The Detroit Pistons used to be one of the strongest franchises in the NBA. They had the Motor City Bad Boys led by Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars in the 1980s, and then they shocked the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. They never had one true superstar, but many players that knew their role. They had strong point guards like Chauncey Billups and Thomas. They had outstanding, though undersized, rebounders like Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace. They were characterized by a hard-nosed defense. But now, their coach John Kuester could hardly control his team. They are out of the playoffs again. How could you possibly fix this franchise?
First things first. They must fire John Kuester. John Kuester may have been the mastermind behind the effective Cavaliers offense under LeBron James, but the Pistons have to face the facts that the mastermind behind that offense was not Kuester, but two-time MVP James. Kuester may have a great offensive scheme, but that is never how the Pistons won. Then you have to realize that Kuester did not treat his veterans correctly, primarily Richard Hamilton. Rip Hamilton is an NBA Finals champion, and a 3x All-Star. He was benched early on in the season, essentially being put into Kuester's dog pound. So Hamilton, feeling slighted, called a practice boycott, getting many other veterans to join him. He tore apart Kuester in the locker room. In order to go forward, Kuester must be replaced. Maybe they could get someone like Larry Brown to come back and coach, but it is clear that Kuester must leave.
The next person that must go is Richard Hamilton. I know that Rip Hamilton has been a great leader for the Pistons for the last couple of years, but he has turned from a leader into locker room problem. He completely destroyed Kuester in front of the rookies. He showed rookies that the only way to get what you want is to terrorize the coach. He staged a practice boycott, convincing other veterans to skip practice. This is horrible off-the-court actions. When he plays, he is still effective, but he far removed from his All-Star years. He must go.
They also have to start rebuilding. Though it is good to have some veteran leadership, players like Tracy McGrady and Charlie Villenueva are no longer necessary. They are players barely past their prime and likely unwilling to give up playing time to allow younger players to develop. They could have a strong core with young players like Jonas Jerebko, Rodney Stuckey, and especially rookie Greg Monroe, which could upstart this team. Then, with a couple of draft picks, they can start finding other crucial pieces. But this team must realize that they are in a time of rebuilding.
The Detroit Pistons have good players like Monroe and Stuckey, but there are too many flaws on this team. They have a coach who can't even control the locker room. They have veterans who are too unwilling to listen to their coach. They have players willing to boycott practice. But they also have youngsters who can develop into starters, and maybe stars. They are far removed from the Bad Boys, but they are not far from restoration.
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