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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: The Detroit News reports that Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are at the top of the Pistons' list.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: The Boston Celtics have cut Leon Powe loose, according to our friend Henry Abbott at ESPN.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: HOOPSWORLD has learned that Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard is meeting with Hedo Turloglu's camp tonight.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: The Charlotte Bobcats are reportedly interested in adding Allen Iverson, or at least having that conversation, according to an AP report.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: Mehmet Okur has joined Carlos Boozer in saying he will not opt out of his contract with the Utah Jazz.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: The early word out of Detroit is that Avery Johnson is at or near the top of their wish list as they approach the task of replacing head coach Michael Curry, who was fired today.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

UPDATE: The Boston Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to Glen "Big Baby" Davis, making him a restricted free agent. The Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies are expected to have interest in Davis, as well.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13133

Pistons Fire Michael Curry
The Detroit Pistons have fired Michael Curry as their head coach after one season. "This was a difficult decision to make," Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "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." The Pistons were just 39-43 in Curry's only season as the team's head coach and were bounced in the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, a four-game sweep by the Cleveland Cavaliers. That ended a string of seven consecutive years with 50 or more wins and six consecutive years of making at least the Eastern Conference Finals.

Curry was stuck in a bad situation from the moment the Pistons decided to trade star point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. It was at that point, despite the subsequent contract extension to Rip Hamilton, that the team wrote off the 2008-09 season. It got so bad they asked Allen Iverson to stay away late in the season, ostensibly because of a back injury. This will only ramp up the speculation that Bill Laimbeer - the former Pistons star with the Bad Boys and successful coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock who resigned a couple weeks back - could be fasttracked in to the head coaching role.

The Pistons have quite a bit of money available to spend in free agency - they reportedly are targeting power forward Carlos Boozer (should he opt out) and shooting guard Ben Gordon - and could also be major players in the trade market, with Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince rumored to be available. Big men Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess are also unrestricted free agents. Things just got even more interesting in Detroit.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13143

Pistons' Billups-Iverson trade and ensuing issues doomed coach
Officially, the date is June 30, 2009, when Michael Curry's short tenure with the Pistons came to an end.

But in reality, the date that doomed Curry to failure as coach was Nov. 3, 2008 -- when Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars shipped Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson's expiring contract. The move had one main purpose: clear cap space for this summer so Dumars could have a smooth transition to the next Pistons era. And Iverson, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, would be hungry for an NBA title.

The move backfired when his playing style clashed with his teammates. It also set off a series of other problems that ultimately led to a 39-43 record and first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... omed+coach

Iverson doesn't fit
The Pistons' era of dominance relied on movement and sharing the basketball, whereas Iverson's one-on-one style caused players to stand around looking at Iverson probe the defense for a shot. Also, Iverson played the same position (shooting guard) as longtime Piston Rip Hamilton, and they struggled to coexist.

After trying to play them together (Hamilton at small forward) -- it deteriorated into a public display of dissension focused on which of them would come off the bench. At first it was Hamilton, but after an eight-game losing streak, Hamilton said something had to change. Iverson, suffering from a bad back, missed a few games when Curry announced he would come off the bench when he returned.

The team started playing better and after a long absence, Iverson returned for three games during which he openly complained of coming off the bench saying he "would rather retire" than come off the bench again. Shortly afterward he was declared out for the season with the bad back, and the Pistons officially cut ties with him at midnight Tuesday when he became an unrestricted free agent.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... omed+coach

Stuckey isn't ready
The trade made it so the Pistons had to turn the reins of the team over to second-year point guard Rodney Stuckey.

He started off on fire with 40- and 38-point games in December, but it quickly became apparent that defenses were catching up to his penchant for penetrating.

He seemed tentative at times and his assist total (4.9 per game) was low for a point guard. He seemed tentative at times and his assist total (4.9 per game) was low for a point guard.Also, young players like Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell weren't ready for larger roles, and the team's frontcourt strength was a problem all season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... omed+coach

Age and injuries
Curry was handed a team in decline. Rasheed Wallace, 34, was no longer equipped to do the banging in the post, and several leg injuries hampered his sixth season with the Pistons.

Hamilton, 31, also had a rough time with injuries and a bruised ego -- first from the Billups trade and then the fact he was sent to the bench over Iverson.

And the Iverson that came to the Pistons was a far cry from the explosive scorer that had terrorized the league for years. At 34, he could no longer get by average defenders, and when he was able to get to the rim, his legs no longer had the lift to finish.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... omed+coach

Missing Chauncey
Whatever the shortcomings of the roster, they probably would have been glossed over if Billups had remained. He went on the have a spectacular season with the Nuggets, as the trade appeared to rejuvenate his career.

The Pistons probably would have gotten 46-50 wins. Roles would have been defined so Curry wouldn't have spent so much time experimenting with the lineup, and he might have been able to settle in and return for a second season.

But that isn't the case, and now Dumars is looking for the sixth head coach of his nine-year tenure.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... Basketball

Late moves may factor hugely in free agency for Pistons
The final two days before the NBA's free-agency period begins brought two developments that could impact how the Pistons proceed when they can start signing free agents next Wednesday.

Utah's restricted free-agent power forward Paul Millsap could be in play as the Jazz will have to pay power forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur, who both decided Tuesday against opting out of their contracts and will remain with the Jazz. That doesn't stop trade possibilities. The Jazz has said it wants to retain Millsap, but that could prove tricky. Teams may shy away in these dire economic times from Boozer's $12.6-millon salary for next season. Millsap, who stands 6-feet-8, is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

On Monday, the Bucks declined a qualifying offer for forward Charlie Villanueva, and his inside-outside style is the type of game that flourishes in the NBA. It's believed the Pistons have been interested in the four-year veteran. Both players are 24, so they would be entering the prime of their careers. The Pistons have an estimated $18 million to $20 million to spend on free agents. The period during which teams can negotiate trades and deals with free agents began at 12:01 this morning. As for the Pistons' unrestricted free agents, Allen Iverson and Walter Herrmann won't return, and it's unlikely Rasheed Wallace will be back. The team is believed to be interested in re-signing Antonio McDyess, but he will spark interest on the open market.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... s++want+ad

The Pistons' want ad for new head coach
What are the Pistons looking for in a new coach? President of basketball operations Joe Dumars came out and said, "We need a more experienced coach." Free Press sports writer Vince Ellis lists the five qualities the Pistons' new boss will need:

Veteran presence
Must have some experience to command the veterans left in the locker room.
winning history
A great won-loss record would help as well.
teaching ability

Even with the addition of two veteran pieces, Pistons will have a young roster next season.
Consistent approach
Must make decisions and stick with them.
tactical acumen
Not as necessary as long as you have a good staff, but always a plus.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... ort-timers

Short-timers: Pistons coaches who weren't long for the job
The Detroit Pistons have had 26 coaches since 1957. Only five had a tenure shorter than Michael Curry's 82 games:

Charles Eckman
1957-58: Eckman lasted just 25 games -- going 9-16 (.360) -- in the Pistons' first season in Detroit.
Bob Kauffman
1977-78: Kauffman's 58 games -- 29-29 (.500) -- were followed by just more than a year of Dick Vitale.
Paul Seymour
1968-69: The Toledo native lost his first six games -- and went 22-38 (.367) in his 60-game tenure.

Richie Adubato
1979-80: Adubato replaced Vitale and lost the final 14 of his 70 total games -- 12-58 (.171).
Earl Lloyd >>
1971-73: The first African-American to play in the NBA coached 77 games and went 22-55 (.286).
Note: Ron Rothstein also was fired after 82 games -- 40-42 (.488) in 1992-93.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... O+BE+FIRED?

A brief history of Joe D's extensive coaching moves
When Joe Dumars took over the Pistons in June 2000, he inherited George Irvine as interim coach. Dumars signed him to a three-year contract. Irvine lasted one more season (32-50), and since then Dumars has hired and fired four coaches in eight years. That is a lot. So many, in fact, that we asked sports writer Shawn Windsor to provide a coaching recap.

1. The man who led the Pistons back from irrelevance lasted two years. He won 50 games. Twice. He got the Pistons to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 13 years. Oh, he was voted coach of the year in 2002. For that Rick Carlisle was fired. Too surly behind the scenes, we were told. Buried Tayshaun Prince on the bench. Called too many time-outs. Didn't let the team push the ball. Or shoot it. Or, some said, dribble it. "The only thing people will accept is winning," Carlisle told the Free Press during his first training camp. "That's the bottom line, isn't it?" Apparently, it wasn't.
2. In came Larry Brown. All he did was lead the team to an NBA championship and back to the Finals the following year. Turns out Brown had an ego, which was odd considering many regarded him as the purest coach in professional basketball. So he was booted after two years, which meant that in four seasons the Pistons had made the Eastern Conference finals three times, won a title, narrowly missed another -- and fired two coaches.Brown used to say: "We played like strangers." Everybody knew that was code for: "I hate myself and I have to go."

3. Flip Saunders, by all accounts, was just fine with who he was -- an offensive guru. In fact, in his first year running the Pistons, the team won a record 64 games in the regular season, 10 more than the year before. But it wasn't just wins. Saunders increased scoring by three points a game. Alas, the team no longer defended. Ben Wallace got mad. The team faded in the conference finals against Miami. Saunders was a genius no more. Suddenly, he was in over his head and had lost the team. Incredibly, Saunders survived two more seasons. The team reached the conference finals in each of those years, but Flip had to go.
4. This leads us to Michael Curry, who wasn't really a coach as much as a "new direction," a player who would sit on the bench dressed in a suit. He could relate to the modern athlete. He would keep the insubordinate in line. He was young. He was tall. He would call out his players if he needed to. The team won 39 games and got swept (badly) in the first round. Empty seats were everywhere. Obviously, the coach had to go. So what if he had been on the job for just 12 months? So what if he had lost his best player, his locker-room leader, and in exchange was given a recalcitrant, fading, one-time superstar? The Pistons have now gone through four coaches in eight seasons -- eight of the most successful seasons in franchise history, by the way. So what happens when things really get bad?

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... d+as+coach

Two ex-Pistons who won't be hired as coach
• Bill Laimbeer: His name is one of the first that comes up with talk radio callers and out-of-town media -- but not where it counts, at Auburn Hills. The word around 6 Championship Drive is it's highly unlikely the former Bad Boy and Shock coach would be considered.

• Isiah Thomas: Even if Zeke is back in good graces at the Palace, his track record isn't all that great and he has a new job as coach at Florida International. Unless he can get his contract annulled because the school president introduced him at his hiring as "Isiah Thompson" ...

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... d+as+coach

Joe D needs to bust a move
They can never take away that 2004 NBA title or all those trips to the conference finals (or forget drafting Darko). But this is a what-have-you-done-for-us-lately kind of game.

And Joe Dumars is getting to be a guy who could use a win, before Pistons fans start turning up the heat. Joe D needs to bust a move They can never take away that 2004 NBA title or all those trips to the conference finals (or forget drafting Darko).

But this is a what-have-you-done-for-us-lately kind of game. And Joe Dumars is getting to be a guy who could use a win, before Pistons fans start turning up the heat.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/S ... +No+thanks

What about Tom Izzo as Pistons coach? No thanks
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo — a perpetual rumor for things like this — doesn’t see himself wearing a Pistons cap. “I’m not throwing my hat in the ring, and I don’t think they’re throwing their hat at me,” Izzo said. “I’m just hanging tight here. I want to win another championship.”

And think about it — how long before Izzo’s head exploded if he had to sit through 50 losses, as is possible for the Pistons next season?

“I feel bad for Michael Curry,” Izzo added. “I really have a lot of respect for him. I have a lot of respect for Joe Dumars, as well. I’m shocked a little bit.”