It’s official Michel Curry is The Pistons new Head Coach.
“The Associated Press reports the Pistons have hired assistant coach and former player Michael Curry as their new head coach.
The Pistons have scheduled a news conference for noon tomorrow at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Curry was an assistant on Flip Saunders’ staff last season, his first stint as a coach of any kind.
Last Tuesday, president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said at that news
conference that the team would move quickly on hiring a new coach.
According to the Associated Press, Curry agreed to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a year guaranteed with the team holding the option for a fourth season.
A former co-captain for the Pistons, Curry played in Detroit from 1996-97 and 1999-2003. He’s a former teammate of Dumars and several current Pistons, including Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.” Via The Detroit Free Press
I know many of you be a little weary of Joe hiring someone that hasn’t been a head coach in the league yet. Plenty of you were calling for Avery Johnson, but Joe built this team and obviously knows what will work best for them (or let’s hope he does.)
Like I said before, I have been on the Joe D. bandwagon since the 80’s and I’m not getting of now.
I would like to know your opinion.
Thats GOOD NEWS!!!
What a waste. Laimbeer should have been given the opportunity. 🙁
we need a michael curry cartoon head!
Ha Denny…well have one soon! I was just thinking about that.
As for Laimbeer, from what I hear Laimbeer didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell at the position. Seems as though he can rub people the wrong way…or already has.
it’s alright, i prefer to cook with Curry rather than Lamb! (lame, i know)
“Seems as though he can rub people the wrong way…or already has.”
But he can cause his teams to overachieve versus the Pistons current underachieving.
They would have been better off keeping Flip. The hiring of a no name was not the way to go if you claim you aren’t rebuilding.
I can see how you feel that way Skank, I love Lainbeer and posed the question last season and was shot down quickly by a few people in the organization.
I think they felt that his attitude would fly with NBA players.
As for Curry, I would hardly say he’s a no noame I’m hoping for the best.
I still think that firing Flip Saunders was a bad idea. I live in Seattle and I’m a big Mariners fan and in Seattle, we always blame everything on coaching and management. If the Mariners don’t perorm up to their expectations(and they often don’t) we demand change at a higher level. And when we finally get a new coach, everyone is excited untill the team is doing as bad or worse than before. Now I have no reason to doubt Curry but I also was pleased with the way Flip was handling the team.
Dumb Dumb Dumb.
If you get a promotion in the Service, you are moved to a different unit.
If you get promoted from hourly to salary, they move you to a different location.
Why on earth would Joe hire a one year assistant to be the head coach of a team that already doesn’t listen to their coaches, one of whom is Curry?
I trust Joe on player moves, he’s been rubbish on coaches. A veteran team needs a veteran coach whom can command respect. This leads me to believe that a lot of veterans will not be back next season. That means Chauncey, Sheed, maybe Tay.
Get ready for a 40 win season, because it’s June, the 08 finals are still going on, and 2009 has already started on the wrong foot.
AND I love this team, and have always had confidence. Dumbest move since Darko this one.
Did you guys hear about the Billups-Carmelo Swap?
I just don’t see Chauncey, Tay, or Sheed really giving a crap about what Coach Curry would have to say in the locker room.
I’m just really disappointed by this move. Pistons deserve better than a rookie head coach. This is a top level team, they deserve a top level coach.
Only the best for this team.
These are the only reasons I am not entirely happy with this decision:
1) Curry only has one year of experience at coaching.
2) He was a teammate of 3 out of 5 starters. I hope he can command their respect. I’m just afraid that when things get rough during a crucial game, attitudes might start clashing (not that they haven’t with Saunders). I can already imagine things likes “Man, what do you know? You’ve never been to the Finals” being said in the heat of the moment.
But then again, for Joe to hire him, there must be positive things going on during practice that we don’t know.
I guess I can sum up my feelings with “hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”
Go Pistons!
I really have to say this is the worst move Joe D has ever made. I have never doubted him, NEVER, but I see nothing good coming out of this.
Joe D. is trying to get to the finals. He made that clear but does he really think he is gonna get there with CURRY??? An X-teamate of current players? A rookie ASSISTANT COACH? A freshman HEAD COACH?
I really hope Im wrong. I pray Joe D. proves us, with doubts, all WRONG!
i got some inside news.
Rip is safe.
Sheed, Billups, and Tay are all on the table.
They’ll trade Dyess, but only if he asks to be traded, which isnt going to happen.
And the Billups-Carmelo thing is just hype.
The teams havent even started discussion, nor will they untill after the draft.
Jess, Claire, hit the nail right on the head.
Especially the part about the finals…
Yea Flu, I agree with Claire on that too.
I also agree with what you said earlier… “I trust Joe on player moves, he’s been rubbish on coaches.”
We need another Larry Brown but who demands AND GIVES respect.
I’m pretty surprised by the overall negative reaction to this move. I’m all about hiring Curry instead of some coaching retreads and especially Bill Laimbeer. Every coach at one time was a rookie coach.
To everyone who says the players don’t respect Curry or that he won’t be able to hold them accountable…please read some articles (Steven A Smith/Keith Langlois/Chris Sheridan) that talk about HOW MUCH the players respected Curry this year and how he was the one to get in some players faces when he saw things he didn’t like (unlike Flip).
From all accounts Curry is also a natural born leader…how else do you become president of the NBA Players Association after being an undrafted free agent? Take a look at the other NBAPA presidents…it’s basically a list of hall of famers. He’s also been captain of the Pistons and Raptors even though he was one of the least talented players on those respective teams.
He was also a big factor in the growth of our bench (young guys) this year. Curry was the one who developed a routine and put them through a 1 hour practice before every game. Everyone liked how the bench played with a bunch of energy/toughness every time they were on the court right? Curry deserves a lot of credit for that.
Doesn’t the fact that Joe D basically showed no interest in Terry Porter show you how highly he thinks of Curry? Joe D was asked what about Curry makes him a good coaching canidate…his answer was 3 words “leadership, repect, accountability”. Doesn’t that sound like EXACTLY what this team needs? We can get some veteran assistant coaches to help him learn the x’s and o’s…you can’t teach the natural ability he has to be a leader, to gain respect from players and to have no issues holding them accountable.
I don’t see why people are doubting Joe D, who is a top 5 GM in the NBA today, who has really only ever made 1 real bad decision (Darko). Let it play out.
We won’t know much about Curry until we actually get to see him coach so stop arguing about how horrible a coach he is when you haven’t even seen him in action yet. At least he’s cheap
michael curry = defensive intensity, minutes to zoo crew, demands to the starters.
avery johnson made a name for himself as a head coach after being an assistant in dallas… who says curry can’t do the same?
dallas took a chance on avery, we’re taking a chance on curry… and we hope that the results are better for detroit than it was for dallas (tho im not blaming dallas’ woes on avery)
I don’t think people are giving Curry a fair shake here. Let’s at least give him a chance before we bash him. As said by James, he was responsible for the benche’s excellent development this year and should get some more respect and support than what the bulk of us are offering. Furthermore, who are we to doubt Joe D?
xxxriphammy, we can settle this outside of the internet, shot me a holler we can run it..check nuts
I wish the survey had a “I’m not sure, but I trust Joe D” option.
Am I happy about Curry? Well, no. Am I unhappy? No to that too. I didn’t have my heart set on any candidate.
The simple fact of the matter is, I don’t know enough about Coach Curry to decide if it is a good move or not. We’ll probably have to wait until at least this time next year to decide for sure anyway.
I hope this is a good move and I don’t see the basis for all the doom and gloom. So how should I vote in the survey, yes or no?
Come on with the doubting. He ws to me the best coach on the market, things will change for the better this year. Nd 2 those who think that Darko draft ws the worst move by joe d u have no common sense. No darko= no rodney stuckey nd no championship
THIS IS TO EVERYONE!!!!
I’VE SAID THIS A COUPLE TIMES ON THIS WEBSITE, AND HATE TO BREAK ANY HEARTS BUT….
THE NBA IS RIGGED. A FAT CONSPIRACY. THE NBA DOES WHATS BEST FOR THE NBA, AND GETTING THE RESULTS THEY WANT IS A HUGE PART OF THAT.
DONT BELIEVE ME CHECK THIS OUT
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bettingprobe&prov=ap&type=lgns
AND FOR ALL YOU WHO THINK TIM DONAGHY ACTED ALONE (INCLUDING COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN) YOUR ALL WRONG. HOW COULD HE ACT ALONE?
Well researched site – I love Bernard Cornwell’s work! – Will look to incorporate some of your ideas into my site. Thanks!