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John Mapplethorpe over at Detroit4lyfe wrote a solid piece giving his reason why the Pistons will be back sooner than some might think.  The gist of it is that Joe Dumars played through a rough rebuilding phase and won't let it happen again.  I highly recommend you to head over to Detroit4lyfe to read it in its entirety, but for an excerpt you can continue reading this post.

The key difference between the Pistons' current situation and their situation in 1991 is simple: they have a GM at the helm who is both extremely sharp and unbelievably driven, and they are in financial position to rebuild immediately instead of being saddled with a nursing home lineup of decaying talent. You see, there was one guy who didn't jump ship after the Pistons were swept by a clearly superior Chicago team in 1991. Joe Dumars played throughout the entire 1990's with the Pistons, proudly leading by example despite some lean years, and never compromising his class. So it is not surprising to me that it has been the same Joe Dumars that has led the Pistons through an amazing stretch over the last decade as their GM. And he will take them to the top again, and very soon. The Billups trade was unpopular, as Chauncey was a beloved leader in Detroit. He has thrived in his hometown of Denver, while AI was an embarrassment here both at the Palace and at the craps tables at the Motor City Casino. Yet, the Billups trade was a move for the future, as this offseason AI and 'Sheed's contracts come off of the books, and the Pistons could clear more cap space by letting go of McDyess and Rip, and possibly even Tayshaun, whose games are all on a steep decline. The Pistons are in position to sign two or even three big time free agents. Ben Gordon and Chris Bosh are just a couple players who would look really nice with the block Detroit across their chests. The future is bright for the ballers in Detroit blue, because in Joe we trust.

This article can be seen in its entirety on Detroit4lyfe