In all the fuss about Kevin Pritchard not getting votes, I forgot to comment on this. Denver’s Mark Warkentien, a former Blazer guy, was named the winner.

How silly. They ignored the guy who engineered a deal that turned one team from an also-ran into a legit contender. That guy, of course, was Joe Dumars, the once-respected genius running the Detroit Pistons. Yeah, I know it was all about cap space. Sure. But look, the guy gave up Chauncey Billups, a player still good enough to, by himself, turn Denver’s season around. And Dumars, for that kind gift, also took A.I. off the Nuggets’ hands — a player who was pretty much useless.

Sorry, cap space be damned, that’s just a ridiculous trade. Fans who bought tickets to see the Pistons play this season deserve a refund along with a written apology from Dumars. That deal cut the heart right out of the Pistons.

And so Warkentien wins the award? For what, agreeing to a lopsided trade that ANYBODY would have agreed to do? I don’t think so. Give it to Joe for getting the Nuggets, who arguably weren’t going to be good enough even to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, into the conference finals.

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Tags: A.I., Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Jaynes, Executive of the Year, Joe Dumars, Mark Warkentien