The Detroit Pistons misfired badly this offseason, inking free agent big man Josh Smith to play out of position at small forward while trading for big-name point guard Brandon Jennings to win this year. Despite the moves, Detroit's mired in ninth place in the watered-down Eastern Conference and general manager Joe Dumars is likely on the outs.
Dumars canned head coach Maurice Cheeks early in the season, presumably to light a spark, but their underwhelming performance has persisted. Their big man trio of Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond has failed to work cohesively, despite all excelling when playing separately. Due to Smith's contract, and Drummond's rapid development, its unlikely the Pistons will be able to hold onto Monroe.
Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher wrote of Dumars, "sources do not expect Dumars to stay in the position much longer-either he'll step down or owner Tom Gores will go in a new direction.
"Dumars, one source said, is weary of the criticism he has received in trying to rebuild the Pistons after constructing a franchise that went to the Eastern Conference Finals six years in a row (2003-2008). The criticism, the source said, fails to account for a dismal Detroit economy and restraints placed on Dumars while the franchise was up for sale and ultimately changed ownership hands."
After winning an NBA title in 2004, Dumars has failed miserably with major free agent signings, inking the likes of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon to lengthy and pricy deals, and trading away quality players like Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson.
Even Jennings, averaging 16.7 points and eight rebounds per game, hasn't been a significant upgrade over the younger guard Dumars traded away. Brandon Knight has averaged 16.9 points and five assists per game and shot 42 percent from the field as opposed to Jennings' 37 percent.
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