All I knew was that I was a kid and they were adults, and it wasn’t until much later that I realized how young those “old guys” really were. Isiah was a scant 22 years old when he dropped 16 points in 90 seconds on the Knicks in 1984. Dumars was a mere 25 years old when he won the Finals MVP in 1989. Even Laimbeer was just 31 years old when he won his first title.

Do you know how old 31 used to seem? I’m not too sure when it happened, but all I know is that I’m suddenly closer to my mid-30’s than my high school graduation, and it’s not a comfortable thought.

Because the original Bad Boys squad was the first team I ever remember cheering for, I can’t help but compare each and every Pistons team since to them. Given the recent run of success by the current group of guys, there are a lot of obvious parallels that can be made between the two generations – in particular, how each team made five consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals.

As a fan, I hope that’s where the comparisons end, because as we all know that fifth trip to the Conference Finals was the beginning of the end for the original Bad Boys as they unwillingly passed the torch to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Will 2007 go down as the end of an era for the current group of guys? If you’re among those who believe LeBron James is the second coming of MJ, it’d be easy to think so, even if the Cavs ran into the buzz-saw known as the San Antonio Spurs.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be the case. Joe Dumars has some difficult choices ahead of him, but having suffered first-hand through the mistakes the Pistons made in the past, he’s as well-equipped as anyone to guide the franchise through this extremely pivotal time. What does that entail? I’ll be the first to admit that he knows better than I, but here’s one fan’s wish list …

Re-sign Chauncey. For all the talk about the Pistons not being reliant upon one superstar, we tend to gloss over the fact that as Chauncey Billups goes, so go the Pistons. Against the Cavs, that hurt Detroit as he struggled through one of his worst playoff series in recent memory, but the vast majority of the time this works in Detroit’s favor. Losing Billups now would be losing the team’s identity. Fortunately, both Dumars and Billups have given every indication that this won’t be a problem – though if Ben Wallace’s defection taught us anything it’s that nothing can be taken for granted.

Acquire a backup point guard. The last two years, Chauncey has admitted to being tired late in the playoffs. Well, on the heels of yet another long playoff run, Billups (and Tayshaun Prince) will be very active this summer, playing for Team USA in Las Vegas. All of these games add up, and it’s important to have someone in place early in the year to spell Billups for 15-17 minutes a game, hopefully leaving him with a bit more left in the tank come the postseason.

No offense to Lindsey Hunter or Flip Murray, but the Pistons haven't had such a player behind Billups since Carlos Arroyo left town – and even he left something to be desired. I’m no longer so sure they have to draft one with the No. 15 pick (though if they pass on Acie Law, I’ll be sorely disappointed) but it’s a definite position of need.

Play Amir. Well, I guess technically that should read, “Pay Amir, play Amir,” but considering he’s a restricted free agent, I’m going to assume there’s absolutely no chance that Dumars lets Amir Johnson out of his grasp, even if the rumors of some teams wanting to offer him their full mid-level exception are true.

Yes, matching a full MLE would be a gamble, but a lot of people think Johnson would have been a top-five lottery pick this year had he gone to college two years ago instead of jumping straight to the NBA. And let’s face it, it’s not often a team has a chance to buy their way into the lottery, which is essentially what the Pistons would be doing.

But after the guy gets his money, he then needs the playing time. Did you notice what kind of impact Tyrus Thomas made in the Chicago series? There’s no reason Johnson can’t make the same kind of impact for Detroit all season long next season. He’ll make his fair share of mistakes, but with his athleticism he’ll also make more than his fair share of highlight reel worthy blocks and dunks. And besides, I’ll say it right now: Johnson may already be the team’s best rebounder. It’ll be an absolute waste if he doesn’t get a chance to prove it.

Play Maxiell. If complacency is what ails this team, a heavy dose of Jason Maxiell will go a long way toward fixing things. There’s nothing “complacent” about his game – he blocks shots like he’s offended and he attacks the rim like he wants to tear it down. Those are the plays that get the crowd on their feet – especially at games early in the regular season.

Don’t be afraid to trade one of the core four. The last thing I want to see is the Pistons trading someone for sixty cents on the dollar, but you have to give talent to get talent. If the Suns back down from their ridiculous demands of two starters and draft picks for Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudemire, it’s something worth considering. That’s just one example of any number of trades I’d expect to cross Dumars’ desk this summer, and I appreciate the fact that he admits he’ll consider anything that makes the team better.

But fortunately, this team doesn’t need a blockbuster trade to get younger and more athletic. There’s enough young talent on the roster, in the upcoming draft, and (in Alex Acker and Cheikh Samb’s case) waiting in the wings in Europe for significant improvement to come from within. What it will take, though, is patience and foresight, from the front office to the coaching staff. Here’s to hoping it all comes together.