'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 42

[nasty daddy]

Link to volume 41: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=916334&p=20015622#p20015622

This thread will contain Pistons news, injuries, free agent signings, trades, draft and news throughout the NBA, plus scores from both the NBA and college.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090630/S ... +Utah+Jazz

Carlos Boozer decides to stay with Utah Jazz
Carlos Boozer has reconsidered free agency, or at least put it off a year. Boozer let the Utah Jazz know today that he will stay with the team for the final year of his contract rather than opting out and becoming a free agent — which he once said he intended to do.Boozer, whose name has been tied to the Detroit Pistons as a possible off-season acquisition, backed off his original statement and said when the season ended he wanted to consider all of his options.

He chose not to chance an iffy free agent market for more money and possibly a long-term deal, taking the $12.7 million he’s guaranteed next season from the Jazz.
Boozer took until the final day to reach a decision. Utah was still waiting today to hear from center Mehmet Okur, who also had the option to return for the final year of his contract. When healthy, Boozer has been the Jazz’s top scorer and rebounder and helped lead Utah to three straight playoff appearances. He has been an All-Star twice and was a member of last year’s U.S. Olympic gold medal team, but injuries have taken him out for large chunks of three of his five seasons in Utah. “We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz,” general manager Kevin O’Connor said in a release. “We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season.”

Boozer has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds since Utah signed him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers as a restricted free agent five years ago, but has only played in 276 of a possible 410 with the Jazz. He was limited to 37 games last season, due largely to an injury that required surgery on his left knee in January. Utah learned Monday that reserve shooting guard Kyle Korver exercised his option to play out his contract for $5.2 million.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/curry_090630.html

Michael Curry Relieved of Pistons’ Coaching Duties
Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that Michael Curry will not return next season as the team’s head coach.

“This was a difficult decision to make,” Dumars said. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.”

Curry, who was named head coach on June 10, 2008, tallied a regular-season record of 39-43 in his first season as an NBA head coach with the Pistons and led the club to the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Detroit was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. He served one season in Detroit as an assistant coach under Flip Saunders (2007-08) and had two separate stints with the organization as a player (1995-97 and 1999-2003).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... ml#090630b

The path of least resistance isn’t for Joe D
Those who remember Marty Mornhinweg’s introductory press conference as Lions coach, or his chaotic first training camp with the Lions, knew early on how his first coaching gig would turn out. There were strong indications shortly into John L. Smith’s tenure at Michigan State that he wasn’t going to pull the Spartans up to Michigan’s level – or Iowa’s, for that matter – in the Big Ten. The worst thing a sports executive can do is close his eyes and wish hard that things – or people – change of their own doing. Be wary anytime someone in the media or on talk radio criticizes a coach for his X and O acumen. I wade into those waters with great trepidation based on knowing enough to know how few people are truly qualified to critique such things. What I feel able to judge after 25 years of observing coaches go about their business is the presence they project. The sense of confidence they have in themselves is part of it, but the ability to infuse those around him with the same sense of confidence is an even bigger piece of the puzzle. And Michael Curry had that ability – before the bullets started flying, at least. Make no mistake, Michael Curry was Joe Dumars’ guy – with the full support of late Pistons owner Bill Davidson. Joe D had played with Curry and saw how a modestly talented young man a few years removed from college thirsted for responsibility despite arriving on a 10-day contract. He watched him grow into leadership roles – team captaincy, president of the players association – and carve an immediate niche for himself upon his retirement in NBA offices, where he greatly impressed senior leadership. He made all the sense in the world for the Pistons after one season on Flip Saunders’ bench.

The young players – Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, et al – loved him. The vets – Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Chauncey Billups – respected him greatly for the tenacity and integrity he’d displayed both in his playing career, when they all competed with or against him, and beyond. But the dynamic of those relationships clearly changed once the season started and the perfect blueprint Curry had mapped out over the off-season was turned on its ear, first by the Billups-Allen Iverson trade and then by everything else that happened as a result of it. The considerable respect Curry engendered began to erode and the proof was obvious in the body language of both Curry and those around him. And the worst thing Joe D could have done was ignored it, or crossed his fingers and hoped the off-season would erase the blackboard. The nature of his business is that mistakes will be made. It’s inevitable, for no one can accurately project every player’s potential or motivation. The key is to minimize the damage those mistakes inflict. Curry probably will get another shot someday and, in different circumstances and with this experience under his belt, he could deliver on the promise Joe D saw in him last summer. But it didn’t work here last year and expecting it to work next year would have qualified as optimism based on precious little evidence. So the question, as it always is in professional sports: What’s next? The names that have floated to the top of the list are Avery Johnson, Doug Collins and John Kuester – and all make sense, if for varying reasons. Johnson has the most recent track record of success in the NBA. His strength is implementing a structured system. There were whispers in Dallas that his style eventually became overbearing, but the type of discipline the Pistons seemed to lack last year was never an issue in Dallas under Johnson.

Collins is universally recognized as a brilliant basketball mind – his TNT telecasts are mini-clinics, in much the way Hubie Brown’s once were – who, like Johnson, also comes with a reputation for burning through relationships within a few seasons. Pistons fans will recall how Collins milked more wins than seemed possible out of his teams here in the ’90s. When he considered the Bulls job last summer, Collins reflected on those days and said he’d learned to pull back. Kuester was a highly respected piece of Larry Brown’s staff here previously and was seen as the counterbalance to Brown’s mercurial mood swings with the mettle to voice dissent. He doesn’t have the head coaching track record of Collins and Johnson – though he did run his own college basketball programs before leaping to the NBA – but he was credited by Cleveland coach Mike Brown for making the Cavs a much more efficient offensive team the past two years while Brown focused on defense, his specialty. That Curry’s firing comes on the eve of free agency is nothing but coincidental. As Dumars said upon announcing the decision this afternoon, it was not one easily reached. It’s fair to assume it’s something he’s considered since the season ended, based on the dysfunction he perceived as the Pistons finished the season in a tailspin and put up little resistance during Cleveland’s four-game sweep in the first round of the playoffs. Changes come with no guarantees, of course. Acknowledging a problem doesn’t ensure its resolution. But it’s a necessary first step that many in positions of power avoid for the reflection it casts on them. As the tough decision to fire Michael Curry one season into the job proves, the path of least resistance is one Joe Dumars steadfastly avoids.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/06/30/jazz ... index.html

Boozer exercises player option, will return to Jazz
Carlos Boozer has reconsidered free agency, or at least put it off a year. Boozer let the Utah Jazz know on Tuesday that he will stay with the team for the final year of his contract rather than opting out and becoming a free agent -- which he once said he intended to do. Boozer backed off his original statement and said when the season ended he wanted to consider all of his options.

He chose not to chance an iffy free agent market for more money and possibly a long-term deal, taking the $12.7 million he's guaranteed next season from the Jazz. Boozer took until the final day to reach a decision. Utah was still waiting Tuesday to hear from center Mehmet Okur, who also had the option to return for the final year of his contract.

When healthy, Boozer has been the Jazz's top scorer and rebounder and helped lead Utah to three straight playoff appearances. He's been an All-Star twice and was a member of last year's U.S. Olympic gold medal team, but injuries have taken him out for large chunks of three of his five seasons in Utah. "We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," general manager Kevin O'Connor said in a release. "We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season." Boozer has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds since Utah signed him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers as a restricted free agent five years ago, but has only played in 276 of a possible 410 with the Jazz. He was limited to 37 games last season, due largely to an injury that required surgery on his left knee in January.

[nasty daddy]

http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/blogt ... q=1&page=0

Michael Curry OFFICIALLY FIRED AS PISTONS HEAD COACH
A positive step in the right direction for the Pistons.

Pistons fire coach Michael Curry after one season. Pistons coach Michael Curry has been fired, the team announced Tuesday. "This was a difficult decision to make," Pistons president Joe Dumars said. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

Curry was 39-43 in his only season as Pistons coach. Detroit was swept by Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gall ... s=Itemnr=3

Pistons introduce draft picks

Pictures of the press conference introducing the 3 rookies in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... l_cur.html

Pistons fire coach Michael Curry after one season
The never-ending carousel of coaches for the Detroit Pistons continues with the announcement that head coach Michael Curry has been fired. "This was a difficult decision to make," said Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change." Curry went 39-43 in his first season as Detroit was swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. While there will be many who will push for former Piston and ex-Detroit Shock head coach Bill Laimbeer to get the job, it appears as though the Pistons will be looking to bring in a more established head coach. "It became clear to me that we would need a more experienced coach to help guide us through this period," Dumars said via text.

Former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson will likely get strong consideration for the job. Johnson won 100 regular season games faster than any coach in NBA history. However, his struggles in the playoffs ultimately led to the Mavericks firing him in April of 2008. Detroit might also look to bring back former Pistons coach Doug Collins. If Detroit decides to hire a current NBA assistant, don't be surprised if Cleveland's John Kuester gets serious consideration.Kuester was a Detroit assistant on the 2004 championship squad, and has played a pivotal role on the Cavs' bench. The reasons for Curry's dismissal aren't totally clear, but his sometimes strained relationships with key players certainly played a role. Richard Hamilton and Curry slowly drifted apart during the season, in part because of Curry's decision to have Hamilton initially come off the bench instead of Allen Iverson. While Curry certainly had his faults, it wasn't due to a lack of effort on his part. "It's always sad to lose a coach," Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey said in a phone interview. "But like I always say, this is a business and in this business, you have to be prepared and ready for anything."

The timing of Dumars' decision -- on the eve of free agency -- could be just a coincidence, or it could speak to some concerns that potential Pistons targets and their representatives were having with Curry as the head coach. It also comes just days after Dumars openly discussed the "drama" he saw with the team last season. "Never again would I allow us to deal with the issues (last season), with drama," Dumars said. "I refuse to go down that road again."It is unclear how much of the blame for last season's off-the-court problems, he contributed to Curry. When asked to elaborate on the "drama" Dumars was speaking of, Curry responded, "If Joe touched on that ... he was probably more upset that we didn't win games on Sunday."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/06/30/bobc ... index.html

Bobcats to explore possibility of adding Iverson
The Charlotte Bobcats have an owner who's losing millions and looking to sell. They've struggled to move tickets, win games and become relevant in a town that used to adore the NBA. Allen Iverson could change that. Pair the polarizing guard with coach Larry Brown again and they wouldn't just be talking about games in Charlotte, they'd be talking about practice, too. Whether Iverson is reunited with his former adversary-turned-buddy Brown is Charlotte's most intriguing storyline as the NBA's free agency period opens Wednesday.

Iverson is a 34-year-old free agent, far removed from his NBA MVP days and certainly about to be paid much less than the nearly $22 million he made last season, when he was traded from Denver to Detroit. Seven years after Iverson's famous "We're talking about practice!" rant directed at Brown when they were in Philadelphia, the two have made up. Iverson was spotted in Charlotte in May, when Brown said he'd have no problems coaching him again and Iverson's agent indicated his client would be open to playing for the Bobcats.

Leon Rose declined further comment on Tuesday, but he's expected to talk to the Bobcats as the free agency negotiating period starts Wednesday. "Even though there are things that went on during our careers, the work he did was phenomenal," Brown said recently. "He wants to win, he competes every night, he plays hurt."

[nasty daddy]

http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/blogt ... q=1&page=0

Spotlight on Dumars
Of coarse the spotlight is on Dumars this time of season with the recent draft and trading, etc. To the Posting Up community: Is Dumars making the right choices. Not only in the draft, but now most recently by firing our head coach. Where will he find a coach to replace him? Do you think Curry has someone in mind? I am sure he does to fire him right now. Also can we or SHOULD we pursue in acquiring Carlos Boozer? Is we worth it?

[nasty daddy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/b ... ref=si_nba

Pistons fire Curry after one season
All or nothing seems to be the formula for coaching the Detroit Pistons. Bring home an NBA championship or hit the road.

First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax as president for basketball operations Joe Dumars fired him Tuesday after watching his team stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs.

But winning playoff games hasn't been enough to keep Pistons management happy. Just ask Flip Saunders.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_d ... nba,173830

Pistons dump Curry
I don't know what else it will take for people to realize that they constantly underrate Flip Saunders. And, though this somewhat excuses the job Michael Curry did with the Detroit Pistons, and Joe Dumars' choice to hire him while dumping Saunders, I will never understand why people continually refuse to believe that it was the Pistons players that were screwing up, all along. Curry was fired today. Woj broke the news and, while it is a little surprising to see a personnel boss admit to a mistake so soon after making it, the actual comment on Curry's coaching abilities that this firing shouted wasn't a shock. He never had control of the locker room. He never seemed to be head coaching material. Down the line, perhaps. Not now. Certainly not in 2008-09.

You shouldn't be able to deal with the multifold changes in the Piston organization since the team went down in the 2008 Eastern Conference finals in black and white, either/or terms, but somehow things stay simple with this team despite all the complexity, mitigating factors, and heaps of excuses. Really, it still comes down to Saunders being good, Curry not being good, and the Pistons players (both former and current) not playing hard. With Joe Dumars matching each and every brilliant move with a bum one. Yes, the team had its legs swept out from underneath them when Dumars traded Chauncey Billups(notes) to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson(notes) last November. The team was 3-0, and seemingly, never recovered. Teary-eyed hotel room goodbyes and post-trade on-court ennui seemed to drive this point home. Toss in a 3-0 Pistons record at the time of the deal, and the blood is on Dumars' hands, right?

Now, I fully realize that this could entirely be on the players. Did we not see the Pistons (Tayshaun Prince(notes), especially) breaking play after play after play under Flip Saunders in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 playoffs - especially after executing those plays with ease during the regular season? Sure. Did we see them improvise defensively under Saunders (and even Larry Brown) during the playoffs, after regular seasons spent listening and executing. Definitely. But it's to Saunders' credit that he got until spring before this lot tuned him out. Curry didn't even make it out of November. That's on the players, sure, but when you hire a coach to lead a group of gripers and moaners like these Detroit Pistons, you better have someone who can make it out of the first month. Curry wasn't that guy. In the end, it is the players' fault, and it is Dumars' fault, but that doesn't mean Curry should have been hired last summer, or retained this summer.

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... out_o.html

Carlos Boozer not opting out of his contract
The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Carlos Boozer is opting to keep his players option and play for the Jazz next season.

Carlos Boozer has opted in on his contract to play for the Jazz for one more season, the Tribune has learned. Boozer stands to make $12.7 million under that deal and will become a free agent next season.

Many believe that this gives the Pistons an advantage in going after restricted Jazz free agent Paul Millsap. It may effect how much money Utah can extend Millsap, but they have vowed to match any deal other teams offer to their young forward. This could also make it easier for the Jazz to trade Boozer to another team. Both the Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets have been reported as interested. Stay tuned...

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090630/S ... l+rule+NBA

Firing of Curry shows players still rule NBA
The surprising firing of Pistons coach Michael Curry today seems to prove the old adage that the NBA is a player’s league. Hired last summer to replace Flip Saunders, it was initially thought that Curry, just a few years removed from his NBA playing days, would have the ear of the players. Far from it. As the team tumbled to a 39-43 record and first-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, players privately questioned game plans as well as the many lineup changes Curry implemented. Rip Hamilton and Allen Iverson, both the subject of a midseason controversy over who would be in the starting lineup, both publicly questioned Curry's decision-making. At the end of the season, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said that Curry’s status was a non-issue, but something obviously changed. So here’s today’s lesson on how professional sports operate. Coaches lead at the whim of their much higher-paid players. And unless a coach carries the weight of a lot of victories or, even better, championship rings, he must quickly establish himself as worthy of respect. One would have to figure that word spread around the league about players’ reservations over Curry. And what with Dumars hoping to attract at least two proven starters through free agency — which begins at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow — it appears that Joe is seeking a more established coach for the next Pistons’ era.

Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey said the move caught him off-guard. He told the Free Press that he learned of the firing after he awoke this morning and read the e-mail. "To tell you the truth at the end of the day it’s a business,” Stuckey said. “He was a good guy and I learned a lot from him, but at the end of the day it’s a business." A list of possible candidates to replace Curry would have to include ESPN analysts and former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson and TNT analyst and former Pistons coach Doug Collins. Johnson's agent has been contacted by the Pistons but no formal talks have been scheduled, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person said Johnson "absolutely" would be interested in the position. A Pistons source doubted that former Pistons great Bill Laimbeer, who recently resigned as coach of the WNBA's Shock, would be considered. "As we've continued through this transition, it's become clear that we need a more experienced coach for where we are right now," Dumars said today in an e-mail. "I asked a lot of Mike as a first-year head coach."

Curry’s tenure was doomed after the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups, who was traded to Denver for Iverson last November. Dumars fired Saunders last year after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry played eleven seasons in the NBA, including two stints with the Pistons (1996-97 and 1999-2003). He also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. Prior to becoming a head coach, Curry was an assistant under Saunders in Detroit and served as the NBA's Vice President of Player Development.Calls to Michael Curry's cell phone were not returned. Dumars declined to answer additional questions.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/20 ... y-he-gone/

Michael Curry: He Gone!
Was it really this easy for the Pistons to get this confused about its identity — to question whether it should rebuild or reload? They’ve finger-pointed for nearly an entire season. They pointed at Allen Iverson and then Chauncey Billups with his tremendous success in Denver. They pointed a finger at the architect of the ‘04 championship squad, Joe Dumars. They blamed Rip and his ego, which cast a shadow longer than the Piston bench at times. Of course, they always blamed Darko. He ruined things from the beginning. But, mostly, they pointed toward Michael Curry. At every game, during the sweep in the first round, Curry played the scapegoat role. Today, Curry is gone and we can only imagine what happens next:

Pistons coach Michael Curry has been fired, the team announced Tuesday. “This was a difficult decision to make,” Pistons president Joe Dumars said. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.” (Note: Not that we’re laughing, but it’s funny how news like this comes after reports like these. The AP wasn’t what it used to be folks!)

A man who captained the Pistons from 59 wins to 39 in just 12 months will receive no extended eulogy. Rather, the talk almost immediately will turn to finding a savior. But with the uncertainly surrounding the team, who will the Pistons dubb as head coach? A quick read through the beat writers’ reports mention three names, none exciting or surprising: Bill Laimbeer, Doug Collins, Avery Johnson. We’ve said this many times before: A coach is only as good as his players. And, clearly, much more needs to be done than replace the Detroit head man. That said, who do you think has the best chance of pulling the Pistons out of this spiral of negativity?

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... tml#090630

Clock ticking – loudly – as free agency nears
The picture of the Pistons’ off-season reconstruction hasn’t emerged in sharp focus quite yet, one day before the curtain opens on free agency, but the outlines are taking shape. If you had to guess at what those identities will reveal, a good place to start would be Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon and … somebody else. The allure of Villanueva became much stronger with Monday’s confirmation that Milwaukee will not make him a qualifying offer by today’s deadline. That was the suspicion since last week’s trade in which the Bucks gave back about $2 million of the cap space they cleared in the Richard Jefferson trade by adding Amir Johnson – who also happens to play Villanueva’s position. Villanueva and Gordon – whose best option seems clearly to be the Pistons unless Chicago can unload Kirk Hinrich without taking back a comparable contract – would give the Pistons what Joe Dumars most wanted out of the Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade: a couple of core young pieces to add to Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince for the long haul. Oklahoma City has been another team linked to Gordon, but it appears the Thunder will more likely make a play for Utah’s Paul Millsap – a play with a far greater chance to succeed if Carlos Boozer elects to not opt out of his contract, which now seems more likely than not. Villanueva is 24, Gordon is 26. Villanueva is coming off of clearly his best season and Gordon very likely his best, capped by a brilliant playoff series against Boston in which he played 43 minutes a game and carried Chicago’s offense for long stretches. Assuming both were signed to five-year contracts, they’d still be in the prime of their careers – Villanueva 29, Gordon 31 – when their deals expire.

How much of the Pistons’ cap space would it require to land both players? A reasonable guess is that Gordon’s deal would start at somewhere around $8 million a year and Villanueva’s a little less than that. Many teams probably would be willing to offer Villanueva their mid-level exception, expected to be around $5.5 million. Only a few can go higher. So something that starts slightly above the mid-level – let’s say $6.5 million – would be a deal that makes Villanueva’s side sit up and take a hard look. If the cap comes in about where it was set at last year, that would still give the Pistons enough money – almost another mid-level exception equivalent slot – to attract another player. Kwame Brown's decision to remain with the Pistons - he could have opted out of the $4.1 million due him for next season - gives the Pistons one more big man along with Jason Maxiell and potentially Villanueva, plus the three rookies drafted last week. The Pistons believe all three of Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko can play either forward position. It might be risky to presume any one of them, or any combination of the three, would be ready to handle minutes at power forward as rookies. So that extra money – again, assuming a scenario that adds Gordon to a backcourt of Hamilton, Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Will Bynum – probably will be targeted on the frontcourt. The Pistons almost surely would inquire about Antonio McDyess, though he might be able to get a full MLE deal from somebody – especially Houston, his adopted hometown, which is now openly musing about the possibility of Yao Ming’s season, if not his career, being wiped out.

Among the other attractive frontcourt unrestricted free agents are Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, Toronto’s Shawn Marion and Utah’s Mehmet Okur, but all would cost more than the Pistons would have left. Some of the other possibilities include Brandon Bass (Dallas) and Zaza Pachulia (Atlanta) among unrestricted free agents; and Channing Frye (Portland), Glen Davis (Boston), Hakim Warrick (Memphis) and Marcin Gortat (Orlando) among restricted free agents. If Villanueva were to sign elsewhere, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Boozer. Whispers that Boozer’s asking price is astronomical could be bluster from agent Rob Pelinka to drive up the price, but it’s uncertain who else is in the bidding for him, given the lack of teams with anything beyond a mid-level deal to offer. If the Pistons were to sign Gordon, it’s likely that adding Boozer as well would require all of the remainder of their cap space. And that might be risky since it would leave the Pistons with only three veteran frontcourt players – and all the riskier given Boozer’s recent injury history.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090630/C ... would+come

Pistons had to dump Curry so free agents would come
Score another kill for the inmates. The underground players network buried Michael Curry. NBA players always talk among themselves. If there’s a coach they don’t respect, the word spreads with such ferocity that coaching careers burn into cinders with the speed of California wildfire. The Detroit Pistons desperately need a significant free-agent infusion this summer, and they feared that the character assassination done on Curry within the players fraternity might cost them the coaches they’re targeting. Curry became the easiest sacrifice. It was either him or Rip Hamilton. And when have you ever heard of the star player losing that debate? Giving Curry every opportunity to correct his rookie blunders was Joe Dumars’ original plan, but then it became apparent that the fractious relationship between Curry and Hamilton was beyond saving. Curry foolishly alienated Hamilton, not telling him privately about his decision to bench him for Allen Iverson before telling the entire team.

And in a recent conversation with the Free Press, Curry didn’t seem to be in a hurry to meet with Hamilton to rectify any differences. Dumars had no alternative but to trust his instincts, despite the outward appearance of a franchise once again going through coaches like tissues. When in doubt, cut your losses and minimize the damage. If it was going to happen, it’s better for the organization to pull the trigger now rather than wait and fire Curry two weeks into next season. It’s the players who call the shots in the NBA, more so than any other sport. Once again, we’re reminded of the late Chuck Daly’s enduring wisdom – never forget that it’s the players who let you coach them. NBA players are often arrogant prima donnas. Hamilton could’ve handled his difficulties with Curry more maturely. But juggling the players’ disproportioned egos becomes an unavoidable aspect of the NBA head-coaching job. It demands the coach swallowing his own ego. Curry either couldn’t or wouldn’t, and that’s why he’s gone.

Dumars cannot replace one rookie coach with another novice, and that should sink all the Bill Laimbeer trial balloons. Dumars will look for a more experienced hand – possibly former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson. Former Pistons coach Doug Collins reportedly contacted the Pistons last month, offering his services if the team sought change. Collins vowed that he has learned from his mistakes, suggesting that he was no longer the impulsive hothead who ultimately crashed and burned in fewer than three years in his three previous coaching gigs. His 21/2-year stint with the Pistons ended 12 years ago with Collins breaking down in tears in front of his players because he feared an impending team revolt. Dumars was one of the players. Dumars wants a coach who will be around in another five years. Why should anybody honestly believe that Collins is that guy? Is it really worth taking such a high-priced risk? But the timing of Curry’s dismissal reflects a greater importance in finding the right free agent as opposed to the right head coach. It’s a backward approach, but it underscores the Pistons’ desperation in righting a wayward ship.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonpost.com/2009/06/30/austin ... ns-number/

Austin Daye nabs Walter Herrmann’s number
It doesn’t get any more official than this, we definitely will not be seeing Walter Herrmann back in a Pistons uniform next season. Not only did Austin Daye yank Walter’s number #5 after the Pistons failed to make Herrmann a qualifying offer, but it appears as if the great Grant Hill has been reincarnated within Jonas Jerebko. He will be wearing #33.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonpost.com/2009/06/30/keyboa ... homas-off/

Keyboard Cat plays Isiah Thomas off
Thanks to Rockin’ Steady for the amazing find. This truly is the best keyboard cat ever.
This is [very] mildly “not safe for work.” You have been warned.

Video clip in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonpost.com/2009/06/30/michael-curry-fired/

Michael Curry Fired
This is what Joe D. needed to do- it was the right move, and one that I didn’t think Joe could make this season. Could this be opening the door for Bill Laimbeer?

The never-ending carousel of coaches for the Detroit Pistons continues with the announcement that head coach Michael Curry has been fired. “This was a difficult decision to make,” said Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.” Curry went 39-43 in his first season as Detroit was swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The news of Curry’s dismissal was just reaching players Tuesday morning. “I just found out about 10 minutes ago,” Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey said in a phone interview.“It’s always sad to lose a coach,” Stuckey said. “But like I always say, this is a business and in this business, you have to be prepared and ready for anything.”

The timing of Dumars’ decision — on the eve of free agency — could be just a coincidence, or it could speak to some concerns that potential Pistons targets and their representatives were having with Curry as the head coach. While it’s unclear who the Pistons will hire as the team’s next head coach, former Piston and Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer’s name will surely come up in discussions. However, Detroit will likely look to bring in a more experienced coach like Avery Johnson, who as the Dallas Mavericks coach, won 100 games faster than any coach in NBA history. However, his struggles during the playoffs — sound familiar? — ultimately led to the Mavericks firing him in April of 2008.