khandor’s sports blog

In the summer of 2009 yours truly made the observation that the 2008-2009 version of the Detroit Pistons had an on-going “internal” problem with their former head coach, Michael Curry, and the team’s core group of players who had been with Detroit during the successful run of the previous decade.

Essentially, this is what was said:

1. The Pistons had been unsuccessful, in large part … not because they had only “average-to-below-average” players on their roster, but … because the “average-to-above-average” players on their team had not been used appropriately by their head coach and such problems with their regular “rotation” would continue to be the primary cause of their failure, if the right head coach was not brought in by Joe Dumars/GM to address the situation moving forward.

2. Clear “Role Delineation” is a key component of a successful basketball coach’s job.

3. Fostering “Team Cohesion” is a key component of “Role Delineation” for a successful basketball coach.

4. An elite level basketball team that has several players who work best at the same position with a similar set of strengths and weaknesses needs to have their “individual roles” identified clearly by the head coach, in a way which establishes a clear hierarchy and allows their “best” players to receive the most playing time, on a consistent basis.

5. One way … of many different alternatives … to accomplish this type of “regular rotation” for the 2009-2010 Detroit Pistons, given their collection of Point Guards, Off Guards, Combo Guards, Guard-Forwards, Small Forwards and Combo Forwards would be to implement:

i. An exclusive 3-player rotation at the Point Guard and Off Guard positions;

in concert with,

ii. An exclusive 2-player rotation at the Small Forward position;

that looked something like the following:

STARTERS
PG, Rodney Stuckey
OG, Rip Hamilton
SF, Tayshaun Prince

KEY SUBS
PG-OG, Ben Gordon
SF, Jonas Jerebko [or Austin Daye]  

and, thereby, excluded Will Bynum [PG] – a talented player, in his own right – from the mix on a consistent basis.

This type of regular rotation would have promoted very clear “Role Delineation” amongst the Pistons’ guards and forwards and enhanced “Team Cohesion”. 

Unfortunately, instead of doing this …

Last Season 

John Kuester [i.e. new head coach] juggled his players incessantly in the different Point Guard, Off Guard and Small Forward roles;

and,

This Season

The problem has only become worse with the inclusion of Tracy McGrady [PG-OG-SF].

Exhibit A - Prince and Kuester have words. Again.

Exhibit B – Pistons aren’t playing hard

Exhibit C - Hamilton at center of Pistons turmoil

Exhibit D

Pistons’ turmoil boils over, coach ejected in loss 

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Despite what you might have read - either, recently or over the last 2 seasons - from other “so-called” basketball analysts who rely primarily on stat-based metrics like “Wins Produced”, etc., to evaluate the abilities and relative worth of NBA players …

The main problem for the Pistons, since Larry Brown’s departure, as their head coach, has not been rooted in the ”below average” abilities of their players but the “poor fit” between their “best” players and the men Joe Dumars/GM has hired as their next 3 head coaches, i.e. Flip Saunders, Michael Curry and John Kuester. 

While these Detroit teams have been short of the sort of overall “talent level” required to compete successfully for a place in the NBA Finals, this is not the main reason they have plummeted down the Eastern Conference standings, since the trade of Chauncey Billups [PG] for Allen Iverson [PG-OG].

In relative terms …

Authentic elite level basketball coaches are a rare commodity.

When a given NBA team fails to hire one of these select individuals to lead their on-court operation, it should really come as no surprise, at all, if the players on their roster are not able to reach their maximum capacity, either, individually or as a collective unit.

Hopefully, Joe D. will be able to solve THIS on-going problem for the Pistons.

Here’s what yours truly had to say about the Pistons’ fortunes this season back in August and September [2009] with a few of their ardent and vociferous fans at the otherwise terrific site, DetroitBadBoys.com, concerning:

i. The continued development of Rodney Stuckey
ii. The proper role for Will Bynum
iii. The proper role for Rip Hamilton
iv. The proper role for Ben Gordon
iv. The proper role for Ben Wallace
v. The proper role for Jason Maxiell
vi. The proper role for Charlie Villanueva
vi. The proper roles for Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Deron Washington
vii. The proper decisions for John Kuester
viii. The effect of a 3-guard rotation on Team Cohesion
ix. The effect of Team Cohesion on Winning [i.e. Efficency, Effectiveness and Team Excellence]

It’s contagious

Yes, it’s a huge thread with 651 comments [!] … many of which are immature and inane by a certain sub-set of Pistons fans active on that site … but, if you take the time to parce out what was actually said there by yours truly, you should be able to see just how accurate many of those initial comments have been to this point in the Pistons’ season.

Since that time there have been several other articles and discussions concerning the Pistons’ plight this season, at the guard positions, in a variety of different locations on-line:

Could Will Bynum become the Detroit Pistons’ franchise player? [Nov 18]

Bynum or Stuckey? [Nov 19]

Will Bynum > Rodney Stuckey [Nov 20]

Bynum gets love, Stuckey gets none [Nov 25]

Detroit: Stuckey or Bynum – who should start? [Nov 25]

culminating in yesterday’s declaration by the NBA:

Stuckey the East’s Player of the Week

If the Pistons’ long term goal is to eventually regain their former perch at the very top of the Eastern Conference, then, what they’ll continue to do this season is … exactly what yours truly said in the “It’s contagious” thread,

because when a lead guard like Rodney Stuckey [PG, 6-5] gets an opportunity to play the game in this way alongside other elite level performers like:

GUARDS and FORWARDS
Rip Hamilton [OG, 6-7], Ben Gordon [OG-PG, 6-3], Tayshaun Prince [SF, 6-9], Jonas Jerebko [SF, 6-9], Austin Daye [OG-SF, 6-10], Dajuan Summers [PF, 6-9] and Deron Washington [SF-OG, 6-7]

POWER FORWARDS and CENTERS
Ben Wallace [C, 6-9], Jason Maxiell [PF, 6-7], Charlie Villanueva [PF, 6-10], Kwame Brown [C, 7-0] and Chris Wilcox [PF-C, 6-9]

his team has a chance to become a dominant force for years to come, in the NBA, with the benefit of Top Notch coaching and personnel management.

Clearly defining the proper roles for your team’s 2 Point Guards [i.e. I. The Starter; and, II. The Primary Back-up] within an almost exclusively 3-guard rotation, at the Point and Off Guard positions, is a MAJOR COMPONENT of building an elite level squad, when:

* One of your MAIN COGS is an expensive free agent signee, like Ben Gordon, who just happens to be 6-3, 205, and a Combination Guard that can stretch the defense with long distance 3′s and by creating high percentage shots off the bounce, either, for himself or his teammates;

* Another of your MAIN COGS is a seasoned [and wily] veteran, like Rip Hamilton, who is an expert at moving without the ball in his hands and scoring within the mid-range area of the floor; and,

* The 3rd of your MAIN COGS is a terrific young stud, like Rodney Stuckey, with good size and physicality, plus the ability to [A] drive the ball to the bucket and score, [B] convert free throw attempts into points scored, [C] knock down open jump-shots, [D] create high percentage shots for teammates, and [E] Defend and Rebound his own position, in an elite level manner.

The Pistons have now won 5 games in a row, and 6 of their last 7, overall; including 2 solid home-court victories against Atlanta [17-6/.739; 2nd, Southeast] and Denver [17-7/.708; 1st, Northwest].

A healthy Rip Hamilton [OG] is now back in the starting line-up, beside Rodney Stuckey [PG].

It is going to be very interesting to see what John Kuester proceeds to do with a healthy Ben Gordon [OG-PG] and Will Bynum [PG], when each one is ready to return to the Pistons’ regular rotation.

If he slots Gentle Ben [OG-PG] into the rotation as Detroit’s #3 guard, in support of the Stuckey [PG]/Hamilton [OG] pairing … and, alongside of a Maxiell [PF]/Wallace [C] front-court tandem, with support from Villanueva and Brown, and a Small Forward split between Jerebko, Daye and an eventually healthy T-Prince … then LOOK OUT [!], because the Pistons will be joining the Hawks as the “next best two teams” in the EC this season, on the heels of the Celtics, Magic and Cavaliers.  

If he does not do this, however, and, instead, simply returns to using 3 [or more] Point Guards [i.e. Stuckey, Bynum, Gordon, and Atkins], on a regular basis, or using Rip Hamilton frequently at the SF position, in a “small” line-up, or using a 4-guard [or more] rotation, at the PG and OG positions [i.e. Stuckey and Hamilton; Bynum and Gordon; Player X and Atkins], etc., then, unfortunately, the Pistons will continue to flounder this season, hovering about the .500 mark and performing in an inconsistent manner. 

High End teams in the NBA have Quality Depth throughout their roster.

One of the other distinguishing characteristics of these teams, however, is that they are each intelligent enough to pare their rotation down to a “working group” of only 7, 8 or 9 [max.] players; with the rest being able to accept their fate and their proper lesser roles, as reserves, this season.

The first Moment of Truth this season is about to arrive for the Pistons.

How John Kuester chooses to handle it will become a defining moment of his tenure as the head coach for their team. 

Related:

Rip Hamilton praises Pistons coach John Kuester, team’s pluck

There’s a good reason yours truly constructed these two separate player lists … A [Dec 19, 2007] & B [Jan 30, 2008] … during the 2007-2008 NBA season.

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Billups leaving bigger impression: Pistons, fans now feeling guard’s loss

Here, he was Mr. Big Shot, the calming leader, but as the Pistons failed to reprise their championship, Billups’ postseason performance came under scrutiny. To be frank, the Pistons didn’t appear capable of winning it all as assembled, and some people even think Dumars waited too long to break them up, which is ridiculous.

At 32, with six terrific seasons here, Billups thinks they were broken up too soon, which is debatable.

“Yep, I do,” he said. “People said I’d gotten old, but I truly believe, if I hadn’t gotten hurt (hamstring), we’d have beaten Boston and won another championship.”

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13 months later … and, all things being equal … this corner is in complete agreement with Chauncey Billups’ interpretation of what actually transpired during the 2008 Eastern Conference Playoffs and still considers him to be one of the very best Point Guards in the NBA today.

Back on Dec 8 2009 … THIS is what was suggested in this corner as the most effective solution to Pistons’ problem[s] this season, since their acquisition of Allen Iverson and the departure of Chauncey Billups.

One of the key tenets of this corner is the notion that …

There is seldom, if ever, just ONE effective solution to a Problem in Life, and never ever should one consider oneself to be stuck permanently in a LOSE-Lose [i.e. NO WIN] situation.

On the contrary, this corner believes whole-heartedly that, in fact, there are at least TWO WAYS to accomplish an objective in this world, in most cases, and there is always An Effective WAY OUT of a situation which might otherwise appear to be a lost cause … if one puts one’s thinking cap on, has some fun, works smart, works together with others, and thinks in a manner which others might consider to be unconventional [i.e. outside-the-box].

To wit:

Please see, 1.The Life Truth of The Kobayashi Maru; 2. What it means to Not Believe in the No-Win Scenario, in the first place; and, 3. What to do when caught with your britches down.

=========================

Since the Pistons have refused to implement Option 1, thus far, it is now incumbent upon their basketball brain-trust to search for, and then implement, an Option 2.

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Whether Michael Curry, Joe Dumars, or Rodney Stuckey, likes it or not … the Pistons can still become the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference, again this season, if they eventually come to the following realization about their team’s mix of players:

#1. PG - Allen Iverson
#2. OG – Rip Hamilton [at least 30 MP and finishing their games]
#3. SF - Tayshaun Prince 
#4. PF – Antonio McDyess
#5. C – Rasheed Wallace
=========
#6. Back-up PG/OG - Rodney Stuckey [ala The Micro-wave]
#7. SF - Arron Afflalo
#8. PF – Amir Johnson/Jason Maxiell
#9. C – Maxiell/Kwame Brown
=========
#10. SF - Walter Herrmann
#11. PF/C - Johnson/Maxiel/Brown
=========
#12. PG - Will Bynum [4th string]

Although their best Group-Of-5 does no longer includes Mr. Iverson at all, given his defensive & rebounding limitations, at this stage of his illustrious career, if he’s used as the Starting PG, exclusively … with The Real Deal in relief of him, in addition to getting extra time at the OG-spot, as a Back-up to Rip … AI would [i] still be able to receive major minutes on this team, and [ii] would not be holding back the long term development of Rodney Stuckey, as the future leader of the Pistons,

who would then still have what it takes to regain their perch beside the Boston Celtics.

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Despite the fact that first-year Head Coach, Michael Curry has not handled his initial crisis with the Pistons in an effective way, how he handles this situation, moving forward from here, is now the second significant test of his leadership with their team.

——————————–

Hopefully he Chooses [more] Wisely this time around.

Q1. How much did the Pistons miss Antonio McDyess during his Iverson-trade-imposed absence?

A1. Seems like … an awful LOT.

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Antonio McDyess toughs it out in Pistons’ victory
With a bag of ice wrapped around his ribs, another wrap around his left thigh and a left pinkie finger that was popped back into place moments earlier, Antonio McDyess said, “I look the way I feel.”

His physical ailments aside, McDyess delivered the kind of gutsy performance the Detroit Pistons needed to squeak past the Los Angeles Clippers 88-87 on Sunday.

McDyess was limited to 23 minutes, but still had team-high 15 rebounds, including 12 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

“He just plays,” Pistons coach Michael Curry said. “The guy wants it bad. He wants to finish his career, these last few years, winning big and winning a title. He just lays it out on the line everyday. That’s what you respect, and love the most about him.”

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In the opinion of this corner … it would simply be a mistake to write the Bad Boyz v.2 off, just yet, as potential EC Finals participants … in the wake of the more-than solid starts to the season to-date by the Celtics and Cavaliers.   

A team’s TOUGHNESS QUOTIENT [TQ] is directly related to the specific individuals it has on its player roster and who is used in their Principal Rotation … and, the Pistons’ TQ shot back up the charts on Dec 9 2008.

7-W’s-in-a-row … including 10-of-their-last-12-games … and counting …

Whether Michael Curry, Joe Dumars or Allen Iverson like it or not … the Detroit Pistons will only become the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference, again this season, if they eventually come to the following realization about their team’s mix of players:

#1. PG - Stuckey [should be playing 30+ MPG]
#2. OG – Rip [should be playing 30+ MPG]
#3. SF - Prince [back-up back-up PG, should be playing 30+ MPG]
#4. PF – Maxiell/Johnson/McDyess
#5. C – Sheed
=========
#6. OG/PG - Iverson [ala The Micro-wave]
#7. SF - Afflalo
#8. PF – McDyess/Maxiell/Johnson
#9. C – Brown
=========
#10. SF - Herrmann
#11. PF/C - Johnson/Maxiel/Brown
=========
#12. PG - Bynum [4th string]

Although their best Group-Of-5 does not include Mr. Iverson, if he’s used corrrectly, off the bench …

for high intensity spot duty, in relief of Stuckey or Rip, ala Vinnie Johnson [from yesteryear], as the 3rd Guard in the rotation, behind Zeke & Little Jo, who could really fill it up whenever he’s in the game; but, is nowhere nearly good enough defensively or in terms of rebounding, at this stage of his career, to justify [i] receiving major minutes on this team, or [ii] the holding back of Stuckey, in general, at the PG spot … 

then, the Pistons still have what it takes to regain their perch beside the Celtics.

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How he handles this situation, from here on in, is the first significant test of Michael Curry’s leadership with the Pistons.

This corner of the blogosphere simply cannot say frequently enough just how much Sam Mitchell is liked and appreciated by yours truly.

Despite what he articulates in his public interviews … there should be no doubt whatsoever that HE knows full well the extent to which each and every game or practice for an NBA team is, in fact, a measuring stick of one sort or another … with the only distinction being what is being ‘measured’ that day, specifically, and by whom.

It is going to be most intriguing tonight to see exactly where the Raptors [3-0] stand, playing their 4th game of the regular season versus a Pistons team [3-0], now, permanently without Chauncey Billups [starting PG for the last 6 years] in their line-up and, either, with or without ‘The Answer’, in the mix for Detroit, a squad that has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for 6 consecutive years.

It should be another barn-burner at the ACC this evening!

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FREE ADVICE: 
In-game, keep your eyes firmly fixed on (i) the ‘Rebounding Differential’, (ii) the Assist:Turnover Differentials, (iii) the FGM-A’s and %, (iv) the 3FGM-A’s and %, plus the FTM-A and %, as important measurements of team performance vs a Quality Opponent, in the NBA.

The player who the Detroit Pistons have acquired from the Denver Nuggets is a far different person today than the subject of this infamous clip …

Practice?

older, wiser … and, more mature in his thinking; about life, in general, and particularly his specific approach to the game he loves.

Iverson’s Pistons Press Conference

Allen Iverson Press Conference Transcript 

When your pro sports franchise is run by men with the ‘cred’ of Bill Davidson, Joe D. and MC [Hammer] you are going to be able to ‘integrate’ a great talent like A.I. seamlessly.

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Q1. Are the Pistons a better team on the court today than they were two days ago?
A1. Maybe; maybe not. Only time will tell.

Q2. With this acquisition, are the Pistons now going to win the NBA title this season?
A2. Probably not; not with the LA Lakers being as strong as they are this year.

Q3. Are the Pistons worse off today than they were two days ago?
A3. Not a chance. They have added a terrificly talented player to their team; created roster space for their burgeoning younger players to grow into; and, freed up ’Cap Space’ after this current season, depending on what specific direction their GM [Joe D.] wants to go with this team. Which makes this a Win-Win-Win situation for the Pistons, now and going forward.

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By far, the best observation/quote these eyes have read, to this point, about the tenure of Joe D. with the Pistons is this:

“The Pistons, under Dumars, never stop, they just idle with the engine running. It’s what makes them interesting.”
- Mitch Albom/Detroit Free Press

[read more here ... on the fine work of Joe D.]

What does this trade mean/do for the Detroit Pistons? … now and down-the-road?

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Pistons retain focus in victory
I. The remaining members of the Pistons’ core — now a band of three — might have taken the floor with a heavy heart Monday after losing two of their brothers, Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, in a trade with Denver for Allen Iverson.

But that didn’t stop them from handling the young Charlotte Bobcats with relative ease, 101-83, for their third straight victory to start the season.

“We still have to go out and do what we do,” said Rasheed Wallace, who posted 15 points. “We know (trades are) part of the business. Do we like it, maybe not. There’s no telling at this point. But we still have to go out and play.”

II. “It was a tough day,” coach Michael Curry said. “To lose your captain and one of your emotional leaders and for the guys to gather themselves and play the way they did — we’re proud of them. That’s what we expect. When you put that uniform on, regardless of what else is going on, we’ve got to play.”

III. Clearly, the Pistons veterans were shocked by the trade. Richard Hamilton, Billups’ All-Star backcourt mate who led the Pistons with 19 points, wouldn’t talk to the media.

IV. When asked if he was sad, shocked or hurt by the trade, Tayshaun Prince said, “Everything all into one. I can’t even explain it. I won’t even try to explain it.”

Prince spent much of the day talking to Billups and said he was hurt a bit but doing well.

“When you had six straight years with somebody, you got that bond and that connection and then all of a sudden it’s gone,” Prince said. “That’s tough.”

V. “That’s the most important thing about us,” Prince said. “We are still going to play.”

Prince did try to put a positive spin on the trade.

“We’re getting something special (Allen Iverson) in return, I know that,” he said. “I hope the trade inspires him, which I know it will. When he gets here we are going to welcome him with open arms.”

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It shows the character they have and their level of commitment to winning.

In the NBA, today, Joe Dumars … is the new Jerry West.

There are many participants in the hoops blogosphere who could not fathom a comparison between the talents & abilities of two seemingly dis-similar NBA players like Ben Wallace [power & no finesse] and Amir Johnson [finesse & no power].

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Curry: Johnson is Pistons’ starting forward
[Michael] Curry was careful not to make any direct comparisons to former Piston Ben Wallace but he believes Johnson can bring some of the same intangibles to the starting unit Wallace did.

“Ben could make a tremendous impact on a game without having any plays run for him. Amir is like Ben in that sense,” Curry said. “Amir can impact a game by how he rebounds, he can impact on the speed in which we play, offensively and defensively. His presence will be a welcome addition to that group.”

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Unlike the resident of this place, they do not see what’s really there … hidden in plain sight.

Thus far, MC [Hammer] just keeps churning out the hits, as the Pistons’ new/old maestro, in Motown.

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There’s a[n old] soul in the city, watching over us tonight …

UPDATE: Pre-quel … MC [Hammer] is a ‘Boy Scout’ at heart.