Pistons fire Flip Saunders

Avery Johnson, anyone?

 

The Pistons need an old school dictator, IMO. I'm not this current roster would respect a fresh-from-college coach. I'm not sure a "players coach" works either. Hell, with Sheed, I'm not sure a dictator is the answer either.

The more I think about it, the more I feel Sheed needs to go — and quickly.

 

That was my first thought. Probably not the first time teams ended up swapping coaches, after a fashion.

 

The Pistons need an overhaul. Fact is, they just aren't that good.

 

I think Michael Curry will be the next coach. There's a reason Dumars wouldn't allow Curry to interview with other teams.

'Sheed will be traded. They didn't give up shit to get him, so anything they receive isn't bad. He's also a somewhat-valuable commodity considering he's in the last year of his contract.

Rip will be the next likely to be moved. A good player, who I believe is relatively cheap, and never gets in trouble. They need to clear room for Stuckey, like now.

With the right trade or two, the Pistons can re-position themselves as the top team in the East with a core of Billups, Stuckey, Maxiell and Prince, along with whatever they can bring in a trade...which will be more than most people think.

 

They gave up Mehmet Okur to get Sheed.

The Pistons and their public perception have evolved into a whining, inconsistent, erratic, underperforming, finger-pointing, excuse-making, coach-defying, accountability-evading complete antithesis of the "go to work" ethic they claim to represent.

There's one reason why.

 

Okur signed with the Jazz as a restricted FA, IIRC. They got Sheed for Zelly Rebraca, Bob Sura and, I think, two first-rounders.

 

I've never bought into the "can't coach in the postseason" shit. They're the exact same coach they were when leading teams to a darn good regular season year after year. The main thing is to get a team to the postseason, then it's more or less a crapshoot with 3-4 of the teams having a true chance. So many franchises have tailspinned with this kind of thinking.

 

You're right on the actual deal, but the decision to let Okur go was a result of having Sheed on the roster. As well as the decision not to get in on the bidding for Ben Wallace, although subsequent events have shown that to be a good move anyway.

 

Ah, I get what you mean now, Starman. Yes, you are correct.

I'm not entirely sure Dumars would've matched the obscene offer Utah gave Okur, though. It seems at that time, he was considered inconsistent and soft.

Not matching the Wallace offer might've been Dumars' best move since he took over.

 

This needed to happen -- bottom line. This team as it is and has been over the past four years has run its course. I'm not saying everything there needs to be imploded, because that's just ridiculous. But Wallace needs to be shown the door and so did Flip. I'm a fan of Saunders, but this team just wasn't his situation -- it wasn't anyone's. This group has taken on a mind of its own and refused to listen to anyone -- except Larry Brown.
Saunders will be back again whenever he decides to do it, and Rasheed Wallace will be playing somewhere else next season. I think Curry and Porter will both get looks, but I think Avery Johnson gets this job in the end.

 

Lindsey Hunter has a better chance of becoming the next Pistons coach than Tom Izzo.