COMMENTARY| The heat, although temporarily, may be off Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars' back -- at least for the summer. Dumars, heavily ridiculed for his managerial decision-making, or lack thereof, got it right Thursday night during the 2012 NBA Draft: He pulled the trigger and drafted UConn big man Andre Drummond with the No. 9 pick.
Dumars isn't perfect. But who is? He can only attempt to fix his past mistakes. However, he doesn't have to live with them every day. Moving forward is what the Pistons are about these days, according to what Dumars and team owner Tom Gores have said. I believe that. Pistons fans should believe that.
Was there enough scouting done on Drummond, a near 7-footer with a 7-6 wingspan who specializes in blocking shots and living above the rim? Only Dumars knows how much time went into assessing the UConn phenom. And it must have been enough time to spend a first-round pick on him.
Patience. Trust. Dumars is doing what he can to restore the glory of Pistons basketball. One pick won't do that. Obviously, Drummond isn't the fix-all answer to the team's problems. But he's a good start. Existing talent like Greg Monroe will surely benefit from Drummond's big-bodied presence in the paint. Dumars' choice wasn't just for the team, but in a way, a favor to Monroe, who is a true power forward that was forced to play center in 2011.
Monroe can flourish and use his finesse to score. He doesn't have to worry about being the physical guy any longer. He tried; gave a great effort, too. But that's now Drummond's job.
Dumars' decision to take Drummond could be looked at as a relief effort, a way to give Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey options. That's what building a team is about. There are now at least four solid pieces to a starting rotation.
The knock on Drummond is his motor, and Pistons fans wanted to know why Dumars would spend such a valuable pick on a player who says he knows that people think he's lazy. Alarming? Or does Dumars know something the rest of us don't? I have to believe that Dumars felt Drummond's availability was too great of an opportunity to ignore.
Dumars got it right Thursday. The Pistons got it right Thursday. Move forward, let the man do his job and see where the Drummond-Monroe-Knight-Stuckey era takes Detroit basketball.
Adam Biggers has followed the Detroit Pistons for over 20 years, specifically the Detroit Pistons. He can be found on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
