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Avery Johnson appears to be the front runner to replace Michael Curry, even if Joe isn’t saying so.   I don’t have a problem with The “Little General” being our coach…now.  I don’t think it would have worked with the veteran team we’ve had in years past, but this group — or at least the ones still here on opening night — is a better fit for Avery’s style.

AJ’s fiery, preaches D, talks funny, and is a proven winner (in the regular season).

As for Bill Laimbeer, I think it’d have to be head coach or bust.  At least here in Motown.  There’s fans that’d like to see Lambs at least on the staff but I’d say that that’s not such a good idea.  Bill is the fans choice and it wouldn’t be fair to Avery, or any other head coach, for Bill to be coach-in-the-waiting.  That head coach would have to deal with calls for Lambs to replace him after every loss.  There’s too little job security as the Pistons head man as it is.

I’m encourage that even though Joe wants a coach in place by the time the team leaves for the Las Vegas summer league next week he looks as if he’s trying to find the best available coach for the Pistons.  Much unlike what he did last season.

Also see: 

• Doug Collins says ‘been there, done that’. [Detroit News]
• Rodney Stuckey: Pistons players weren’t pushing for ouster of Michael Curry [mLive]

We got to open one present a day early!

Curry is safe?  Joe D., you sly devil.  Michael Curry’s on-the-job training has been mercifully squashed, for today he is fired.  Unlike the Lions, the Pistons did not chose to go “lalalala I can’t hear you” to their nation of fans.

“This was a difficult decision to make,” said Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.” -Mlive

Nothing against Curry as a man, it was just wrong coach at the wrong time.  He’ll get on somewhere.

I guess it might also be time to park this domain.

Let the “We want Laimbeer” chants begin.

Whether it be Lambs or someones else Joe knows he needs a coach that big time free agents are going to want to play for.  Someone who has a vision that doesn’t include game-by-game lineup changes or visions of small ball grandeur.

Joe Dumars held his end-of-season presser this afternoon where he said Michael Curry’s job was never in question:

“The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been,” Dumars said. “During the season I said to myself, ‘What affect is this having on him as a first-year coach.’ I tried to put myself in his shoes.”

I’m kind of spent to put together exactly how I feel about this.  I’m not the biggest Curry supporter but giving him the benefit of the doubt after a turbulent season isn’t the worst move this team could make.  If he can’t hack it this season I’m sure this petition will get a couple more names on it.

• WATCH the Dumars presser
• A. Sherrod Blakely -Joe Dumars: This team didn’t battle every night
• Vince Ellis – Pistons stick with Curry; Dumars says ‘all the options are open’ with roster

mlive:

“Kwame is doing a great job,” Curry said. “He’s getting rebounds, which is good. But he also takes up a lot of space that’s allowing other guys to come in and get rebounds.”

[...]“One thing in this league, you can’t substitute size,” Curry said. “Kwame’s size is big for us. It’s important, especially on the defensive boards.”

As far as Wallace coming off the bench, Curry said “We’ll see. I like Sheed coming off the bench (Tuesday at Cleveland). I think it helps that unit, especially when we’re small with Will (Bynum) and Allen (Iverson).

“When you have those two out there and you’re small in the backcourt, you need someone like Sheed, possibly Max (Jason Maxiell) with his activity out there, with him.”

First thought upon reading this: “Cut it out Curry“.  Kwame has been adequate, but let’s not get silly.

Second thought: “hell, what could it hurt“?  I agree with Rasheed being a good look when paired with some of the second unit combinations.

It’s usually not a good sign to being rationalizing lineup changes with 7 games left before the post season, but does it really matter?  Is there a team we’d beat in a seven game series?  Not with all the dysfunction still present.  The Pistons will back into the playoffs but the season is now a sacrificial lamb.

This will also give us a chance to see how committed Rasheed still is to this franchise with his free agency pending.  Despite his uncanny skillset he’s never wanted to be the man so this should play right into that.

But in my honest opinion this is just the final act in the Rasheed goes to Detroit story.  He’ll field a decent offer from a contender looking bolster their lineup.

He’s at it again folks.  When Michael Curry said he might experiment and start Dyess in the last 20 games what he meant to say was that he was desperate and he’ll try anything starting tonight against the Bucks at the Palace.

 “As I talked about going into the break, I’m going to start him instead of Amir,” Curry said of McDyess. “Hopefully Amir will play better with some second line guys. Hopefully we can be more solid defensively, especially when we have the help with ‘Dyess in there and also to stay consistent.

Look out for that bus you’re being thrown under Amir!

Despite Antonio’s preference, productivity and the fact that Dyess is playing starter’s minutes already Curry is again flip flopping on lineups.  Shocking right?

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:

After the workout, Pistons coach Michael Curry said that he might consider starting backup power forward Antonio McDyess for the last 20 games of the season and into the postseason.

But he’s only considering it as a way to bulk up the starting lineup and try to avoid early foul trouble for either Rasheed Wallace or McDyess.

Why?  Why is it taking so long to settle on a rotation?  Are we supposed to wait to game #70 or so to really evaluate this team?  C’mon!  Could anyone else see this coming when Dice was killing it on the glass last night?

Dyess prefers to come off the bench.  Bring him off the bench. It’s where he’s most comfortable and productive.  Besides that he’s already getting a starter’s share of the minutes.

Wasn’t it just a couple days ago that we were reading how Amir is going to be the full time starter?  If Dice is starting how far is Curry going to bury Amir in the rotation?  Or will it just lead to more odd DNP’s for Maxiell?

The only consistency with Curry is inconsistency.  You can understand if guys are losing confidence in him.  This is getting comical.

I’m a day late on this one, but here you have it:

Pistons coach Michael Curry announced today that Richard Hamilton will lose his place in the starting lineup as the team tries to overcome its recent struggles.

Power forward Amir Johnson will replace him in the starting lineup most nights. Center Kwame Brown will start against especially big teams.

[…] “I feel we are better defensively and rebounding” with three forwards, Curry said. “We have struggled sometimes being able to score at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters. We think, by featuring Rip during those times, we can (change) that.”

Curry said Hamilton will average about 30 minutes of playing time per game off the bench. He will decide his late-game substitution pattern on the fly. - Free Press

It’s no secret, I thought it should be AI, but I’m willing to give this a chance to see how it goes.  Winning is winning, no matter who’s playing and when.