May

31

Extreme Makeover In Detroit?

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Main, SDC COMMENTARY 

??????????????????????????? Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders (right), Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (left)

Another exit from the NBA playoffs.? Another disappointing playoff run.? So what gives up in Detroit?? Lots of speculation, for certain but according to Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com, a statement made by forward/center Rasheed Wallace after getting eliminated by the Boston Celtics could speak volumes about the Pistons’ future - “This is the end, man.”? A rather cryptic statement, but one with meaning.? It can mean several things in the Pistons’ big picture.

One thing that comes to mind is the Pistons’ coaching situation for next season; some Pistons insiders have already told ESPN.com that there’s at best a 50-50 chance that Flip Saunders will return to coach the team next season; Saunders, for the third straight year, failed to get to the NBA Finals after basically taking over a Detroit team that had went to 2 consecutive visits to the Finals.? Saunders also holds the record (not one to be proud of, that’s for sure) for the most conference finals games played (24 games) without ever actually going to the Finals.

As just about every NBA team does immediately after the regular season (or the playoffs), the team’s upper management usually evaluates the team as a whole and in certain instances, the coaching staff.? It will be no different in Detroit as one can expect team president Joe Dumars and team owner Bill Davidson to discuss whether to retain Saunders.? I’m not going to speculate as to whether Saunders will stick around Detroit for another season, but assuming that he doesn’t, then in light of the recent hires around the league, they will probably promote from within (read: either Terry Porter or Michael Curry).

But to be fair to Saunders, the Pistons’ roster is showing its age to a certain degree; consider the fact that except for Tayshaun Prince, all of the Pistons’ starters are 30 years of age or older.? If anything, the Pistons have faced teams that were hungrier than they were during the playoff runs.? Whether the coach had anything to do with that attitude or not is speculative, but I wouldn’t pin all of the blame for the Pistons’ lack of success recently on Saunders just yet.? The coach?draws up?the X’s and O’s the last time I checked, and it is the players’ jobs to execute them as successfully as possible.

There is also the distinct possibility that Dumars and other upper management may want to re-upholster the team as a whole - either by breaking up the Pistons as a whole or eliminating some parts and replace them with younger parts.? I like the latter option better as Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey impressed this past season, especially during the playoffs and deserve more playing time next season.? But when the smoke clears, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some familiar Pistons names gone from the roster and Saunders get one last shot at getting the Pistons to the NBA Finals next season (it is Saunders’ final season on his current contract).

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