"Ben Gordon wasn't the Ben Gordon that used to create basketball havoc when he played with the Chicago Bulls.

For that matter, Richard Hamilton was never the running man who had consistently led Detroit Pistons playoff teams in scoring, and Tayshaun Prince was rarely the long-armed finisher of the little things that help win big games.

Except for Ben Wallace, who sometimes seemed like the old Ben Wallace, and rookie Jonas Jerebko, who was a welcome surprise, the whole Pistons thing didn't work in 2009-10.

They never went to work. They limped. And the product was poor, as in 27-55.

Joe Dumars, the president of basketball operations, the quiet guard on the Bad Boys teams, and the builder of the most recent NBA title team for the franchise, could have simply blamed an incredible rash of injuries.

But he knew, we knew, everybody and Gordon's kin in England knew something else was missing.

Toughness, Dumars declared recently.

Gordon, who made a promotional visit to the Meijer Inc. store on East Beltline on Wednesday, said he absolutely agreed with the boss.

"I think when he said toughness he didn't mean any one thing," he said. "I think he meant a combination of things, but he definitely hit the nail right on the head with that."

Gordon feels toughness includes defense, execution, mental approach, reaction to the other team's efforts and maintaining consistency. He hasn't been a Piston long, but he knows a little team history.

"(Toughness) becoming our identity makes perfect sense," he said. "Look at the teams that made the playoffs. Look at the teams Joe played on, and that he has been identified with. They have always been tough teams. It's about getting back to doing what the Pistons normally do."

Gordon seems willing in spirit, and he hopes next time around in body. He was among the limping all season, twice with an ankle that last month went under the knife for some cleanup work, and once with a nagging groin tear."