Okay, so things are not going well for the Detroit Pistons right now. Yes, it was ridiculous how the Minnesota Timberwolves blew them out at home-it was even pathetic. They are 4-5 since trading for Allen Iverson, after starting the season 4-0.
However, before Pistons' fans start getting pissed off at Joe Dumars and thinking the Pistons' chances of winning a championship are dead without Chauncey Billups, remember that we're still very early in the season.
Also, fans must understand that when a team acquires a superstar player, it can take a while for the team to adjust and reach its full potential. Plus, Iverson's a point guard for cryin' out loud! He plays the most difficult position in the league, plus the Detroit Pistons are a much diferent team from the Denver Nuggets. These early struggles are natural, especially when you look at how accustomed Detroit was to Chauncey Billups. It's a big adjustment on both sides.
We're still less than a month into the season. It's much too early to judge the Iverson trade. It's also unfair, even though the Nuggets' success with Billups is somewhat scary. I think that, as the season goes on, we will see the Pistons come together as a team. Iverson will adjust to Detroit's system, and his teammates will adjust to playing with him instead of Chauncey Billups. Will they get further in the playoffs than they did last season? Perhaps not, but I would be surprised if, at the end of the season, we will have reason to blame Iverson for not taking Detroit to the NBA Finals.
Things are also about to get better for Detroit, once they re-sign Antonio Mcdyess. At the end of the season, we'll see who the trade worked better for. Denver has only been better thus far. In November, no one is a shoe-in for the playoffs. Let's see where these teams are at six months from now. If anyone thinks Joe Dumars should be fired as Detroit's GM, write about it then.
Keywords: Detroit Pistons; Allen Iverson
