If you didn’t know already, Michael Curry was fired today and Need4Sheed got an exclusive look at his Pink Slip.

I know, I know….I’m horrible.

Your wishes have come true Pistons fans…

Details forthcoming! Michael Curry relieved of his duties.

Is it wrong that I just danced a jig?

UPDATE: Via MLive

“AUBURN HILLS – The never-ending carousel of coaches for the Detroit Pistons continues with the announcement that head coach Michael Curry has been fired.

“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.”

UPDATE: Chris McCosky The Detroit News

“As for the next coach, Dumars could choose from a very short list: Doug Collins, former Bulls, Pistons and Wizards coach; Avery Johnson, former Mavericks coach; and John Kuester, former Pistons and current Cavaliers assistant coach.

“My family and I have an understanding and they know I want to do it (coach) one more time,” Collins said during a phone interview from his home in Arizona. “It has to be the right situation, but everybody knows I have a great affection for Detroit and the Pistons organization. They are committed to winning.”

Johnson, reached in Texas, had not heard from the Pistons and didn’t want to comment.

“I have not heard from them yet,” Johnson said. “It’s unfortunate what happened to Michael, but of course I am always in listening mode.” “

UPDATE: Pistons.com Keith Langlois – Who’s Next?

“The names that have floated to the top of the list are Avery Johnson, Doug Collins and John Kuester – and all make sense, if for varying reasons.

Johnson has the most recent track record of success in the NBA. His strength is implementing a structured system. There were whispers in Dallas that his style eventually became overbearing, but the type of discipline the Pistons seemed to lack last year was never an issue in Dallas under Johnson.

Collins is universally recognized as a brilliant basketball mind – his TNT telecasts are mini-clinics, in much the way Hubie Brown’s once were – who, like Johnson, also comes with a reputation for burning through relationships within a few seasons. Pistons fans will recall how Collins milked more wins than seemed possible out of his teams here in the ’90s. When he considered the Bulls job last summer, Collins reflected on those days and said he’d learned to pull back.

Kuester was a highly respected piece of Larry Brown’s staff here previously and was seen as the counterbalance to Brown’s mercurial mood swings with the mettle to voice dissent. He doesn’t have the head coaching track record of Collins and Johnson – though he did run his own college basketball programs before leaping to the NBA – but he was credited by Cleveland coach Mike Brown for making the Cavs a much more efficient offensive team the past two years while Brown focused on defense, his specialty.

That Curry’s firing comes on the eve of free agency is nothing but coincidental. As Dumars said upon announcing the decision this afternoon, it was not one easily reached. It’s fair to assume it’s something he’s considered since the season ended, based on the dysfunction he perceived as the Pistons finished the season in a tailspin and put up little resistance during Cleveland’s four-game sweep in the first round of the playoffs.

Changes come with no guarantees, of course. Acknowledging a problem doesn’t ensure its resolution. But it’s a necessary first step that many in positions of power avoid for the reflection it casts on them. As the tough decision to fire Michael Curry one season into the job proves, the path of least resistance is one Joe Dumars steadfastly avoids.”

As you heard, Joe Dumars announced yesterday that Michael Curry will return as the Pistons coach next season. Most of you were praying calling for his termination, but quite honestly I didn’t see it happening.

“It was an up-and-down season for him,” Dumars said, “and an up-and-down season for us.”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. During the season, I said to myself, ‘What effect is this having on him as a first-year coach?’ I tried to put myself in his shoes.” Via The Detroit Free Press

While Curry has to be held accountable for the Pistons woes this past season, he was thrown a considerable curve ball with the Billups trade. Free pass? No.  But think about it, why would Dumars bring in a big ticket coach in what will likely be another season of “transition” for the Pistons. Curry rides it out until he gets better or the roster is set and Detroit can contend for a title.

I would like to hear your thoughts and concerns in the comments, but I’m curious to know if you thought Dumars was going to Fire Curry after this season.

“We don’t have that one guy that steps in, get on a person for doing something wrong,” McDyess said. “We have certain nights where one person would say something, and another would, but we need that one person who will be there, and we know that they got our back and that they’ll get on us when we do wrong and direct us when we’re going wrong. We don’t have that.” Via MLive

That quote comes from a piece in MLive in which A. Sherrod Blakely paints a grim picture of the Pistons discontent.

“In the past couple weeks, players have dropped not-so-subtle hints blaming the team’s poor play on roster changes that began with the Nov. 3 trade of Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson. Curry, in not-so-subtle terms, has said players need to play with more fight if they want to turn things around.

There appears to be an increasing disconnect between Curry and his players, the kind of issues a team leader would work to hash out before things become worse.

Things are getting progressively worse, and there are no signs from within the Pistons roster that anyone is ready, let alone willing, to stand up and be accountable for this team’s success moving forward.”

We can all sit here and point fingers, we do it all the time, but imagine what’s going on inside that locker room and how hard it is for those players to believe in the Coach, Joe Dumars or each other.

When a guy like McDyess can’t muster up the courage to take control of that locker room, things must be worse than we ever imagine.

Ben Wallace even chimed in…

“It’s tough to go out and be a leader when you’re not certain about the style that you’re playing,” said Wallace, who now plays for Cleveland. “Once they find their identity, everybody will be on the same page and a leader will emerge. Until then, it’s going to be some uncertainty; you don’t know whose coat-tail you need to pull; who you need to get in line because you don’t know for sure what’s going on.” MLive

For

“From Feared to Absurdity”

……First off I would like to thank God, if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be standing here today.  Joe Dumars for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity to coach these players. For pulling off a trade for Allen Iverson that has a lot to do with me standing here in front of you right now. To Flip Saunders putting up the wins, but not getting it done come playoff time. To my wife for believing in me, David Stern, Mike Brown, The Thunder – a class organization – The Bobcats, The Bucks… oh my, who else do I need to thank? Mr. D for running a class organization. Chauncey Billups….who am I forgetting? Oh and like they always say… it’s all about rotations.

Rotations, Rotations, Rotations!

THANK YOU!!!!!

This is starting to get a little tiring to write… after a third quarter of total domination by the Pistons they managed to once again blow a 15 point lead and the game to the Chicago Bulls.  This 107-102 loss to the Bulls is is a textbook example of everything that has been going wrong with the Pistons all season long.

Key Points:

• How much more can Pistons fans take?  From the comments in the game thread and in the chat room, not much.
• Too much talent to play the way this team is, period.  We expect losses, but it’s as if they are playing a game of NBA2K9 and think they can just hit restart when the game isn’t going their way (and yes I admit to doing that).
• Blame whomever you want, we have a coach who’s clearly in over his head, players that look lost, a system that doesn’t work, an unwillingness to change that system that doesn’t work, a defense that looks brilliant at times and then on the next play looks like a disaster… and to top it off when they can’t score they don’t make an effort to get the ball in the paint for easy buckets! We could go on and on.
• Think Joe is on the phone right now?
• 15 down with 8:09 to play…was it Chicago or did the Pistons hand the game to the Bulls?  Me…silver platter.
• Sheed utterly dominating, knocking down shots over everyone, and the Pistons stop going to him.
• 95 Points off the Bench for Richard Hamilton in the last three games for the Pistons.
• Rip led Detroit off the bench, but his 30 point game performance was all for nothing.

Photo/Getty Images

• Is Curry actually calling a play in the last seconds of the game when Detroit has the ball down three?  Rip to the hole for the dish to Dyess is ok if it works, and if Rip doesn’t waste most of the clock. Perfect ending to the storm.
• Richard Hamilton Highlights.
• 15 careless turnovers.
• And why the home whites in Chicago?
• As for those of you who wanted to hear Curry’s post game comments, they were nothing life-altering.  He just looks like a deer in headlights who has no idea what to say.  Kind of like when you break your mom’s favorite vase and have to own up to it.  You stand there dumbfounded for a moment trying to grasp for words.
• And what happened to the Defense in the fourth quarter?  Nocioni was blowing by Tay like he was invisible.
• The only enjoyable part of the game…..Anytime Joakim Noah can be made to look like a fool by anyone other than himself can always put a big smile on my face. Tayshaun blocked the grin off Noah’s face.
• (more…)

The Michael Curry Edition:

All is a buzz (not like it hasn’t been here for quite some time) about Michael Curry.

• Chris McCosky thinks Curry is over coaching and it’s hard to disagree with him.
• DBB’s and some of his readers make a point that MC was put in a really tough spot, but doesn’t think he deserves a free pass.
• I essentially said the same thing the other day when Jim Kushlan invited me to talk Pistons for his show The Benchwarmers. They asked me to grad MC’s job as a coach….I gave him a D and I thought that was being nice. I did also state all the reasons why he was pretty much set up for failure with everything that has happened this season. Doesn’t mean Larry Brown isn’t looking that bad either right now though.
• Like it or not, the Pistons really are running out of time to salvage this mess.
• John Hollinger of ESPN may have the answer: “If there’s good news for the Pistons, it’s that some of the answers appear to be available in-house. By benching Kwame, promoting Maxiell and reducing Johnson’s role, the Pistons could start a very effective Wallace-Maxiell combo, bring McDyess in off the pine and then use Johnson in a bench energizer role where his high-wire act can thrive and the fouls aren’t as big a problem.”
• Midseason grades don’t look that good, nor should they.
• The not so reliable Trade Rumor.
• 18 in the Power rankings. The cruel reality….The Bobcats are a spot above us.
• Should Joe Dumars take ALL the blame?
• I mentioned the other day that I was the guest of Matt Watson and his readers for DBB’s Suite Night. What I didn’t tell you is that one of the winners, Garrett Elliot is top notch Wedding Photographer so the pictures he took were fantastic. He even got a couple of me trying to look important and doing my best Joe Dumars impression. But what’s even better….was his T-Shirt. I don’t think I need to explain what it means either. If that doesn’t make you smile on a day you found out the Bobcats are better than the Pistons…..I don’t know what will.
• And then there is this…(Thanks to TJ for making sure I didn’t miss this) I saw it at the Palace and was waiting for it to appear. It’s also over at Detroit flavored TWOI.

“At the end of the second the way things were going I thought Tay would be our best guy to guard Dirk…..maybe looking back on it if we stayed with another big and kept one of the guards on the bench”

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News asks probably the most hard hitting questions of last night’s post game presser.

At the end of the 14-4 run you had three guards on the floor at the same time was there a problem with that?

It seems like you gave into frustration early.

Michael Curry post game press conference January 23rd 2009.

From most of your comments it looks like the ESPN broadcasters really ripped the Pistons.  I don’t really want to revisit the 112-91 debacle, but I just may have to.

If you DARE, here are the FSN Highlights of the game by quarter. If the Jason Kidd high glass circus make late in the game didn’t tell the whole story of the game, nothing does.

Leave your thoughts on the game, the Curry presser and the ESPN broadcast if you need to vent.

If you have followed this site for a while you know that I’m a big Joe Dumars fan.  In fact I attribute my love for basketball in part to Joe Dumars while he was on and off the court.  So when I saw this piece on Curry and Dumars, which surprisingly aired during the Pistons’ five game slide and the Rip/AI dilemma, I was shocked to hear what I heard.

I know what Michael is saying because he’s acted it out -- much to our dismay -- but Joe’s comments were plain disturbing.

Say it ain’t so Joe…

DEFINDED ROLES!!!! Really?

I’m still not convinced Rip going to the bench will end our nightmare either.

Someone please wake me up when this is over.

I know I was after the Pistons let a 29 point lead dwindle to one.

In his post game interview Michel Curry lashes out when asked about Allen Iverson sitting in the fourth quarter. You miss the question being asked, but it’s obvious someone questioned why Curry didn’t put Iverson back in the game when Detroit’s lead was dwindling.

That’s when he got angry….

The good that came out of the bad Sunday afternoon.

• Arron Afflalo putting up 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting in 25 minutes and doing a hell of a job on the defensive end helping Detroit claw back (unsuccessfully) after being down by 29 in New York.
• This Tayshaun Prince drive and dunk that had George and Greg roaring. Prince led the Pistons with 23 points and a nice Highlight Reel. Make sure you take notice of the stuff on Thomas.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• If you want a quick recap of the game, FSN did a nice recap by quarter for your enjoyment to rub salt in your wounds.
• And don’t forget Mr. Curry’s post game comments.
• Tomorrow….We roll with DYESS.

After Detroit’s 104-92 loss to the Knicks on Sunday, Michael Currey alluded to a change in the starting lineup after he again called out his starters for not bringing the energy at the start of games.

Dyess will be back on Tuesday against the Wizards, but besides the fact that Antonio may get the nod, is Stuckey in line to start?

If you’re like me, any change right now may be what this team needs to get things on track.