Tom Gores: Our job isn't to agree with Joe Dumars

I had no idea his name was pronounced “Gor-ez.” Way cooler.

I read the quotes earlier and I had to change my pants like everyone else, but once I got home and started listening…I got a little worried. I’m not trying to piss on the campfire or take a dump in the chocolate fountain, but I really wanted to air some legitimate concerns. These concerns are not about Tom Gores as a person, he seems like a great person an his success at platinum equity needs no explanation. I am worried about the larger idea of merging basketball and business. Even though Tom Gores, and not Platinum equity, owns the Pistons he still spoke about “assets” and “Investment” and never talked about any decisions being made by him self, always “We” and “Us”. Regardless of Platinum equity having a formal role in ownership, he is already seated next to two members of his team with the idea that they will run the organization when he is gone. Both of those guys are based out of Boston. This means that the only ownership member we saw today who could be around to ensure things are going the right way is … wait for it … Karen Davidson?

Is that the way basketball teams should be run? Businesses can be expected to have the culture and values be consistent from a far, but I don’t know if basketball teams are the same. Basketball teams might be more like running a 9 month long summer camp for a bunch of rich millionaires who are too immature to really understand the importance of maintaining values and are constantly faced with emotional stress from winning, losing and injuries. The owner is useful as a mentor and a role model who players must “act right” around, and be the standards bearer for the values that are so important. Without a owner with a real presence, a team could quickly turn into a lord of the flies situation.

As great as Tom Gores is, he won’t be able to be around that much, so who will then check to make sure the team is living up to the standards? Imagine a school where the teachers had no principals office to send kids to, or if they did have to send kids to the principals office, or they have a conference call with the principal, or they wait 2 days for the principal to fly in. Will the kids every act right? You may argue that this kind of stuff is not the owners role, but just last years it was obvious none of the coaches, or Dumars could handle the team.

The owner needs to have a finger on the pulse of the whole organization, and be visible enough to remind people how they should carry themselves in good times and bad. I’m worried that Tom Gores might have trouble being that owner. I’m worried that the team from Platinum Equity will not be at filling in for Gores as a role model or principal. I’m worried that we’ll pass on a deal to bring in Rasheed Wallace because we don’t think we’ll be able to handle him.

…Then he went and said he used to be a Lakers fan and I really freaked out and started writing all this.

Gores supplies the money the team needs to improve, I trust JD to make most of the basketball decisions. And as long as the miles between JD and Gores don’t hamper their communication, I think it should be fine. However, it does seem to me that Gores views the Pistons too much like part of a business including the Palace as an arena instead of a historic and rich basketball team full of rich heritage and emotion. Hopefully, as he grows to know the team and the Pistons community his view will change to put more emphasis on winning no matter the cost. That being said, it is exciting to hear that he want’s to make moves quickly.