From our beloved Keith:

Joe D is going to be watching Rodney Stuckey to see how he emerges from this experience. He appeared to take another stride toward leadership earlier this week with his declaration that he was picking up the offensive pace and it was up to his teammates to match it. If Stuckey is indeed at the center of the next phase in Pistons history, he needs to continue to progress as a player and a leader over the next three months.

Then there’s Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, the major moves Dumars made last summer as the first step in the remaking of the roster. The idea is they’d be Stuckey’s wing men, two young veterans steering the ride for the next five years.

While there is nothing Earth-shattering here, it is interesting to see it phrased so explicitly: Joe Dumars is constructing a team around Rodney Stuckey.

If I'm reading this correctly - please let me know if I'm not - Joe's moves last summer (and presumably whatever moves are made next) are built on the assumption that Rodney Stuckey will become at least as good as a guy like Chauncey, who was arguably the center of the previous phase in Piston history.

We've been back and forth on whether or not that comparison is fair or not, but regardless of the outcome of our conversations, it seems clear that Joe values Stuckey highly enough to invest $90+ million in "sidekicks" around him.

Thoughts?