A. Sherrod Blakely has an interesting observation from the Palace today:
I’ve been covering this team since 2000, and have been at every one of their season-ending pow-wows just before the players head off to parts unknown, for the summer.
But this one was unlike any I had seen before.
For starters, head coach Flip Saunders pulled out of the parking lot just a few minutes after all the players arrived. Usually coaches linger around for these things. There are plenty of plausible reasons for his early departure. He might have had a flight to catch, or some other pressing appointment. The conclusion some wanted to reach was that maybe he was fired and replaced by assistant Terry Porter. However, it appears Saunders job is safe … for now.
Speaking of Porter, he reiterated that despite some reports to the contrary, he has not pulled his name out of the running for any head coaching job. “I’m trying to put it in, not take it out,” quipped Porter this morning. He is still considered a leading candidate for the Sacramento Kings job, although an opportunity to coach the Pistons would be more appealing.
If Joe Dumars is thinking about firing Saunders and replacing him with Porter, the Kings’ interest in Porter will likely hasten Dumars’ decision. Also, Blakely points out that Rip Hamilton and Chris Webber skipped this (voluntary) meeting. Considering it’s unlikely Webber returns, that’s not a big surprise, but it’s too bad Hamilton, a co-captain, couldn’t set a good example by being there.
Update: Chris McCosky weighs in:
Despite a swirl of rumors to the contrary, Flip Saunders is going to be back coaching the Pistons next season.
“Yeah, absolutely, that’s the plan,” said Saunders from his office Monday afternoon. “That subject has never come up (with president Joe Dumars). All we have talked about was what to do about next year and how can we get better.”
Saunders said he plans to be shuttling back and forth between here and Minneapolis the next couple of days, but by next week will be here working out players in preparation of the June 28 draft.
I think Davidson is tired of paying out money to coaches. I think Flip gets one more year with a couple of new guys replacing webber and sheed. If they early exit next year, with some of these stupid coaching decisions made in this postseason, then Flip’s out of there.
Flip’s first season in Detroit was partially paid for by Minnesota, so he didn’t actually burn for the full Larry Brown buyout.
I don’t like reading that our coach will be back, not because he is good, or on the right track, but because he is a good person and we’re too cheap to make change.
This is infuriating.
Fire FLIP and Hire Billy Laimbeer!
“according to coach flip saunders, coach flip saunders will be returning to the pistons next season.”
brilliant reporting.
There is never certainty with returning coaches in the NBA, not even with new hires. Remember that Billy Donovan, Florida’s favorite son, accepted, signed, and then decided it was a bad idea for him to coach the Magic. The Magic let him out of his contract . . . Donovan’s going back to Florida.
Guys its been great. Matt you and Ian do a great job with the site. I will be checking in still to see if there are any updates with our boys. Yes I am mad about us losing as musc as the next man. But we have to look at the big picture. I am 33 years old and I have seen the Detroit Piston 3 rings. I seen the Tigers win back in 84 and had a great run last year. We as Detroit fans have it pretty good, even the Lions are getting better. Oh maybe not but there is a chance. We will get better, I trust Joe D with the team I loved for the last 28 years. Here are a few points I would like leave before leaving.
1. Please stop with the fire Flip talk. Its not going to happen. Who can do better?
2. I don’t know where the Zach Randolph talk is coming from but I really don’t its going to happen. He makes a ton on money about 60 plus remaining. We would have to move Tay,Rip, or Sheed to make the money. Sheed going back to the Blazers? Not going to happen. We would have to have a 3rd team to make that happen. Maybe a sign and trade for Mr.Big Shot. But I think Joe D id really wants him back. Don’t get me wrong I like the front line of Sheed, Zach, and Tay but we would have to give up to much to him . Maybe they would just take our 15 pick for him.
3. Rip is not going anywhere.
I have to agree with Carey that I don’t see Dumars making any moves involving Rip. Not sure that’s the best thing, but in my humble, un-professional analysis, Dumars probably has Rip off the table.
As far as the firing Flip talk goes, Carey, the easiest person to blame right now is Flip. He inherited a team that had been to the Finals in back-to-back seasons and now has nothing to show for it. Not even an Eastern Conference winners banner or whatever it’s called. Since we’ve hired Flip, we’ve not won in the East. He’s never completely gained the respect of our team. We’ve seen Ben leave and dealt with numerous rumors about the team splintering and whatnot. Maybe we can’t chalk that all up to him, but still.
He doesn’t know how to call timeouts, doesn’t know how to dictate the on-court matchups (he merely reacts to what the other team does).
Now. Be completely honest. Who would you rather have whipping the Pistons into shape? A whiny, nervous, shrill Flip Saunders? Or a hulking, defensive-minded Bad Boy, Mr. Bill Laimbeer himself, who has happened to lead our WNBA counterpart to the title twice in three years (or maybe four, I can’t recall), most recently this past year?
All this talk about Laimbeer as a coach, did I miss something? It takes a significant effort to keep up with the pistons in Texas.
Which leads me to thanking you guys for having this site. I check it twice a day, even if that means reading it from the internet on my cell phone while delivering pizzas or while waiting on my next class to start.
I also want Sheed back. Im very biased towards him, but he showed more emotion this playoffs than any of the other starters. Ben departed last offseason and took a lot of the team’s heart with him, I’d rather not have this happen again with Sheed.
I don’t want Flip Saunders OR Bill Laimbeer. I really don’t believe Detroit has time to nurture a coach and go through growing pains, and I see that Flip’s plans fail in the playoffs. It’s not the players, and they’re enough of a class act to take responsibility for their own failures. And yes, the players failed enough for their necessity to take blame.
The preparation and execution are an extension of the coach’s ability, in the case of Detroit’s roster. These guys are more adaptable than anyone in popular media will currently give them credit.
I don’t particularly care how much Joe Dumars likes Flip Saunders. Players of this quality are more difficult to replace than coaches of Flip’s average quality. This is a business, and Detroit still has a 3-4 year window with Chauncey, Rip, and Tayshaun. If Detroit finds a better starting center, then one can include Rasheed in that window.
Here’s an insane thought . . . Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap for Nazr Mohammed, Carlos Delfino, and Jason Maxiell, with no draft picks involved, no dealing of Rasheed, either.
I know people on this web home won’t like Maxiell’s name mentioned, but the deal helps out both Utah and Detroit. Mohammed’s style is more suited to cleaning up after a Tim Duncan or Carlos Boozer on the offensive glass. Utah then plays Kirilenko, Boozer, and Mohammed at 3-5. Maxiell subs off the bench as a small-ball option for Sloan. Delfino could finally get a shot at starting at the 2 or subbing for Kirilenko at the 3 or playing more minutes with Kirilenko when Delfino comes in at the 3 and AK-47 enters as the 4.
Paul Millsap is a young Corliss Williamson. Mehmet Okur, well, we’re all familiar with that guy.
Detroit uses the draft picks to find suitable bench mates for the starting five, which would be Chauncey, Rip, Tayshaun, Rasheed, and Mehmet at 1-5. Utah went 41-34 with Mehmet at the center position . . . he played a lot of minutes there for them. He brings the same disadvantage that Webber would show . . . mediocre to poor interior defense. However, Okur has better shooting range, and he’s a lot faster than Webber out there
Any suggestion is better than Zach Randolph in trade, which is Drew Sharp’s baby.
Any suggestion is better than hearing recycled rumors from where Rasheed thought he was headed (the Knicks) back when he was at the trade deadline in 2004.
The world wants nothing better than for Detroit to enter the basement of the NBA and stay there . . . to make way for LeBron James, no matter how pathetic his team may be.
To me, THAT is arrogant.
I didn’t watch too many Utah games this postseason, but didn’t Okur choke in like every game that was played?
I’m to thrilled about Saunders being back….. I think we need another guy to play big bens old role, defense and rebounds, and some low post skill too.
have you guys ever seen zach randolph’s rap sheet? if you have, there’s no way you would want that kid within a thousand miles of this franchise. i hide under the covers when the trailblazers come to town every year just in case zach thinks i’m a witness in qyntel woods dog-fighting case.
although who doesn’t blow off their bar bill at a strip club while they’re on bereavement leave?
Okur really choked against San Antonio, Rocky Cliffs. They had him hanging out on the perimeter, and that wasn’t going to work because San Antonio’s perimeter D is very tough . . . his 3-ball accuracy isn’t much better, arguably lesser, than Rasheed’s.
But they’re using Okur much more as a perimeter option out there because AK-47’s 3-ball and outside jumpers are streaky, and Boozer’s mostly effective only from the inside. Deron will be a great point guard, but they have no solid shooting guard, and there was Okur, ready and willing to jack it up for the Jazz.