DX is right, WTF!!!

[Sebastian]

Oracle, thanks for the concept and definition; "Shiny New Object Syndrome." I'm thinking Anthony Bennett fits that bill perfectly, when compared to Josh Smith. A college freshman compared to an eight year veteran (the team clearly needs a veteran presence in the locker room). A proven hard-nosed defender and shot-blocker vs. a colligate 39% 3 point shooter (16 points in 27 minutes ain't bad but, right now I'm taking the defender). The excuse many use, that are against Smith, is he's not a SF, he's a PF (6' 10", 240 lbs.); well Bennett is a 6' 8", 240 lb. PF, not a SF! The next order of business, for those who're handling Tom Gores money, is not wanting to pay Smith a max contract; to that concern I offer this "voodoo economic principal" (how 'ya like that "O"), subtract the guaranteed #8 pay scale money Bennett would be getting from the max and with what's left ask yourself is that a fair price to pay for a proven highly skilled SF/PF? The simple fact is, that #8 pick can be put to better use going after a natural perimeter player or big, not someone coming in to try and learn a new position; that money gambled on Bennett and Corey Maggette's expired contract more than makes signing Smith a bargain!

If the Pistons are taking gambles on a player, why not the Croatian? Joe's ass is out of here anyway, why not swing for the fences with his last gasp? I personally favor multi-skilled big men who can handle the ball and see the floor; strong and unselfish. Dario Saric is a 6' 10", 235 lb., 19 year old with all those attributes, and is an upgrade over Jerebko in the rotation. If the Pistons fail to draft or trade for Trey Burke in the first round, Ray McCollum should be the #393pick hands down! I think Ray is just the push Knight would need to get his game together and he's a better backup than Bynum ("Shiny New Object Syndrome" strikes again). I'm officially advocating making the team bigger, more athletic, smarter, younger, less selfish, and stronger. It's not necessary that #8 has to start right away or even this year but, become a reliable contributor in the rotation. I'm all for signing Smith and Allen as FA's and for all that like to slide players around, slide Middleton over to backup SG.

WTF is Joe waiting on to sign a new HC? I really don't understand the "drag ass" style he does business in, nor do I understand his reasoning to "stand pat" with every damn thing! If I didn't know any better I'd swear he was dimwitted but, the reality is he's unsure of himself, has no lead to follow, and is lacking in imagination. Poor Joe.

Furthermore, why are Adrian Griffin, BJ Bickerstaff, Darrell Walker and others who have no chance in hell of being successful as Head Coaches even getting the time of day (interviews).

WE need to get OUR **** in gear. Next season needs to be a 50+ win season, with aspirations of playing in May and preferably June and none of these bozos who have been granted interviews, thus far will coach US to success.

There needs to be a "real" coach in place, now, making preparations for the draft and suggestions for FA signings and possible trades to shape OUR roster into a competitive unit.

I'm at the point, now, that I don't what to think.

[deusXango]

"Shaw, an Indiana Pacers assistant, is prohibited from interviewing for jobs until his team is eliminated from the playoffs, which may not be until June 20, the way the Pacers-Miami Heat series is going."-Michigan Live sports column

How did the Hawks interview and hire Mike Budenholzer; isn't the Spurs still in the playoffs? What makes Brian Shaw so precious right now, a guy who's been overlooked for years?

In the end Joe's going to regret snubbing Bill Laimbeer more than anything else. Time will tell.

[deusXango]

Oracle, thanks for the concept and definition; "Shiny New Object Syndrome." I'm thinking Anthony Bennett fits that bill perfectly, when compared to Josh Smith. A college freshman compared to an eight year veteran (the team clearly needs a veteran presence in the locker room). A proven hard-nosed defender and shot-blocker vs. a colligate 39% 3 point shooter (16 points in 27 minutes ain't bad but, right now I'm taking the defender). The excuse many use, that are against Smith, is he's not a SF, he's a PF (6' 10", 240 lbs.); well Bennett is a 6' 8", 240 lb. PF, not a SF! The next order of business, for those who're handling Tom Gores money, is not wanting to pay Smith a max contract; to that concern I offer this "voodoo economic principal" (how 'ya like that "O"), subtract the guaranteed #8 pay scale money Bennett would be getting from the max and with what's left ask yourself is that a fair price to pay for a proven highly skilled SF/PF? The simple fact is, that #8 pick can be put to better use going after a natural perimeter player or big, not someone coming in to try and learn a new position; that money gambled on Bennett and Corey Maggette's expired contract more than makes signing Smith a bargain!

If the Pistons are taking gambles on a player, why not the Croatian? Joe's ass is out of here anyway, why not swing for the fences with his last gasp? I personally favor multi-skilled big men who can handle the ball and see the floor; strong and unselfish. Dario Saric is a 6' 10", 235 lb., 19 year old with all those attributes, and is an upgrade over Jerebko in the rotation. If the Pistons fail to draft or trade for Trey Burke in the first round, Ray McCollum should be the #393pick hands down! I think Ray is just the push Knight would need to get his game together and he's a better backup than Bynum ("Shiny New Object Syndrome" strikes again). I'm officially advocating making the team bigger, more athletic, smarter, younger, less selfish, and stronger. It's not necessary that #8 has to start right away or even this year but, become a reliable contributor in the rotation. I'm all for signing Smith and Allen as FA's and for all that like to slide players around, slide Middleton over to backup SG.

WTF is Joe waiting on to sign a new HC? I really don't understand the "drag ass" style he does business in, nor do I understand his reasoning to "stand pat" with every damn thing! If I didn't know any better I'd swear he was dimwitted but, the reality is he's unsure of himself, has no lead to follow, and is lacking in imagination. Poor Joe.

[WTF]

Yes it was a damn shame opportunities were blown with that 2004 core of players but not just with the coaching changes. The bench simply declined and the core got older and Joe sat idle on his Fat Ass as it happened. That's 2004 core could have and should have won at least 3 titles.

[WTF]

I wouldn't object to drafting Siva you guys know how I like guys that stay the whole 4 years of college. I still have my toes crossed on a Burke miracle happening and McCallum Jr. is still my Plan B if the Burke miracle doesn't happen .

[Oracle]

IMO, if Hollins is smart, it's time to leave the Grizzlies! Why?

Well, Z-Bo is inching tgowards 32 years old, Bayless & Allen may not return, so your core is likely just Gasol & Conelly!

He needs to snap up the Clippers job because he's the hottest coach on the market by a long shot, and with the Clippers two young bigs and Chris Paul, he's got a better core than Memphis cold possibly deliver!

All the Clippers need is a good coach that forces them to play defense like they're lives depend on it! That Clipper team, properly coached is close to being the BEST team in the west by a good margin!

Rarely will the stars align so perfectly, and Hollins would be a fool to go back to a Memphis franchise where the ownership is so volatile and stat driven to stupidity!

While we're a good opportunity for some coach, we're nothing compared to the Clippers job! That team is ready to blow up in a lucrative top media market!

[Oracle]

"Is Otto Porter Jr. really head and shoulders above Khris Middleton as a player? What's the justification for penciling Porter Jr. in as a starter but, Middleton is slated to be a hopeful rotation player? Draft position? Sh!!!!!t. Hmmmm who knows but draft position plays it part in this, while Middleton show some positive signs some of you Pistons Fans tend to over-state what your seeing." - DX/Wise

Middleton may be better, we don't know, but draft order does play a big part! But you have to factor in the level of the draft and where Middleton would have gone if he hadn't been injured!

However, those are the issues that mean next to nothing, and are basically distractions to the real problem.

In technology we call it the "Shiny New Object Syndrome"!

It happens every draft, the Shiny New Object's show up and everybody fantasizes how the new object is better than the old one, and attributes great powers to the new one even though they know next to nothing about these guys!

Joe has it bad, he'll even draft guys that can't stay awake for 48 minutes, but hey, they're new and will dominate the league

So here we go again, every PG is better than the PG you already have, and the lunacy goes on for teams mostly in the lottery looking for a savior, their own personal Jesus!

[Oracle]

"The Detroit Red Wings and the San Antonio Spurs play different sports in different leagues on different surfaces in different states, but make no mistake: They’re the same team.

Or, more to the point, they’re the same organization -- gold standards of their respective leagues for a generation. The Red Wings are in the playoffs for a 22nd consecutive season, the Spurs for a 16th. Each has won four league championships over that span. And each is in contention for a fifth this postseason." - Freep

The Pistons should of been in that conversation too, but why aren't we? We've had championship level coaches, but we haven't been able to keep them!

1. Rick Carlisle should have been a coach here for years, but his tenure got cut short because Mr. D had a burr under his ass! Although I wonder if that was the excuse they used because they were talking to LB on the back channel(shoe phone).

2. Larry Brown could have easily got us one more championship at minimum, but probably two, and he got loopy and basically forced us to get rid of him, and it turned out to be his last chance to do anything special!

It's a sad commentary the way we've failed to snatched something "Special" for the organization when it was right in front of us!

[WTF]

Has Monroe and Drummond had a fair chance to show what they can do together? Is there any visual evidence that they're not compatible? No but the visual evidence is Monroe's inability to effectively play PF.

Is Otto Porter Jr. really head and shoulders above Khris Middleton as a player? What's the justification for penciling Porter Jr. in as a starter but, Middleton is slated to be a hopeful rotation player? Draft position? Sh!!!!!t. Hmmmm who knows but draft position plays it part in this, while Middleton show some positive signs some of you Pistons Fans tend to over-state what your seeing.

Should the Pistons be trying to acquire another first round pick? Would our #8 and say #26 be equal to or better than a top three pick this year? Yeah with the right GM making the selections

Could this possibly be the year when Knight "gets" it and begin playing solid PG? Is doubling his assists and cutting his turnovers in half an unreasonable goal? Don't know if he'll finally get but that is not an unreasonable goal.

Who's happy with Jerebko playing summer league ball on the Swiss National Team? What's to be gained or lost at this stage of his career? As far as the rotation goes, isn't it better to have him and Kravtsov fresh than a recuperating Maxiell re-signed (for energy of the bench purposes)? JJ will likely be traded over the summer he really doesn't fit on the team being force out of his natural position SF and forced to play PF.

Did Lil' Larry get half the teams worth out of last years players or were the fans robbed? Will the new coaching hire be a morphed repeat of the last three coaches the Pistons have had? If he's a better coach, doesn't the core look so much better going forward? You know it was all Lil Larry the roster sucked, but I think it'll come down to Cheeks or Shaw. I'll go with Cheeks

Is there a real reason to bring back any of our free agents? If you think so, who and why?! I can't see not wanting to sign Josh Smith but, wanting to bring back Calderon, Bynum, and Maxiell, like that move would represent sound spending practices. No real reason, if Joe really up-grade the SG and SF position then you can live a little longer with Knight at PG. What Knight needs is a Rip or Reggie type SG and a Glen Rice type at the SF.

Who think we can get Derrick Williams and would he be worth the effort? Who think that Anthony Bennett is a better fit at becoming a potential SF than Derrick Williams with his physical problems (rotator cuff and an asthmatic condition)? Haven't thought about this one

Until Joe Dumars publicly recants his statements about traditional PG's being a thing of the past, should we be trusting him to evaluate perimeter talent? Beyond combo guards and hybrid forwards, where's the evidence that Joe can recognize top talented positional players? We need top talent right now! Joe has never admitted to any of his f@%k ups why would he start now but his action speaks for themselves. Stuckey is no longer the PG of the future when he made that dumbass remark, Knight got replace by Jose and we're all hoping Burke drops to 8th. I trust Joe with making the right Draft Choice like I would trust him with Fresh Hot Krispy Kremes

Ton of questions DX

[WTF]

Give credit to Drummond, he went out and asked for help! I love this kid, he's getting good advice and doing all of the right things!

Oracle, you're right, it now begins and ends with this man-child; he's "the Man." All team personnel decisions should be made to accommodate him, from the PG to the coach.

This is why I'm not all that excited about Monroe and think his number won't get any better than what they are. Seeing Drummond coming out of the gate to work to improve on his game after his rookie season speaks volumes. Yet here we have Monroe going into year 4 deciding he just now needs to work on his Mid-range game.

What Drummond is doing is what dedicated players do all the time and that's work on their game every summer, adding something different or becoming better at what they do best. Monroe hears the grumblings and all of the talk about peaking, and being traded maybe all of this will light a fire under his ass. IMO he's still a lazy f@%k that will just do enough to get by and limit himself.

[deusXango]

Give credit to Drummond, he went out and asked for help! I love this kid, he's getting good advice and doing all of the right things!

Oracle, you're right, it now begins and ends with this man-child; he's "the Man." All team personnel decisions should be made to accommodate him, from the PG to the coach.

[Oracle]

Stuckey had two problems that no player will overcome unless they're a superstar, which means they would have been drafted #1-#5!

Joe put both Stuckey and the coach in a position that had FAILURE written all over it!

Stuckey didn't pull that sense of entitlement out of his ass, Joe put it there! Coaches didn't sit his arse because Joe said he was the franchise PG, end of discussion!

Then add to that the fact that the coaches, even with the mandate, didn't have the capability to use Stuckey to both of their best advantages, ending with the completely inept management by Frank and his vindictive coaching style!

My main point is that this fish stinks from the head, and that's Joe! Now you know I'm basically a Joe supporter, but I'm not going to paper over the crappy stuff he does, and this one stinks a lot!

Knight was getting the same treatment, and if I know Knight, he doesn't want or need a position "Gifted" to him, he wants to earn it, and your play tells that story!

Having said that, young players have to be given the time and instruction to develop properly, and simply giving them PT is necessary but not sufficient!

However, IMO, if a player isn't getting it from his coaches, these players make enough money to hire personal coaches to improve their game! This is a business, and if the Pistons or any other organization won't do their job and develop you, you need to do it and get the eff out of there when the time comes, or get your payday wherever it's at!

Give credit to Drummond, he went out and asked for help! I love this kid, he's getting good advice and doing all of the right things!

[deusXango]

The article makes some good points, Oracle. The thing I largely blame Stuckey himself for is not becoming an outstanding defender, because he seemed to have all the tools to become one: size, strength, and good first step quickness that should let him consistently stay in front of folks just it helped him drive by players. Just adding that one skill would have made him a good player, when added to his excellent ability to drive and his solid security with the ball. That package would have allowed him to flourish even when combined with mediocre passing and shooting. Seriously upgrading his D was more in reach than becoming a genuine floor general or outstanding shooting. I'd still enjoy seeing what he could do if Popovich got to coach him, so in that way I agree with a good deal of the article.

You have to want it bad to become successful as an NBA player at the skill positions. I am surprised that some of you have this attitude that Stuckey is the player he has become because he has never had a great coach in the NBA. I respectfully disagree Sparma. Popovich would never let Stuckey see the floor. I really believe that good chemistry has not flourished yet on this Piston team because Stuckey as been on the team. There have bee great expectations from management when Stuckey signed his last contract that he would be a team leader. Last summer Stuckey stated that he was going to take Brandon Knight under his wing and help him improve. I am sure that never happened. Knight worked his butt off lifting weights and adding weight while working on his defense. What did Stuckey do to improve himself. No coach can do what you are saying. This is a complete lie to believe such nonsense when you are talking about NBA players. Most players are looking for an edge trying to improve some aspect of their games. There is not better example than Labron James. He is never satisfied with his game. He keeps getting better because of it. Stuckey has never gotten better and he hasn't put in the necessary work to get better. He is not looking for an edge. The only hope Piston fans have that Stuckey will try harder is because he needs a new contract. If he gets it, Stuckey will once again return to form. Who is that mild mannered reporter? No Stuckey is not Superman when he puts his uniform on. He is the same guy sitting in his living room eating pop corn as he is checking in at the scorers table. He has very little passion for the game and that shows. Popovich has watched Stuckey play and there is no way he would coach that man. If Stuckey is not traded he will just be in the way again. And that causes bad chemistry. History does count Piston fans. I am amazed that some of you could fall for this nonsense. Again, no NBA coach is hired to motivate NBA players. That should not be their job. They manage the team and figure out who the best players are and who works best together. These are grown men we are talking about who get paid millions of dollars. It is up to them to get themselves better so they will not look bad playing against other NBA players who work their asses off to get that edge. The way Stuckey plays basketball, how long would he make it on the tennis tour if he played professional tennis with the same approach that he does with basketball? NOT LONG!

Don, that was a hell of a post! The only thing that you missed, IMHO, was that Stuckey had an unfair sense of entitlement that's hurt the team over the years; he was the sacred cow on a team with no sacred cows! Every coach had a mandate to start Stuckey, no matter what. It wasn't so much the coaching carousel that caused Stuckey's game to not improve, it was the GM in place who's been protected and believed in that didn't allow Stuckey to grow as a player; all he had to do was show up and his spot was guaranteed, so why work on his game? Thanks again, Don.

[deusXango]

Has Monroe and Drummond had a fair chance to show what they can do together? Is there any visual evidence that they're not compatible?

Is Otto Porter Jr. really head and shoulders above Khris Middleton as a player? What's the justification for penciling Porter Jr. in as a starter but, Middleton is slated to be a hopeful rotation player? Draft position? Sh!!!!!t.

Should the Pistons be trying to acquire another first round pick? Would our #8 and say #26 be equal to or better than a top three pick this year?

Could this possibly be the year when Knight "gets" it and begin playing solid PG? Is doubling his assists and cutting his turnovers in half an unreasonable goal?

Who's happy with Jerebko playing summer league ball on the Swiss National Team? What's to be gained or lost at this stage of his career? As far as the rotation goes, isn't it better to have him and Kravtsov fresh than a recuperating Maxiell re-signed (for energy of the bench purposes)?

Did Lil' Larry get half the teams worth out of last years players or were the fans robbed? Will the new coaching hire be a morphed repeat of the last three coaches the Pistons have had? If he's a better coach, doesn't the core look so much better going forward?

Is there a real reason to bring back any of our free agents? If you think so, who and why?! I can't see not wanting to sign Josh Smith but, wanting to bring back Calderon, Bynum, and Maxiell, like that move would represent sound spending practices.

Who think we can get Derrick Williams and would he be worth the effort? Who think that Anthony Bennett is a better fit at becoming a potential SF than Derrick Williams with his physical problems (rotator cuff and an asthmatic condition)?

Until Joe Dumars publicly recants his statements about traditional PG's being a thing of the past, should we be trusting him to evaluate perimeter talent? Beyond combo guards and hybrid forwards, where's the evidence that Joe can recognize top talented positional players? We need top talent right now!

[Sparma]

I think my post on Stuckey ended up being confusing, Don. Let me try to clarify.

1) I do agree in part with the piece Oracle posted about the importance of coaching: the turnover in coaching and the lack of direction can't have been helpful in finding an optimal role for Stuckey. I think just settling on a single role throughout would have helped: eg we need you to initiate the offence off of the bench. We understand that you're a combo guard and we'd like you to use your excellent skill at driving and your not too bad skill of passing.

2) My main point was a departure the focus on dependence on coaches (in the article): Stuckey had all the physical skills necessary to seriously upgrade his defensive prowess. Why didn't he? Lack of will power, as you seem to suggest in the contrast with Knight? An overinflated ego (I shouldn't be expected to do the dirty work)? Maybe an understandable desire to conserve energy for his power consuming drives to the basket? I'm not sure, but becoming a tough defender struck me as a possibility for Stuckey that was largely NOT system- or coach-dependent (contrary to what I took to be the main point of the article).

3) This is where it becomes real messy, because I circle back to the importance of the coach, having countered it in #2. Part of defense is physical (Knight will always struggle with larger guards, as would Burke), but so much of it is effort (I agree with you). That effort can be, should be, self-generated. But sometimes it can be solicited by a tough coach, like Popovich. Depriving Stuckey of minutes (which you mention) could be just the ticket. Oracle's brought up that Stuckey often seemed to have opportunities and privileges handed to him. A tough and informed confrontation of Stuckey (eg: film & our quantifying show how much more you could give on D) could serve as external trigger for Stuckey's choice (see #2) to be a tough defender. I do think there are examples of indifferent defenders becoming competent because of coaching pressure: maybe Rip (who battled Kobe like a demon, even though overmatched) with Larry Brown and Boozer with Thibodeau are examples. For some reason, Curry, Kuester, and Frank -- all of whom preached defence -- didn't have that kind of effect on individual defensive performance. Some coaches do though. That's a lot of what makes guys like Carlisle, Larry B, Popovich, and Thibobeau superior coaches. I'd still like to see Pop taking Stuckey under his wings.

[Oracle]

The hawks worked quickly and took a risk!

[cool breeze]

A friend mentioned this idea this past weekend and I thought it might be worth sharing. Teams like the Pistons, Bucks, Timberwolves etc. are not attractive to star players or even mid level players for a good reason other than bad weather. The Kings, Lakers, Nets, Knicks might also have the same trouble as the purse strings start tightening due to the economy and lack of interest in the NBA. Agents and players benefit in the pocket book in Texas and Florida because there are no State income taxes. This is the same thing that drives some retirees out of States with high State taxes. So maybe we Piston fans can blame our political leaders for adding another nail in the coffin. Piston management in the past have pulled out 3 miracles winning those championships. And the last championship was won with management bragging about how little they had to pay their players. Who wants to pay high State income taxes if you can live in another area of the country and save tons of money while getting the same services? Sorry I didn't mean to cause any additional Piston depression.

[cool breeze]

The article makes some good points, Oracle. The thing I largely blame Stuckey himself for is not becoming an outstanding defender, because he seemed to have all the tools to become one: size, strength, and good first step quickness that should let him consistently stay in front of folks just it helped him drive by players. Just adding that one skill would have made him a good player, when added to his excellent ability to drive and his solid security with the ball. That package would have allowed him to flourish even when combined with mediocre passing and shooting. Seriously upgrading his D was more in reach than becoming a genuine floor general or outstanding shooting. I'd still enjoy seeing what he could do if Popovich got to coach him, so in that way I agree with a good deal of the article.

You have to want it bad to become successful as an NBA player at the skill positions. I am surprised that some of you have this attitude that Stuckey is the player he has become because he has never had a great coach in the NBA. I respectfully disagree Sparma. Popovich would never let Stuckey see the floor. I really believe that good chemistry has not flourished yet on this Piston team because Stuckey as been on the team. There have bee great expectations from management when Stuckey signed his last contract that he would be a team leader. Last summer Stuckey stated that he was going to take Brandon Knight under his wing and help him improve. I am sure that never happened. Knight worked his butt off lifting weights and adding weight while working on his defense. What did Stuckey do to improve himself. No coach can do what you are saying. This is a complete lie to believe such nonsense when you are talking about NBA players. Most players are looking for an edge trying to improve some aspect of their games. There is not better example than Labron James. He is never satisfied with his game. He keeps getting better because of it. Stuckey has never gotten better and he hasn't put in the necessary work to get better. He is not looking for an edge. The only hope Piston fans have that Stuckey will try harder is because he needs a new contract. If he gets it, Stuckey will once again return to form. Who is that mild mannered reporter? No Stuckey is not Superman when he puts his uniform on. He is the same guy sitting in his living room eating pop corn as he is checking in at the scorers table. He has very little passion for the game and that shows. Popovich has watched Stuckey play and there is no way he would coach that man. If Stuckey is not traded he will just be in the way again. And that causes bad chemistry. History does count Piston fans. I am amazed that some of you could fall for this nonsense. Again, no NBA coach is hired to motivate NBA players. That should not be their job. They manage the team and figure out who the best players are and who works best together. These are grown men we are talking about who get paid millions of dollars. It is up to them to get themselves better so they will not look bad playing against other NBA players who work their asses off to get that edge. The way Stuckey plays basketball, how long would he make it on the tennis tour if he played professional tennis with the same approach that he does with basketball? NOT LONG!

[Sparma]

The article makes some good points, Oracle. The thing I largely blame Stuckey himself for is not becoming an outstanding defender, because he seemed to have all the tools to become one: size, strength, and good first step quickness that should let him consistently stay in front of folks just it helped him drive by players. Just adding that one skill would have made him a good player, when added to his excellent ability to drive and his solid security with the ball. That package would have allowed him to flourish even when combined with mediocre passing and shooting. Seriously upgrading his D was more in reach than becoming a genuine floor general or outstanding shooting. I'd still enjoy seeing what he could do if Popovich got to coach him, so in that way I agree with a good deal of the article.

[Oracle]

@Murph & @Seb - Forget Hollins, nobody is so stupid as to let the best coach in their history walk without a fight! It's not impossible that they could blow the negotiations and have Hollins bolt, but if he did, IMO, the Clippers job would be the PERFECT revenge job to make them pay for a dumb ass move!

Another good read: Detroit Pistons: Why Team Can't Handle Brandon Knight Like Rodney Stuckey

This article made me re-think Stuckey! No, not keeping him, we've destroyed him already by failing to develop him properly, but to where the blame truly lies! IMO, the failure of Stuckey, although not stated in the article, falls mainly on Joe!

The point of this article is to describe the problem and point out that we can't repeat the same mistake with Knight!

[Murph]

Sounds good. I'm in. Hollins looks like a very viable option...along with McMillan and Avery Johnson.

Let's hope Mr. Gores and Joe are doing their homework.

[Sebastian]

You know what we need? We need a coach who's saavy enough to take full advantage of Monroe's low post scoring, rebounding and passing, while minimizing Monroe's defensive deficiencies.


And you know who Monroe reminds me of?...Zach Randolph. Both Randolph and Monroe are defensive liabilities, but in the right environment, both are valuable for their freakish ability to score in the post and draw fouls, with the defense draped all over them.

Both Randolph and Monroe score about 15-17 ppg, and pull down 10-11 rpg. And as long as Randoph can play PF along side defensive standout, Marc Gasol, Randolph's defensive deficiencies are minimized.

Gores and Joe need to get into quick negotiations with Lionel Hollins. Oh, and L. Hollins can coach point guards, too. Look what he has done with Mike Conley, Jr.

Seb...you make an excellent point about Lionel Hollins. He's worked wonders in Memphis with a team that has many of the same flaws that our Pistons have.

But why would Hollins leave Memphis now?

Hollins' contract expires on June 30. So I would say MONEY could get it done. Hollins is in the final month of a $2.3 million dollar contract. Mo' money can get him in Detroit.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--lionel-hollins--future-with-grizzlies-uncertain-082401253.html

[Murph]

You know what we need? We need a coach who's saavy enough to take full advantage of Monroe's low post scoring, rebounding and passing, while minimizing Monroe's defensive deficiencies.


And you know who Monroe reminds me of?...Zach Randolph. Both Randolph and Monroe are defensive liabilities, but in the right environment, both are valuable for their freakish ability to score in the post and draw fouls, with the defense draped all over them.

Both Randolph and Monroe score about 15-17 ppg, and pull down 10-11 rpg. And as long as Randoph can play PF along side defensive standout, Marc Gasol, Randolph's defensive deficiencies are minimized.

Gores and Joe need to get into quick negotiations with Lionel Hollins. Oh, and L. Hollins can coach point guards, too. Look what he has done with Mike Conley, Jr.

Seb...you make an excellent point about Lionel Hollins. He's worked wonders in Memphis with a team that has many of the same flaws that our Pistons have.

But why would Hollins leave Memphis now?

[Sebastian]

You know what we need? We need a coach who's saavy enough to take full advantage of Monroe's low post scoring, rebounding and passing, while minimizing Monroe's defensive deficiencies.


And you know who Monroe reminds me of?...Zach Randolph. Both Randolph and Monroe are defensive liabilities, but in the right environment, both are valuable for their freakish ability to score in the post and draw fouls, with the defense draped all over them.

Both Randolph and Monroe score about 15-17 ppg, and pull down 10-11 rpg. And as long as Randoph can play PF along side defensive standout, Marc Gasol, Randolph's defensive deficiencies are minimized.

Gores and Joe need to get into quick negotiations with Lionel Hollins. Oh, and L. Hollins can coach point guards, too. Look what he has done with Mike Conley, Jr.

[Murph]

You know what we need? We need a coach who's saavy enough to take full advantage of Monroe's low post scoring, rebounding and passing, while minimizing Monroe's defensive deficiencies.


And you know who Monroe reminds me of?...Zach Randolph. Both Randolph and Monroe are defensive liabilities, but in the right environment, both are valuable for their freakish ability to score in the post and draw fouls, with the defense draped all over them.

Both Randolph and Monroe score about 15-17 ppg, and pull down 10-11 rpg. And as long as Randoph can play PF along side defensive standout, Marc Gasol, Randolph's defensive deficiencies are minimized.

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