The Detroit Pistons have been one of the most successful teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team has been in the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) for the last six years. During those years, the Pistons went to the NBA Finals twice, winning against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, but losing to the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. Year after year, they have been regarded as a shoo-in in the ECF, making them one of the elite teams of the entire league.
It is a completely different story now.
During the start of the 2008–2009 season, the Pistons were determined to avenge their loss in the 2008 ECF at the hands of the eventual champion Boston Celtics. They regrouped and even made a coaching change. They fired Flip Saunders even though he successfully led the team to three straight ECF appearances, with a regular season record of 176–70. He was replaced by Michael Curry, whose previous experience in coaching was as an assistant coach for the Pistons for one year. The players were hopeful that with a new voice, with time running against their side, and with a big chip on their shoulders, this year’s championship would be theirs.
As the season started, the Pistons played the game the way they’ve been taught how to play it. They started the season by beating the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards. And then came the unexpected. Chauncey Billups, their leader and MVP, was traded for Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets. Never mind that the team was off to a good start. Pistons president Joe Dumars pulled the trigger thinking more about the team’s future than what they might offer this season. This was perceived more as a salary-cap move, as Iverson’s salary will come off the books after this season. They want to have more flexibility when the summer of 2010 comes, when the likes of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will become free agents.
Iverson played with the starting lineup, along with Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey. There was not enough practice time with AI. Losses kept piling up as the team chemistry was destroyed. It was not AI’s fault. He was not used to playing the Pistons’ way. He demands more of the ball, making the other players tend to watch him do his thing. It was obvious that a lineup change needed to be made. Hamilton was relegated to come off the bench. However, losses still kept piling up. After 16 games and the team winning only 4 of those games, Hamilton said that another change should be made: he agreed to come off the bench because he thought it would be for the good of the team, but it still was not happening for the Pistons. At that point, AI injured his back. He missed a couple of games, and Hamilton was reinserted to the starting lineup. The team started to win again. With this renewed team spirit, Curry suggested that if AI comes back from his injury, he will come off the bench. As of this writing, the Pistons have won 4 of their last 5 games, with all victories coming against Orlando, Boston, and Denver, all division leaders.
Another question then arises—what happens now if AI comes back? He said that he’s willing to be the 6th man. Will the team start losing again if he comes back? Wallace is also injured, as well as Stuckey. Time is running out for the once-mighty team. A year ago, at this time of the season, reserve players had been getting a lot of minutes because the starters were given time to rest and be ready for the postseason. This time, it has been different. Starters have been playing even if they’re hurt, afraid that sitting out a game might cost them the playoffs completely. This, I’m sure, has been a humbling experience for them. They’ve been saying year after year that they play better when their backs are against the wall. Now is the time to prove it. If they really want to be the hunter instead of being the hunted, they better get their acts together.
And what if they don’t get their acts together? I think the future will still be bright for the team. Wallace’s contract will expire this season, along with AI’s, which will make them around $20 million below the salary cap. They have a promising point guard in Stuckey, which, by the way, was also one of the main reasons they traded Billups. They also have a very young bench that is the envy of a lot of NBA teams. With the trio of Stuckey, Hamilton, and Prince as their building blocks, the future is bright. If they finish this season a little earlier than has been expected from them—and by them—don’t fret, Pistons fans. The team needs a bit of an overhaul. Go ask the city’s car manufacturers and you’ll find out that even the best cars need one.
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