Michael Curry did a Q&A with The Sporting News. besides the usual questions I particularly took notice to his answer to this one and the ones that followed.
The Sporting News: When you look at what the Pistons have done over the last few years, there’s been a tremendous amount of success. You’ve won a lot of games, you’ve gone far in the playoffs, conference finals. At some point, doesn’t it just come down to being a good team that just gets some bad bounces here and there?
Michael Curry: At the end of the season, if you don’t win a championship, you can walk away from the year feeling either disappointment or frustration. When you are disappointed, it’s just because you weren’t good enough. You got beat by a better team and, OK, that happens. Frustration is different. That means that, at times, you were the best team in the league. And then, at other times, you were a no-show. That’s where we are.
There is frustration within the organization, frustration coming from fans, even frustration with the media. I don’t know how many times I heard you guys in the media say you don’t know which Detroit Pistons team is going to show up. You’re right. How do we lose to Dallas by 20, then, the next night, go into San Antonio, second night of a back-to-back, and win? That shouldn’t happen.
SN: Is it just a matter of consistency?
MC: Yes. We can be two different teams at times. You look at Boston, they were first in the league defensively. We were second. The difference is, when you played Boston, they were going to be the best defensive team every night. They played you the same way. With us, we would be up and down. The question is, how can we make sure we are the same team, every night?
SN: But how do you do that?
MC: We’ll see. We’ll be holding people accountable when they need to be.
I hope Coach Curry isn’t just saying the right things, or all the things that everyone else is thinking. If he actually does hold players accountable for their actions does that really translate losses to wins?
yea he’s definitely saying the right things… and i think he will hold players accountable, i really do… just a gut feeling
but i guarantee we’ll have our share of losses coming from a lack of X and O knowledge from curry… this will definitely be a feel out year for him as a coach… we should all expect to see some frustrating losses where we’re wondering who is coaching our guys
Wow!!! That’s what I want to hear.
By say that, he’s already 50 millions times better than Flip as a coach.
I’m excited, It’s not like our players needs more coaching, they just need some ass whipping at times.
nat, curry has to be saying the right things and will translate that into doing things……how do i know? his reputation is on the line whether he could talk to talk or walk to walk during his first try as being a head coach…not that dumars doesn’t trust him because he fully does, but he’ll be looking at curry’s actions.
I have no doubt he’ll be able to hold players more accountable than Flip did. That’s not what most fans are worried about. We’re worried that in crunch time his inexperience is going to show as a head coach, and all the players say they respect him now. But will some of the players tune him out if they think he’s not calling the right plays, that’s what usually causes the strife. I’m still interested to see what his playbook looks like in games and which plays he calls down the stretch, hope the learning curve will be quick. Cause I want Dyess to get his ring this year (I think we all do)
P4L = Pistons 4 Life
u make a good point amer-ican prince … there is a risk there… cuz no matter how much u respect someone, if u dont believe they know what they’re talking about (i.e. coaching strategy) after a while u’ll tune them out
I will be happier if he can actually do what he says and they loose occasionally than doing what flip has done the last 3 years. I’m ok with loosing if the effort is there.
I agree with Pistons 4 life.
Also, you did a great job with the Curry Cartoon head, Nat.
Yeah I agree with you too pistons 4 life (btw sorry didn’t mean to steal your name for my post, it was not intentional.) i’m okay if they lose too as long as I see them putting it all out there, especially the starters.
And yeah good job with the Curry face Natalie. Now have fun with the Kwame one. Haha and who knows, you ever notice how the guy you say ‘no way do I want them here” when on the other team wins you over when you find out more about them. That’s what happened with me and Walter Herrmann. Love the swooping finger role move he does now.
And mannie32 I agree with you we’ll probably have some heartbreakers this season, but i’m not going to be as dejected as losses these past couple seasons because I can hold onto the hope that they are feeling each other out and they’ll learn each other better. But no matter how much the media tried to sell the idea the last couple seasons that they were going to get better during the season I just didn’t buy it before. But I hope the players realize Flip was let go for them and they better show respect to Joe D for all he’s done for them and give everything and take nothing for granted. Chauncey, Tay, and Sheed are the ones I think who need to really learn how to set the motivational tone for this team
if they don’t do out there and play every night then they need to be held accountable by being traded.
if we won’t make a trade this offseason then you have to scrutinize them during the season. never let them get comfortable and complacent.
I just hope everyone is telling the truth when they say they don’t mind loses as long as the effort is there. It will be very nice if when I check the comments here after losing the 3rd or 5th game and see panic-stricken comments about how the team is going to die poor, cold and loney.
I’m glad everyone likes Cartoon Curry, you see I’m not in a big hurry to get to Cartoon Kwame.