November 4, 2008. Remember that day? I do. I was stepping out of the shower getting ready for work when I noticed I had a new text message. "Pistons traded for Iverson!". The first thoughts that went through my head was that Mr. Big Shot was probably gone. Sure enough, I was right. The Pistons went ahead and traded their on & off the court leader for a player who has no clue what team basketball means (this would clearly prove to be true later in the season...). Well, I thought, this team is full of experienced veterans so we should be alright.
I was wrong. I didn't realize at the time, but the Pistons traded much more than just their leader. This became apparent in the final quarter of the season, and in the final quarters of many games. What the Pistons clearly missed during the 2008-09 season was a fourth quarter scorer. That go-to guy who was consistently willing to carry the team on his shoulders to victory. That stone cold assasin who was not afraid to take the big shot. That was Chauncey Billups. That was supposed to be Allen Iverson. In the end, the only person in the entire organization who was qualified for that position was Joe Dumars. Too bad #4 wasn't willing to lace 'em up.
