I seldom remember such a disheartening loss for the Detroit Pistons. Chauncey, Rip, Sheed, and Tay all cared at the end…when it was too late…when missed opportunities had squandered their quest for legitimacy.
Amidst one of the finest streaks of playoff consistency ever, the Pistons are now very far away from securing the coveted second NBA championship that could secure their place in history.
Instead, they will probably be remembered for their startling inconsistency, one game seemingly unflappable and unbeatable, and the next disinterested and entirely fallible.
The Pistons are now laden with veterans who are past their prime. Joe Dumars must make the decisions that should lead to a major shakeup in the organization.
Only twice during their impressive playoff run has this team proven that it is any better than the fourth-best team in the league.
And the defeated look on the faces of the Pistons as they handed the Eastern Conference Championship to the Boston Celtics in Game Six told the story.
Defeated By Ego
At some point during the last six years, the Pistons decided that they were the best basketball team ever to walk the face of the planet.
I don’t think it happened immediately after their win over the Lakers in the 2004 championship (though that helped), because that was so wholly unexpected and new.
I also don’t think it was the following season, when they barely lost the championship to a San Antonio squad in its prime.
No, it was the year after that, the 2005-06 season when they posted the league’s best overall record. By the end of the regular season they were habitually getting down by double digits only to come roaring back.
They bought into themselves as a score first team and let off on the defense and rebounding that made them unstoppable. Now we only saw desire in spurts.
Sheed was shooting more and more three’s, Chauncey was “Mr. Big Shot” and quiet self-composed Tayshaun was “The Prince.” The system was often abandoned in favor of one-on-one ball, and they were predictably bounced by Miami after struggling with baby Bron’s Cavaliers in the NBA playoffs.
- B/R Ticket Guide
We heard things like, “no big deal,” “we still think we’re the better club,” and “we’re not going anywhere.” And they were right.
They didn’t go anywhere. They stayed at the exact same place, continually losing the Eastern Conference Finals. So why was 2005-2006 any different?
Well, that takes me to my next point.
Defeated By Coaching
Now when I say coaching I don’t mean coaching in the traditional sense. Flip Saunders probably runs a good practice, knows his playbook, offers strategic gametime advice, and gives his team the mechanical tools to win.
But he doesn’t offer leadership, which is what this team so desperately needs.
It needs somebody to tell Sheed to get his ass on the low block and STAY THERE. It needs somebody to tell Chauncey to get him the freaking ball when he’s down there. It needs somebody who sits them both on the bench if they don’t.
What’s different about the 2005-06 season? Larry Brown is different. Accountability is different.
The Pistons don’t have a superstar, and from a basketball skills point of view that isn’t a problem. They make up for that with All-Star caliber starters at every position.
The problem is they don’t have that super-driven perfectionist on the floor (i.e. Kobe, Garnett, Jordan) that is going to DEMAND that they play the right way all the time.
Larry Brown was the demand. Gregg Popovich is the demand for the San Antonio Spurs, whom I also feel lack that on-floor quality.
Sadly, though he's a great guy and a good coach, Flip never held the respect of his starters and didn’t have the nerve to challenge his stars when they were struggling.
These Pistons needed a jockey with a heavy hand, and the styles of Brown and Saunders were mimicked in the on-floor product.
And as that product is now beyond its best playing days, we come to our last point.
Defeated By Age.
They aren’t as quick as they used to be. I can’t remember the last time Billups took somebody off the dribble. Sheed drifts to the outside because he can’t battle down low like he used to.
Though we have young athletic bench players capable of those things (Stuckey and Maxiell), they were not adequately deployed. See Coaching above.
Rip played very well throughout the playoffs and seems to still have some quicks, but he was never the most athletic player in the first place.
So maybe I should have called this section “Defeated By Time” because each of the Pistons' starters would still be a valuable addition to most of the teams in the league. It’s only together that they are old.
Their window has closed. Remaining unchanged, this team may reach the Eastern Conference finals again in the weakened East, but don’t expect them to bring home the NBA title.
The “what-if’s” will be their legacy and the title a nice afterthought.
I should point out that I am a lifelong fan of the Detroit Pistons and have love for Flip, and Chauncey, and Sheed, and Tay, and Dice, and Ben, and all the other players who have made the last few years so entertaining.
I should also point out that the future of Detroit basketball seems bright. The young kids show promise and the trade possibilities seem endless.
But I think this is the last we’ve seen of this team as it is. If Joe Dumars does his job, some of the celebrated starting five will be gone. So I’d like the opportunity to say goodbye and good luck to those who are moving on.
There is wisdom to be had in defeat, if only you’re humble enough to find it.
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5 months ago
Detroit should have won at least one more championship with the team they had, but they never played with a sense of urgency and were often overconfident and thought they could always come back from any defecit.
from 5 months ago
Yep, that's why they are tragic. Could've, would've should've.
from 5 months ago
I thought their window of opportunity as an elite team began to shrink as Big Ben's skills began to decline. They miss his defensive presence and rebounding. I LOVE McDyess and he is a beast, but Big Ben just got so many extra possessions.
I think Flip Saunders is a fine coach, but I'm not sure he and this group have ever been completely on the same wavelength. I just didn't always see a commitment at the defensive end as I watched their playoff run.
Still, they may have been one bad hammy (Billups) and one bad elbow (Rip) from knocking off the No. 1 Seed in the East. That's nothing to sneeze at.
from 5 months ago
Don't get me wrong Greg I'm elated with the success of this club. I'm a Detroit Lions fan after all. I'll take anything I can get. There was a while there when the Stons' were struggling, both the Tigers and the Lions were the worst teams in the league, and the Red Wings...well...the Wings were still sweet. Detroit fans love this team for bringing a little respect back to D-town. Lord knows, anything helps!
Oh yeah, love McDyess too. Have since his Denver days.
5 months ago
Each in his own time.
5 months ago
Nicely written article. However, I don't think they were ever close to being one of the best teams ever. It will be interesting to see if JD has the balls to trade away his proven stars for the young talent he so badly needs. 1 step backwards and 2 steps forward. Otherwise, there may be one more Eastern Conference finals loss followed by a whole lot of losing seasons.
from 5 months ago
I think if they had won a second title in conjunction with their six consecutive Eastern conference Finals (and counting), they would at least have to be mentioned in the great teams discussion. I'm not saying all-time great. But great nonetheless. Maybe it's because I'm a homer, but I honestly believe that the Pistons are more or less the San Antonio Spurs minus Popovich. They were certainly as talented. Who knows what would have happened if Larry Brown had stayed? It's all speculative at this point, but I'm nearly positive they would have taken home the trophy one more time.
5 months ago
I can see 'em dealing Billups soon, he's been the heart and soul of this team but he's aging and vulnerable, plus coming off his amazing playoffs (inconsistent but amazing nontheless) his trade value is at its peak.
Rodney Stuckey is the future and Dumars has done a nice job in the draft (of course Darko excluded but that's another matter) Wallace may be gone soon but Maxiell is a very good player, he's no Rasheed but his presence should soften the blow of Wallace's departure.
Dumars is a great GM and if they still had good ole' Larry Brown at the helm the Pistons could have dispatched the Celtics handily. It really is such a shame to see such talent wasted by Flip Saunders, who, in retrospect, definitely deserves a spot on the hot seat at least. Saunders is a great coach for a well grounded team with little ego, but a team like the Pistons needs a kick in the ass to succeed, which is why Larry Brown was such a great fit. They need a Bill Parcells but they have a Norv Turner.
This Pistons team was a model of consistency and possibly one of the most talented teams ever(talented yes but not the best due to their overinflated egos.) and it will be sad to think of the league without that core of guys. I'm a Celtics fan so I was pumped when Detroit fell flat in the fourth quarter but at the same time, as a fan of basketball as a whole, the Pistons' startling collapse was rather disheartening. Well written article by the way.
from 5 months ago
I like the Parcells-Norv Turner example. Exactly what I was thinking. I also think that Billups should be dealt. That's hard because he's been suck a rock in Detroit, but I think we can still get value out of him. What do you think about sending him back to Denver in a deal for Carmelo? I think he would actually be OK with that as he still lives there in the off-season. Not saying they should. I can't stand Melo's defense. But the Pistons would certainly have come full circle from the Darko fiasco and would have Stuckey to boot. Joey D would look like a genius.
from 5 months ago
HaHa! Liked the Melo idea so much I wrote an article about it!
from 5 months ago
Melo has superior name recognition and scoring ability so Detroit would have to throw more in in addition to Billups but Denver's PG situation is absolutely abysmal so they could benefit from such a transaction. The nuggets need a floor general who actually knows how to distribute the ball and Detroit needs a go-to guys on offense who can outplay the other team's lockdown defender, move some salaries and maybe a few draft picks and the trade would work in my opinion.
from 5 months ago
This is what the Nets are reportedly offering for Melo AND Camby: Richard Jefferson, Marcus Williams, Keith Van Horn's contract (again with this thing) and a draft pick. And the Nuggets are considering this?!?! I've gotta believe that Detroit can make a better offer. Say Melo and Camby for Chauncey, Sheed, and a draft pick. I think Detroit is honestly the best trading partner for the Nuggets right now. Not, that there seems to be any evidence that Joey D is interested...
5 months ago
When teams lose in the playoffs, everyone looks for hostages to take, and the first hostage is always the coach. This article proves that fact. However, it goes further and suggests that a heavy handed coaching style is what is needed. That is a myopic view that takes a narrow road that leads to disaster.
Heavy handed management of a team results in revolt at some point. "Heavy handed" coaches have an intolerance for other points of view. That means they don't look at alternatives for solving problems, and they usually feel threatened when someone voices an opposing opinion. Eventually that style rubs most people the wrong way. Then you see the team have problems with player retention. Bad idea.
Joe Dumars is king of this team, and he will wright the ship. Get rid of Wallace, and try to get Stuckey in a starter role on the team. This guy is hot stuff and he will be a superstar if they develop him carefully. Try different starting rotations. Go get an experienced post player, but one with some gas left in the tank. The attitude of the team is too cavalier. Maybe it is time to move some people around a little and get them thinking a little more seriously about winning a championship, or get rid of them and find people with a hunger to win and a team attitude.
from 5 months ago
I agree with you Mike that teams too often blame the coach when things aren't going well, but in the case of Detroit, I don't think I'm really BLAMING Flip Saunders as much as I'm saying that he wasn't a good fit with this team. I mean this is the pros not college. You should have leaders on the floor that don't have to be motivated. I agree. But the Pistons DID need to be motivated, and Flip wasn't the guy to do that. Flip is an excellent coach for other teams just not the Pistons.
You're also right that the heavy handed style isn't for all teams. Nonetheless, Larry Brown's heavy handed style led to more success for this team AND the guys all loved him throughout his tenure. Consider Chauncey Billups the perpetual journeyman, jumping from team to team because he couldn't grasp that he was a point guard not the number one scoring option. Then Larry gets a hold of him and he's a multiple all-star. That's not coincidence.
I also agree that the attitude of this team is too cavalier. That speaks to lack of leadership. You can just as well point to the players on the floor as the coach, but this wasn't even a conversation under the authoritative Larry Brown.
All that said, I like Flip and wish him well. He might still be the coach next year, and if there's a player shakeup it may work. Joe Dumars will unscramble the puzzle. That guy is pretty clever.
5 months ago
I just disagree with the Stuckey/Maxiell comment of not being deployed properly. I thought Saunders was masterful in working Stuckey along as a rookie who missed the first 25 games with a broken hand. Most coaches would have either been way too careful with the guy, maybe letting him see no more than 5 minutes a game, or they would throw him right into the fire like he never missed any time at all, but I felt Flip found the perfect balance in-between that used Stuckey to his best. Same with Maxiell...as Maxiell proved he could hold his own, Flip gave him more minutes, culminating to what I thought was one of the best post-seasons among all the Pistons players, and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Maxiell is starting at the four in game one next season.
from 5 months ago
What I didn't talk about in my article (and meant to) is that it was Joe Dumars who DEMANDED that Flip use the bench throughout the season. He literally had to pull Flip aside to get that done. That shouldn't have had to happen. I agree that they were using Maxy and Stucky, but too often (especially when Maxy was on fire in the last two games) he was benched in the middle of a run. More often, the Pistons were making runs when the bench was on the floor, and if you're Saunders you've got to be able to say, "hold on guys, your going to sit for awhile and let the young kids play." If things go South you bring the Starters back in. You don't bench a player when he's feeling it. I also was disappointed that Amir and Afflalo pulled DNP's throughout pretty much the entire playoffs.
Obviously, I'm not an NBA coach, but in my opinion, I think the bench could have been deployed more appropriately. No real right answer here.
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