Atlanta Hawks should steer clear of Joe Dumars
Potential Candidates
When looking at the Hawks, beyond Dennis Schroder and Taurean Prince, who is to say any of these players will be back? There’s an important decision to be made on Paul Millsap, who will be a free agent after opting out of the final year of his contract. It’s anyone’s guess what the Hawks will look like next season, since they have elected to drastically change their front office.
Going forward, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that David Griffin of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Joe Dumars formerly of the Detroit Pistons head the list of potential candidates for General Manager.
It’s pure speculation at this point, especially since Griffin can’t even be contacted until the Cavaliers’ season comes to a close and his contract expires, but I would much prefer him as opposed to Dumars.
There must be some substance to the rumors, however, because Dumars hasn’t had a occupation in the league since his exit from the Pistons back in 2014, and for his name to surface means he is exploring opportunities. Also, he has ties to Hawks minority owner Grant Hill, who actually played with Dumars for the Pistons before Joe retired in 2000.
Unfortunately, Dumars track record during all those years as a General Manager in Detroit doesn’t lend a single vote of confidence to Hawk fans. It shouldn’t anyway.
He, of course, earned a lot of merit and credibility early on by discovering guys like Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince, which led to the Pistons’ Championship in 2004. Those players were castaways from a number of teams. It’s possible that without Dumars that core of players may not have ever made their way in the league.
He also struck gold with free agent acquisition Chauncey Billups. Selected third overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Billups struggled with adjusting to the NBA. He grinded through several unproductive and uneventful years with multiple teams, before finding a home in Detroit.
In 2002, Dumars signed Billups to a six-year, $35 million contract. At the time, many rival executives long ago concluded Billups to be a draft bust. He went on to be a five-time All-Star and NBA Finals MVP. It’s really an inspiring story.