it is amusing. If you watch a team build for five or six years you should realize that this is not like fantasy. You just don't pick out guys for what there stats were with no regards for his salary, the luxury tax or the salary cap or any other financial implications. You cannot run a team like that. You have to be cognizant about having flexibility to continue to become better. I hear you talking about how the Tigers should go get this guy or that guy. I don't know how easy it is to do that in baseball, but I wish basketball was like that.
Q: Speaking of the luxury tax, there's a perception that the Pistons will not pay luxury tax. Is that false?
A: Well, we paid it the year we won the championship. If paying the luxury tax would assure us the title, we would do it. You should see the checks that teams like New York and Dallas are writing and they have no championship to show for it. We have been one of the most efficient teams over the last five years and now everyone thinks we should just pay the luxury tax and we'll be just fine. It doesn't work like that. You can't run a business like that. Once you get in that luxury tax range you make it nearly impossible to make deals. That's New York's problem.
Q: We spoke to Flip last week and he seemed almost liberated with Ben leaving. Is it a fair statement to say this team will be better offensively while remaining tough defensively?
A: I expect us to be tough defensively. But let me say this first and foremost: There are going to be some nights when I look out on that court and say "God we miss that guy tonight." It's inevitable, that's just the way it is. But there will be other nights where we'll be clicking and it will be great.
I don't want to say anything to disparage what Ben did for us for the last six years. We are not having this conversation if he didn't do these things the last six years. So all I can do is praise him for what he brought to the table for those six seasons.
Q: These two players you've brought in, Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray, have both played for winning basketball teams. Is part of your strategy to pluck guys up that have gone deep into the playoffs?
A: If you think back to the postseason press conference, I said the important thing was to expand the core. We needed to get guys that could hit the floor and play. We don't need to worry if they can play at this level, because both of these guys already have done it before.
Q: There is speculation that you acquired Roland Dupree in case you have to move Carlos Delfino in a trade; perhaps a sign-and-trade deal with Al Harrington. Is there any truth to that speculation?
A: No. First of all, Al Harrington is looking for $10 million a year and Delfino makes no where near that, so a sign-and-trade doesn't really work. We got Dupree because we needed depth after losing a guy like Mo Evans. We felt comfortable bringing in Dupree to fill that hole because he doesn't need to make a big transition to learn the system.
Q: Is Flip going to give Carlos Delfino a bigger chance this season?
A: I think he did well with his minutes down the stretch. Yeah, we've had that conversation and we intend for him to play this year. He's a guy that deserves to get some time. He's a 24-year-old guy that brings something to the table that we didn't have last season. He's a good open-court player, a good finisher around the basket and I like him a lot.
Q: What impressed you most about the young guys in Vegas?
A: They were focused. They showed up everyday and they were dead serious. They came out to prove they deserved to be apart of the rotation we've been talking about. Acker was very good and scored very well, Maxiell was a monster out there for the most part and Amir did an excellent job. We were very happy with him. Plus out two draft picks, Samb and Blalock played well.