When I first heard that Michael Curry was the front-runner to replace Flip Saunders, I was less than enthused. The guy has one year of coaching experience as an assistant, surely he’s not ready to take the keys, right? But the more I thought about it, the more I talked myself into liking it, which is why I’m excited about today’s news that he’s officially been hired.
As a player, Curry was frequently the least talented player on the court. There’s no way to gloss that over, he just wasn’t very good. But not only did he enjoy a solid career, he also made himself indispensable with defense, hustle and leadership. He served as captain for both the Pistons and the Raptors and even served as President of the NBA Players Association, commanding the respect and trust of his more talented peers.
Since hanging them up, Curry served as Vice President of Player Development of the NBDL, as well as Vice President of Basketball Operations of the NBA. This isn’t just some jock who thinks he’s entitled for a shot just because he played the game. If anything, it seems like he was being groomed to be the next Joe Dumars, not the next Avery Johnson, and it’s his executive-level experience that I’m most excited about.
He learned his X’s and O’s during his 11-year career, and he’ll be surrounded by experienced assistants to help fill any blanks. But the fact that he’s also been groomed to maintain a big-picture view of an organization is most encouraging. He’s not coming into this with an ego of “well, this is what worked for me before.” Instead, he’s here to facilitate Joe Dumars’ vision.
Dumars refused to get into specifics about Flip Saunders’ failings during last week’s press conference, but he did indicate that everybody wasn’t always on the same page. I’m sure he was referencing more than just one thing, but in his subsequent radio interview with Stoney and Wojo, he admitted that Saunders’ refusal to trust the team’s younger players was an issue:
Q: Were you disappointed [Amir Johnson] didn’t get more of an opportunity in the playoffs?
A: I’m disappointed he didn’t get more of an opportunity this season and the playoffs. You know how Rodney Stuckey as a young guy can do certain things that nobody else on our team can do from the perimeter position? I feel the same way about Amir in the front court position, that there are certain things that nobody else can do, just from an athletic standpoint, from a speed, from a quickness, from an ability to play above the rim the way he does. I think he can bring that us and so I would love to see him as we go forward become more integrated into what we’re doing here.
It’s hard to hear Dumars say that and not think the next coach will have strict guidelines for developing the future, especially since (barring any offseason trades) Amir seems to be the heir apparent to the starting power forward job once Rasheed Wallace’s contract expires after next season.
Given Curry’s strengths as a player, I’m guessing his hiring also means good things for the defense, which the players sound ready to embrace. After losing to the Celtics in Game 6, Rip Hamilton pointed out how the team needed to get back to its roots:
I thought we lost focus on what won us the title. I always say, when we won, we got grimy, we got hard, we might not shoot the ball well but we defended and you know that this was Pistons basketball. We didn’t score, they didn’t score. And now it’s like, we give up dunks, we give up layups, you know what I’m saying? Stuff like that. It’s tough, man, you got to get back to that.
Only time will tell if this gamble pays off, but from my view, this is a good day for the Pistons.
Translation: He was an undistinguished player, he’s taken on a variety of non-coaching positions to no particular effect, and his willingness to defend will invigorate starters who’ve mouthed all the right things before.
Am I missing anything? Nope? Matt, you may be right. Maybe he’ll be a great coach. But don’t try to pass off hopes as reasons.
Its great to see that Joe D. can see what Amir can wand will bring. Though I have never had any doubt that Joe D. sees it, despite what some others may say about Amir.
I’m really excited about this hire. We’ve all met people some time in our life whether it be a coach/teacher/boss/co-worker/family member etc. who just has the natural ability to lead and motivate a group of people towards a single goal. Michael Curry is that type of guy.
He was an undrafted free agent who became President of the NBA Players Association. That just doesn’t happen. Here’s a list all the other President’s of the NBA Players Association;
Bob Cousy
Tom Heinsohn
Oscar Robinson
Paul Silas
Bon Lanier
Junior Bridgeman
Alex English
Isiah Thomas (and the league is still alive today…amazing)
Buck Williams
Patrick Ewing
Antonio Davis
Like Matt said, let’s get a couple veteran assistant coaches to aid with the x’s and o’s, but I really like everything else Curry brings to the table.
I agree that Curry will be a great NBA coach. The facts supporting that position are abundantly clear. One doesn’t have had to do something for people to see that a person will be able to do it once given the chance.
Everyone said Lebron was going to be a great NBA player while he was still in high school. People who have seen Amir play say the same thing about him. People who have studied the facts say the same thing about Curry becoming a great NBA coach.
I’m confident Michael Curry will get the job done as a head coach for our beloved Pistons. I loved his hustle and his desire to win when he played here in Detroit. Hopefully, he will bring that same hustle and desire back to our team.
Worst that can happen - Curry can’t coach, the team doesn’t have any reason for losing 60 games next year, Curry is fired, and we look at a glorious top pick that David Stern will rig any team ahead of us with the ping pong balls.
I don’t believe it will get to that.
Add me to the bandwagon. Matt, our fearless leader, has me convinced.
Lets say this about Curry. Worst he can be is Doc Rivers. A guy that just gets players motivated. And where is Doc right now?
I know Saunders has taken a lot of hear for not playing his younger players over his 3 year tenure, but he was caught in a very difficult position: he had to “win right now” but also “prepare and season the younger players for the future.” A lot of the time, I believe, those are two completely contrary positions to hold. If you’re trying to win “now” then player development is difficult even for the best of coaches; younger players make mistakes and learn from them, but those mistakes can cost games and a coach is ultimately judged on a win-loss record.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is this: you can’t really have it both ways. Either Dumars tells Curry that he’s inheriting a championship-caliber team and anything less than a title is unacceptable, or else Curry and Dumars agree the team is in a reloading/rebuilding transition and there will be a little leeway from the front office so the younger players get the experience they need.
I think dumars was tired of watching guys he has drafted go elsewhere and play well.I wonder what he thinks watching okur play for utah.if lb would have played him ,do you think he might have been resigned?
what is the worst that curry could do? really, he could just not build a team and fail in the playoffs? oh, been there!
someone has to be the first to hire the “next great coach”, lets hope this is one of those times.
good luck, mc!
The Amir Mixtape Tour starting next season!
what was the most improved part of our team? the bench. who was in charge of the bench? michael curry. now rinse and repeat to EVERY OTHER aspect of the team and we’ll have our COTY.
I think dumars was tired of watching guys he has drafted go elsewhere and play well.I wonder what he thinks watching okur play for utah.if lb would have played him ,do you think he might have been resigned?
what is the worst that curry could do? really, he could just not build a team and fail in the playoffs? oh, been there!
someone has to be the first to hire the “next great coach”, lets hope this is one of those times.
good luck, mc!
If you’re trying to win “now” then player development is difficult even for the best of coaches; younger players make mistakes and learn from them, but those mistakes can cost games and a coach is ultimately judged on a win-loss record.>>
Your premise is based on the idea that the older experienced players are better, not will be better but are better now. I will agree with you that when that is the case it is indeed difficult to win to your maximum potential if you play the young inexperienced guys instead of the better experienced players.
But when you have an Amir sitting on the bench way too much during the season and for almost all of the playoffs you are just playing your better player. It is as simple as that. Saunders refused to use Amir in the playoffs even though Joe D. believed that Amir was better than the more experienced guys, who got to play instead of him.
You have to play your best players. Saunders didn’t play Amir in the playoffs so he did not play his best players and lost. Hence adios Flip.
People can argue my above point all they want. The point is that this is what Joe D. said so you can argue with him. I just happen to agree with him.
Joe D. didn’t say Amir was better than Sheed, Dyess and Maxiell. He said Amir has a different skill set.
“Joe D. didn’t say Amir was better than Sheed, Dyess and Maxiell. He said Amir has a different skill set.”
Yes - like a cure for cancer. It remains speculation. As does Curry.
It’s going to be a long wait until the 08-09 season.
“Isiah Thomas
Buck Williams
Patrick Ewing
Antonio Davis”
Kevin Sawyer walks into the backyard. Second later, we hear the unmistakable sound of a shotgun blast, muffled only by a human mouth.
“Yes - like a cure for cancer. It remains speculation. As does Curry.”
Wouldn’t it be sweet if curry were the cure for cancer? Not least of which for Eddy Curry.
If it was, everyone would eat Indian food.
No way we could have signed Okur. He was a RFA, but Utah offered him $8M/yr, or in other words, overpaid for him. Because of cap restrictions, we could only offer him $5.5M/yr. Remember, we replaced him with Dice for that number, and many felt like that’s an upgrade at the time.
I like Okur’s game, but his game is very similar to Sheed’s in a lot of respects.
V’s right.
Maybe this is a stretch . . . Okur was what Nocioni would have been for us if we were Chicago and actually matched it.
“Everyone said Lebron was going to be a great NBA player while he was still in high school.”
Not a very good example. If you play good ball at a young age you might develope into a good player once older. Since Curry hasn’t coached a college/NBDL we don’t know anything about his coaching ability. If you’re a good manager it doesn’t mean you can be a good coach.
I agree with JD, if he was in charge of the zoo crew’s improvement maybe he can get the same results with the starting 5
I remember thinking when Flip Saunders was hired as a coach “that’s a strange choice, he does not really have the same style as the Pistons”. He did manage to keep the Pistons playing competitively, but they never seemed to be going anywhere. Perhaps he was just hired as a temporary coach until Joe Dumars found a coach that would fit the team better? And now Joe D. thinks he has found the coach for our team, so they let Flip go?
I agree that Flip was in a tough position — apparently winning 59 games and getting to the ECF AND using the bench more than Detroit has used its bench since 2004 wasn’t enough. So he should have used Amir Johnson more in the playoffs? Against Dwight Howard? Against Kevin Garnett in close games? Is that really the time and the matchups you want? I know ‘Sheed and the other starters blew a ten-point lead in game 6 against the Celtics, but what would people be saying if that lead –in an elimination game — had disappeared while Amir Johnson was playing, and not a starter?
I don’t think anybody really thought Amir was going to get serious minutes in the playoffs. After the starters we had Maxiell, more experienced and a better producer, and Ratliff, brought in for his experience and shotblocking.
The weird thing that happened to our bench during the playoffs is that Flip stopped playing the two guys who had been backup SFs — Hayes and Hermann — and instead went to three-guard lineups when Tayshaun was out (oh, and Tayshaun was back to playing 40+ minutes every game). If Jarvis Hayes had been able to go for his season averages or a little better, I think that would have made more of a difference than playing Amir as the fourth or fifth big man.
@Toledo Joe:
“So he should have used Amir Johnson more in the playoffs? Against Dwight Howard? Against Kevin Garnett in close games? Is that really the time and the matchups you want?”
Amir helped close out the Philly series beautifully:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=Ai2jxNJw.p4jAOuIZwE1cbikvLYF?gid=2008050120
However, going into the Orlando series, Maxiell wasn’t the right body to throw at Howard (which someone corrected me about here on DBB). Rasheed, Maxiell, Ratliff and McDyess all match up much better against Howard.
Against Garnett, well we all remember how that turned out in the regular season, when Garnett manhandled Amir. But when Garnett wasn’t on the floor, and when players like Perkins, Powe, Brown and others were giving us problems, Amir could have saved the day. I remember in game six, just begging for Flip to put Amir in. There was a point in the 4th quarter of game six where Amir could have begun to turn the tide. Boston outscored us 29-13 in that quarter, and we needed someone to block shots, put bodies on the floor, grab rebounds on both ends of the floor and get cleanup, muscle baskets. Meanwhile, Rasheed shoots 2-12 and almost singlehandedly loses the series for us in that quarter.
Herrmann is another story. He’s a mix between a 3 and a 4, he’s tall, he’s got length, strength, and can be a defensive pest. So if Tay has matchup problems with bigger, stronger 3’s, Herrmann had the skill set to make a difference. I’m willing to bet that Herrmann could have given problems to Paul Pierce, and could do the same to a player like Lebron.
I realize that if Flip tried either of these and we lost, people would feel like those substitutions lost it. But in the heat of the moment, these are the things I was screaming at my television.
Hopefully Curry will do what we all hope he has the potential for– to inspire and command our players and trust our youth a lot more than Flip did.
“However, going into the Orlando series, Maxiell wasn’t the right body to throw at Howard”
That was supposed to read “Amir wasn’t the rigth body to throw at Howard”
Mike P.:
I agree with you re Amir in the Philly and Orlando series(es?). I didn’t see game 6 of the Boston series (out of the country on business — the only playoff game I missed and one of the only games period I missed all year). So I can’t say what I thought or would have thought while watching Detroit blow that 10 point lead — well, there would have been a lot of expletives, but re strategy, I don’t know.
Still, I come back to the idea that if you see a lead slipping away in an elimination game, even if your all-star starter hasn’t played well, you don’t go to a rookie bench guy who has seen few meaningful minutes all year and who in the past was dominated by the specific opponent you are facing now. You suggest that Amir would have fared better against the Boston big men not named Garnett (was KG not playing in the 4th quater?). I don’t know — those guys are hard to figure: Perkins and Powe seem to have really good and really mediocre games for no particular reason.
Anyway, Flip followed that conventional wisdom and lost. We’ll never know whether playing Johnson have changed the outcome. But I hardly think it’s a firing offense to have not played him then. At some point, you gotta dance with the ones what brung ya.
@Toledo Joe:
“But I hardly think it’s a firing offense to have not played him then.”
I don’t think anyone is suggesting it was a firing offense, that 4th quarter lineup.
“You suggest that Amir would have fared better against the Boston big men not named Garnett (was KG not playing in the 4th quater?)”
Detroit showed ZERO energy in that quarter, our only answer was to foul. Boston shot 14 of 27 free throws in the 4th quarter in that game. We needed someone to come in and be a spark, help our offense with put-backs and tip-ins and block shots on the other end. We looked dead, we weren’t driving to the paint, we settled for jumpers that were mostly missed.
Funny enough, we needed Amir on Offense that quarter, more than anything. Rasheed was our inside man, but none of his post shots were falling. So instead he settled for threes, and we know how that goes…
Actually Mike P., I think you are overlooking Jason Maxiell. He hit two big shots in that quarter (in the paint I might add).
It’s ridiculous to say that Flip should have put Amir in (although I agree that he should have been given a shot at the minutes that Ratliff got during the series), but it’s more than fair to say that Maxiell should have been playing at the end of that game.
@QD:
Yes, Maxie did hit two shots– both were jumpers. The only big that was taking shots inside was Sheed, which we saw was foolish due to his poor shooting that night. Max wasn’t playing inside, and he only had 1 rebound in 17 mins (if I remember correctly, didn’t check the stats), which suggests he wasn’t having an on night.
I remember that was the only time in that whole series where I was asking for Amir.