DBB Countdown: George Irvine’s 46 wins

by Matt Watson on Sep 15, 2008 4:17 AM EDT

There are On Saturday there were 46 days left until the Pistons kick off the 2008-09 season.

Speaking of 46, George Irvine won a grand total of 46 games in his short time at Detroit's helm. Irvine has become something of a forgotten man in Pistons history, which is a shame considering he bridged the gap from the disappointing Teal Era to Detroit's current status as a perennial contender.

Irvine was on the bench for Grant Hill's final year in Detroit, opening the 1999-2000 season as an assistant under Alvin Gentry before taking over as interim head coach once Gentry was fired in January. The Pistons finished 14-10 under Irvine before being swept by the Heat in the first round.

Detroit was supposed to lose -- Miami was a No. 2 seed, after all -- but their efforts were hampered by Hill's untimely foot injury. Irvine actually pleaded with Hill not to play, and in hindsight, Hill should have listened: this was the injury that eventually required four surgeries and nearly derailed the rest of Hill's career.

Irvine wasn't initially considered a serious candidate to return in 2000-01 as the permanent head coach (if you can believe it, Bill Laimbeer was the favorite at one point) but Joe Dumars decided he was the man for the job, in part because he was favored by Hill. As we all know, Hill had other plans, abandoning Detroit in favor of a rich contract with the Magic, although Dumars was shrewdly able to get back Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in a sign-and-trade.

Wallace was the foundation on which the 2004 title team was built, but the Pistons in 2000 looked nothing like the championship team it'd eventually become. In Irvine's lone full season at the helm, Detroit went 32-50, and the only excitement late in the year was whether Jerry Stackhouse and Wallace would lead the league in scoring and rebounding, respectively. As was the theme that year, even those quests ended in disappointment. (Though leading the league in total points scored and total rebounds, Stackhouse and Wallace finished second with their per-game averages.)

Irvine was fired at the end of the season, though no one seemed to hold him responsible. Dumars' master plan had yet to reveal itself, and as laughable as it seems now, his judgment as well as his dedication and competency were questioned. Dumars made his critics look foolish the following year -- the Pistons reversed their record by going 50-32 under Rick Carlisle and haven't won fewer than 50 since -- but Irvine never got another head coaching job.

Irvine stayed around the NBA for awhile scouting for the Magic and Jazz but never came close to running his own team. These days, he's retired near Seattle, though he's avoided completely fading from the public eye by occasionally contributing articles for Basketball.org.

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Even though the teal was ugly, Stackhouse was a machine for that team.

by Garrett on Sep 15, 2008 1:04 PM EDT reply actions

George is a cornerstone of Basketball.org and will be sharing his knowledge with the world of basketball in even more depth when the full site launches. Basketball.org will be seeking to give back to the sport by teaching the fundamentals and helping coaches and players improve their skills in a game that often struggles to be taught correctly. Look for more to come from George on the site very soon.

by Conor Neu on Sep 15, 2008 1:33 PM EDT reply actions

Going into the season,I was not expecting to get fired after just one year. We all knew that the Pistons were in a transition phase. We had to be. We were in a terrible position salary cap wise, we had our starting center retire the year before[Bison Dele],and Grant decided not to return.
The hard part in coaching that team was trying to keep the team playing together. We made several changes, getting rid of players with long term contracts, bringing in players on their last year of their contracts. It is a problem for a coach when a player is traded, and the reason given is for “salary cap purposes”. Players obviously know they are not in the franchise’s plans for the future, so they, understandibly, have a tendency to start looking out for themselves, and their next contract. I was actually pleased that we kept playing hard, and somewhat unselfishly. At least we kept competitive.
I thought Joe did some very good things after I left. After all, he built a championship team, that remains a championship contender today. That is very difficult to do.
I am so happy that Mr Davidson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have such respect for that man and it was such a pleasure to get to know him. His integrity is beyond reproach. I wish there were more people like him, whose word is their bond. He has done much for basketball and the NBA. A richly deserved honor.
I did do some scouting after leaving Detroit, as a favor to some friends. I am very happy not working. I had a couple of opportunities to go back to the NBA as an assistant coach, but chose not to pursue those offers. I did help coach one of my boys’ high school team, which I found to be a lot of fun. I have always enjoyed teaching basketball more than coaching basketball. That is one reason why we,the seven of us, our 5 boys, my wife, and I, have started up basketball.org. It will be a site to help younger players and their coaches learn how to play the great game of basketball.

by George on Sep 15, 2008 4:32 PM EDT reply actions

I remember that season well. Grant Hill was the guy that made me like the Pistons and when he bolted I was real disappointed. I thank him for leaving though, because he re-affirmed my love for the team.

by Laughton on Sep 16, 2008 5:19 AM EDT reply actions

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