Latest news with #JoeDumars
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Dumars urges Zion Williamson to stop wasting his potential and leads his team: "It's time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities"
Joe Dumars urges Zion Williamson to stop wasting his potential and leads his team: "It's time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Joe Dumars is having a busy offseason with the New Orleans Pelicans. Beyond signing Kevon Looney and — albeit controversially — guiding the team through the recent NBA Draft, he also held talks with a special Pelicans player, Zion Williamson. Recently, Joe D revealed insights from that talk, with one thing standing out: it's time for Zanos to truly step up as the franchise cornerstone he is — or rather, is meant to be. Untapped potential Dumars is still new to the Pelicans, having taken over as General Manager this April. In contrast, Williamson is already a seasoned veteran. Though it might not feel that way, the dominant 6'6" forward is about to start his seventh season in the league. They have stayed close since day one despite joining the NOLA franchise at completely different times. As Dumars, a Detroit Pistons legend, says, "We are in constant contact with each other." When you have those conversations — especially when bringing the experience of a two-time NBA champion — you quickly get a sense of the person across the table. Joe saw that with Zion and came away impressed, calling the former Duke Blue Devil an incredibly good guy and a really good person. As Dumars noted, Williamson also has uncanny on-court qualities — being immensely talented — but there's a "but" to it all, one that's been discussed at length. As the story goes, Zion's NBA journey has been defined more by what could have been than what is. Conditioning issues have consistently dogged the 2019 top draft pick, fueling a cycle of injuries that kept him off the court for more than half of New Orleans' games across his first five seasons. Yet, when Williamson, a two-time All-Star, stayed healthy, he was a force unlike many before him, blending raw power with rare efficiency that at times bordered on straight talk to Williamson For Joe D, the architect of Detroit's 2004 championship team, one thing is certain: the Pelicans can only succeed when Zion moves beyond potential and consistently leads the team. That's the kind of message the GM says he's communicated to the star player. "I've talked to him about the responsibility of being great and the responsibility of being a leader, of being a captain, of being the best player, of being the face of a franchise," said Dumars. "I've talked to him about how all of those things come with responsibility and how it's time now, at 25 years old, to embrace those responsibilities. That's what our conversations have been. It's really just been about embracing your greatness on and off the court." The former NBA point guard described their talks as honest and direct, never sugarcoated. "I wasn't mincing words,+." Dumars, a Louisiana native, explained that his approach comes from genuine care and a desire to help Williamson mature into a true professional. "He also knows it comes from a place of caring about him, helping him grow into being a real, true pro," explained the 62-year-old. As the Pelicans' new GM, it's definitely Joe's responsibility to have these candid talks. This is especially important given how much of Zion's talent has gone untapped since joining the franchise. Ultimately, New Orleans fans are eager to soak in the full Zion experience. That means the North Carolina native must step up, and following Dumars' advice seems like a great starting point. Still, the sense of urgency for Williamson to do so seems to grow by the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Joe Dumars' first offseason with Pelicans affects their long-term financial picture
It's been an active summer for the New Orleans Pelicans, and there's been a wide variety of opinions over some of the bold moves Joe Dumars has made in his first offseason as the team's lead executive. There could be a few more minor moves in the coming weeks, but for the most part, the Pelicans are done building a roster that will have big expectations going into the 2025-26 season. Advertisement With the heavy restrictions introduced in the latest CBA, roster-building is more complicated than ever. Teams hoping to strike a balance between winning now and building for the future are facing great difficulties, especially if their star players aren't quite ready to compete at the highest levels. The Pelicans seem to be one of those teams stuck in the middle: They have enough young talent to have a bright future, but not enough high-end difference-makers to ensure postseason success. To evaluate some of the recent decisions New Orleans has made and how it may affect the team's financial future, I turned to The Athletic's salary cap expert Danny Leroux to get his thoughts on the Pelicans' future and what the next steps may be for them as they attempt to straddle the line between up-and-comer and playoff contender. Guillory: Thanks for taking the time to do this, Danny. Your expertise is always appreciated. Taking a big-picture look at the Pels' current cap situation, what jumps out to you? Leroux: How close they are to the luxury tax both this year and next. There is nothing inherently wrong with an expensive roster but it means the Pelicans will have to bank on decent health and internal improvement to get better. As things stand, the Pelicans have little room under the tax threshold for this season to sign additional players or to make an imbalanced trade. It appears that their roster is close to set. However, things inevitably happen over the course of an 82-game season that necessitate adjustment. Joe Dumars will not have every avenue available if the Pelicans cannot take on additional salary between now and the end of the season. It is a similar story for 2026-27 because after trading CJ McCollum for Jordan Poole, the Pelicans are pretty close to the projected tax line, not helped by the official league projection having a seven percent increase rather than the 10 percent many of us expected. Even without a 2026 first-round pick and potentially declining their $8 million team option on Kevon Looney, my current projections do not have them with enough space under the tax to use the full $15 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. Of course, things can and likely will change over the next 11 months. Still, that is jarring. Advertisement Guillory: The Pels' biggest recent move was locking down their best defender, Herb Jones, to a three-year, $68 million extension, which includes a player option for the 2029-30 season. Jones, the team's best defender, was one of the many Pelicans who suffered major injuries last year. He's still working his way back from shoulder surgery in February, though the hope is he'll be ready for the start of training camp. His shoulder bothered him almost all year, eventually resulting in a move to repair his torn rotator cuff. Compared to some of the other top perimeter defenders in the league, where do you think this contract stacks up? Do you think his shoulder issues played a role in both sides landing on this deal? Were you surprised to see him sign an extension rather than chasing a bigger deal in unrestricted free agency? Leroux: Assuming reasonable health, Jones's extension should look very good in time. Using the current projections, his salary on the extension should account for about 12 percent of the salary cap in those seasons. For reference, a player making about $17 million last year represented 12 percent of the cap, roughly what Rui Hachimura and Kevin Huerter made in 2024-25. Considering Jones's defensive ability and the scarcity of wings in the NBA, his contract should age well as it carries him to his age-30 season. I absolutely think Jones' shoulder issue and availability played a factor in his decision to extend. While it surprised me because Jones could not have hit free agency until 2027 even before this, it was a reasonable decision for him to make as well because this transferred a ton of risk from him to the Pelicans. A lot can happen in two seasons and it would be fair for Jones to see the marginal difference between $68 million and, let's say, $80 million or so as not as impactful for his life as the downside risk if things go poorly. Advertisement One of the most fascinating dynamics as the NBA moves into an even more lucrative state is that players such as Jones will have a choice of whether to maximize their career earnings or be satisfied with life-changing money on an earlier commitment. The middle class of the league will always be more subject to injury luck, the team-by-team financial landscape and other variables than stars. I expect to see more extensions like this one, particularly when the maximum-allowable constraints leave less room for either side to push in negotiations. Guillory: I think the Jones dynamic on this team and how much his contract gives them additional flexibility in the future will be fascinating. I believe the same is true for Trey Murphy, who is set to make $25 million this season as the first year of his four-year, $112 million extension begins. Murphy averaged a career-high 21.2 points last season and his role should increase even more now that the Pelicans have moved on from Brandon Ingram and McCollum. Murphy's development might be the most important thing in New Orleans outside of Zion Williamson's health because of what he means to this team in the present and the future. Murphy has shown All-Star potential, and if there's a world where New Orleans decides to move on from Williamson, having Murphy around will be a pretty good starting point for a rebuild. Not to mention, Williamson and Murphy are an excellent fit on the court when both of them are healthy and playing well. Even though there are a lot of folks who question if the Pels have what it takes to be a playoff team in the West, I truly believe this is going to be a good team if Williamson, Murphy and Jones are on the floor together. Now that we're one year removed from Murphy signing his new deal, how much value does he and his contract bring to this roster? Do you think we'll end up looking back at his deal and say the Pels got him at a bargain? Leroux: I have been a Murphy fan for a while because guys his size who can reliably shoot are extremely hard to find, particularly if they can bring more to the table as he does. For his career, Murphy has converted 38 percent of threes or 8.2 per 36 minutes, which is great in terms of frequency and success. His on-ball game is not perfect but NBA teams can and should have other players on their roster who can fulfill those responsibilities. For me, the key question for the next few years of Murphy's career is what kind of player he will be defensively. My instinct is that he will end up more in the passable-to-positive range rather than great, but that is more than enough for him to be a valuable player and carry a positive-value contract at those terms. Advertisement Guillory: You mentioned the Poole acquisition. He's technically eligible to sign an extension as of Oct. 1, but I would be surprised if the Pels commit to giving him a new deal this early in the process. The Poole acquisition was a polarizing move around the league because so many people have soured on him as a player who contributes to winning after a rough two-year stint in Washington plus a grim ending in Golden State. We can argue about his fit in New Orleans. I'm more interested in how he'll affect this team's plans financially. How surprised were you to see the Pelicans exchange McCollum's $30 million expiring contract for the two years, $65 million remaining on Poole's contract? Do you think it'll be easier to move Poole's expiring contract a year from now than it would've been to find a different suitor for McCollum's contract in this current climate? Leroux: Poole is a fascinating player who I experienced close-up during his time on the Warriors since I am based in San Francisco. It has become somewhat lost because of everything that happened since, but he was an important part of the Warriors' 2022 championship as a dynamic guard who can play with and without superior offensive players. That best-case scenario is still there, but the fundamental problem for Poole is that he is not quite good enough as a lead guard, too flawed defensively, to be relied upon in a high-level playoff series. With that said, the Pelicans still need players who can both generate and convert opportunities even with a (hopefully) healthy Zion Williamson plus Jeremiah Fears and others on the Pelicans roster. What surprised me most about the trade was what I talked about at the outset: Adding his $34 million for 2026-27 means the Pelicans will be so close to the tax that they cannot use the midlevel exception without shedding salary. It is fair to argue Poole is a better player than they would be able to get for $15 million next summer, but being this tight up against the tax this early without knowing how the 2025-26 season will go is daunting. That the Pelicans may not have a high enough ceiling to worry about Poole's flaws and they need shotmakers with Dejounte Murray out is a fair counter. However, their inconsistency of vision and evaluation is one of the lingering issues I have with their offseason. They are adding win-now players but currently have a flawed group of available guards combined with a center rotation of Yves Missi (who I like), Looney and rookie Derik Queen. Those bigs will be tasked with providing the defensive foundation since Jones cannot do it himself. Poole's $34 million for next season is likely to be a negative-value deal, if not truly immovable. One of the lessons of the last year-plus from a CBA/cap perspective is that lucrative contracts are trickier to move because of the apron restrictions. Even if front offices are interested in Poole at that price, matching salary and agreeing on assets is always a delicate dance. It's not as if the Pelicans would be amped up to use his contract to take on a longer one at similar money unless that player was an upgrade considering what that would mean to their long-term books. I expect Poole to show some growth this season but it is hard to see his flaws disappearing. I would have retained McCollum and seen what I could get at the deadline, then weighing the added flexibility for 2026 created by letting him walk and the offers available in players and assets that likely would have required taking on long-term money.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Only two guys on that team could fight" - Charles Barkley says "Bad Boy" label for Detroit was highly exaggerated
"Only two guys on that team could fight" - Charles Barkley says "Bad Boy" label for Detroit was highly exaggerated originally appeared on Basketball Network. There's a reason Charles Barkley has never been known to hold back, on or off the court. Advertisement Whether throwing elbows in the post or dropping blunt truth on national television, he's always been equal parts entertainer and agitator. And when he pulled the curtain back on the legendary Bad Boy Detroit Pistons of the late '80s and early '90s, it wasn't just for the sake of stirring old rivalries. Barkley, who battled those Pistons teams year after year, offered a perspective that dares to dissect myth from memory. Not so tough Pistons Barkley was one of the most agitated personalities on the court when he played and he didn't deny the physical play of that Detroit side. But he made it clear that not everyone on that roster could actually hold their own in a real confrontation. Advertisement "You know what's really funny about that Piston team, only two guys on that team could fight — Isiah [Thomas] and Joe Dumars," Barkley said. "[Dennis] Rodman couldn't fight, [John] Salley couldn't fight, [Rick] Mahorn couldn't fight, [Bill] Laimbeer couldn't fight." Detroit's back-to-back championship squads from 1989 and 1990 built their reputation on defense and fearlessness. The nickname "Bad Boys" was a cultural identity. They bullied Michael Jordan, bodied Bird and bruised Magic Johnson. But according to Barkley, the ferocity that once defined the Pistons' image was more of a branding exaggeration than a locker room reality. Their roster was made up of players who were perceived as borderline reckless. Yet Barkley's breakdown is more intimate than it is insulting. He played against them when the stakes were highest. He took hits from Mahorn. He wrestled with Laimbeer. He watched Thomas orchestrate chaos while Dumars played both ends with poise. He knows what intensity looks like and, more importantly, what toughness really means. By 1989, the Pistons had fully embraced the villain role. They led the league in personal fouls per game (26.5), set defensive traps that often looked like gang tackles and made no apologies for it. Advertisement Yet Barkley's take challenges the convenient nostalgia that paints every member of that squad as battle-hardened brawlers. The truth, according to him, was a lot more selective. Related: "All those muscles aren't gonna help you tonight" - Kevin McHale recalls when Bird trash-talked young and overly-muscular Anthony Mason Less fighters What Barkley exposed is a truth that physical intimidation isn't synonymous with actual confrontation. One can throw a hard screen and still not be able to swing in a fight. One can foul out a superstar and still avoid throwing punches. That, in Barkley's eyes, is the line between reputation and reality. Advertisement If there was ever a player who personified the Bad Boys' mean streak, it was Laimbeer. A 6-foot-11 center who always seemed a little too comfortable taking hits and delivering them, Laimbeer's name became shorthand for everything dirty about 1980s basketball. He was booed in every arena, hated in every locker room except his own and managed to provoke players into suspensions with a smirk. But Barkley, who had his share of scraps with Laimbeer, paints a different picture. "Go back and look at the highlights," Barkley said. "He was always getting punched in the head. That just means you got punched in the head… it does not mean you started the fight." Advertisement Laimbeer's reputation took more hits than he gave. The numbers reflect it — he led the league in flagrant fouls but rarely got ejected. He baited stars like Robert Parish and Charles Oakley into confrontations, but seldom threw the first blow. His gift wasn't brutality, it was annoyance. He was a master of agitation, more psychological than physical. Laimbeer became the face of aggression because the camera always caught the aftermath, not the setup. It's easy to villainize a man sprawled on the floor after a dust-up, but less obvious to notice the minor shove or sneaky elbow that drew retaliation. Barkley, no stranger to such tactics, knew the difference. He played the same game. He respected Laimbeer's genius, even if he laughed at the tough-guy reputation that came with it. Related: "Because making all this money on these kids and not educating them is a travesty" - When Charles Barkley slammed the NCAA's $11B industry for failing student-athletes This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"The air conditioner they turn on in the winter and the heat on in the summer" - Joe Dumars on why playing Larry Bird's Celtics in the Garden was a nightmare
"The air conditioner they turn on in the winter and the heat on in the summer" - Joe Dumars on why playing Larry Bird's Celtics in the Garden was a nightmare originally appeared on Basketball Network. There are certain places in basketball history that go beyond home-court advantage. They carry an aura, a psychological edge and in some cases, even climate manipulation. Advertisement For Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons of the late '80s, the old Boston Garden was one such place — a sweatbox in the summer, a freezer in the winter and always a battleground. The Bad Boys, for all their grit and physical dominance, never quite got comfortable there. Not quite because of fear, but because everything about that arena, its hostile crowd, wooden floor and unrelenting atmosphere was engineered to throw off visiting teams. The old Garden The rivalry between the Pistons and the Boston Celtics was a headline in the late '80s. But before Detroit could rise, it had to go through Boston, more precisely, through Larry Bird's Celtics in their prime. And that meant braving the treacherous terrain of the Garden, where even the thermostat seemed to be part of Red Auerbach's long-standing psychological warfare. Advertisement "Because the air conditioner they turn on in the winter and the heat on in the summer," Dumars said of the old Garden. It was a reality many teams had to deal with when walking into that building. The 1987 Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Pistons are still remembered for how physically and mentally exhausting it became. Game 5 of that series, the Isiah Thomas turnover game, took place in a sweltering Garden, with indoor temperatures reportedly in the '90s. By the fourth quarter, players were drenched, exhausted and leaning heavily on whatever oxygen they could get. It was no accident. The Pistons, more used to the controlled climate of the Pontiac Silverdome, felt every inch of discomfort. The Celtics' dominance in Boston during the '80s was almost mythological. Between 1985 and 1987, they posted a 102–10 home record in the regular season and a staggering 27–1 playoff record. During the 1985-86 season alone, Boston went 40–1 at home. Advertisement That level of consistency didn't happen by luck or because of just talent. The Garden worked as an amplifier for Bird's brilliance, McHale's footwork, Parish's consistency and the strategic minds of K.C. Jones and Auerbach. The floor itself was infamous, sections of the parquet were reportedly dead spots, which the Celtics knew intimately. Passing lanes became traps. Cuts were anticipated. Boston defenders seemed to know exactly where to channel opposing players and more often than not, it led to either a steal, a forced shot, or an awkward turnover. Related: "Only two guys on that team could fight" - Charles Barkley says "Bad Boy" label for Detroit was highly exaggerated A dominant team The Pistons were built to break spirits — Rick Mahorn, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and of course, Dumars and Thomas. They rattled almost everybody, but playing in Boston meant adapting to a game being played on the Celtics' terms. Advertisement "Let's not forget how incredible Bird and the Celtics were in their prime. It was almost impossible to go there and beat them," Dumars said. Bird was at his absolute peak in the mid-'80s. Between 1984 and 1986, he averaged 26.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, shooting over 50 percent from the field and nearly 90 percent from the line. He won three consecutive MVP awards during that stretch, something only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell had done before him. The 1987 Eastern Conference finals, especially, marked the moment when the Pistons truly began knocking on the door of greatness. They took Boston to seven games. Thomas had his 25-point fourth quarter in Game 5. But it was Bird's legendary steal from Thomas' inbound pass to Laimbeer, capped by a quick dish to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup, that sealed Detroit's fate in Game 5. Still, Dumars and company didn't flinch for long. They came back stronger. By 1988, they eliminated Boston en route to the Finals. And in 1989, they finally won it all. But that sense of discomfort in Boston never really left. Advertisement The old Garden was eventually demolished in 1998 to make way for the modernized TD Garden. Related: "Every single time that we eliminated them, Mike found me, shook my hand" - Joe Dumars says it's a myth Michael Jordan never showed sportsmanship This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"In my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that'" - Joe Dumars admits he fanboyed over Michael Jordan during their matchups
"In my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that'" - Joe Dumars admits he fanboyed over Michael Jordan during their matchups originally appeared on Basketball Network. For all the bruises, elbows and brutal playoff exits, Joe Dumars still couldn't help but be in awe of Michael Jordan. And it wasn't the kind of admiration one casually held from a distance; it was the kind that bubbled up even in the middle of battle, while the cameras were rolling and the stakes couldn't be higher. Advertisement Dumars, the silent assassin of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys era, had the unenviable task of guarding Jordan during some of the most physically intense playoff series of the late '80s and early '90s. Jordan's aura Through all the tough talk and tougher defense, watching the man climb the rafters on dunks and elevate on jumpers with unshakable conviction, Dumars still found himself marveling at the greatness of the Chicago Bulls superstar. "I can tell you, many of nights, I ran back down the courts after he's done something incredible and internally, I'm saying, 'Are you 'effin kidding me?" Dumars recalled. "In my mind, I'm running stoic, nothing on my face. But in my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that." Advertisement That wasn't an isolated feeling. Those were real-time reactions from a man whose job was to make Jordan's life as difficult as humanly possible. Detroit didn't just beat Chicago back then, it imposed its will. For three straight years, from 1988 to 1990, the Pistons shut the door on Jordan's championship aspirations, eliminating the Bulls in the playoffs with a style of play that became known as the Jordan Rules. Dumars, often tasked with checking the Bulls superstar, never let the challenge harden into arrogance. The respect stayed intact. Even after beating and bruising Jordan, he was always amazed at his ability on the court. By the time the Pistons swept the Bulls in the 1990 Eastern Conference finals, they had mastered the art of disruption. Isolate Jordan. Force the others to beat you. Foul him hard if he dared enter the lane. That was the formula. And yet, even as the plan worked, Dumars was bearing witness to moments that seemed to bend the laws of logic. MJ was averaging over 30 points per game during those years. In that 1990 series alone, he dropped 31.2 points per contest, despite being swarmed, shoved and shadowed on every possession. Dumars was the rare defender who could match Jordan's footwork and balance, but not even he could account for the sheer brilliance that often unfolded. Advertisement Related: "It wasn't as serious a thing as people thought" - Michael Jordan says rumors he recruited Charles Barkley to the Wizards in 2001 were way overblown Mutual respect It was never about backing down. The Pistons were built on pride, pain and pushing limits. Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman all brought something different to the storm. But Dumars brought something else, a calmness amid chaos and a reverence for the game that never left, even while delivering it the hardest hits. In the aftermath of their reign, Jordan's Bulls would eventually sweep the Pistons in 1991, a series infamous for Detroit's walk-off before the final buzzer. But Dumars wasn't among those who let bitterness cloud legacy. He was different. He competed, but also appreciated. Advertisement The media might have painted that there was animosity between Jordan and the Pistons, and it looked that way on the court. However, some of the Bad Boys, like Dumars, still held the face of the NBA in high regard. "I always gave him that respect," Dumars said. "I always showed him tremendous respect and he showed me respect and so it was mutual." Over the years, Jordan himself singled out Dumars as the one of the toughest defenders he ever faced. That was a statement grounded in the many nights they went at each other in the postseason. Dumars didn't trash-talk. He didn't cheap shot. He simply made Jordan work — and that effort bred a mutual respect that outlasted the bruises. Long after their careers wound down, Dumars, like Jordan, took his talents off the hardwood and into NBA front offices. As an executive, he helped construct a title-winning Pistons team in 2004, one that echoed many of the same defensive-first principles of his playing days. Advertisement Related: "After much consideration, I am now prepared to rule" - When Utah judge ruled Michael Jordan pushed off in his final shot in '98 This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
