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Is it The Palace or The Big Top?
The circus that is the Detroit Pistons just keeps spiraling out of control under the big top known as The Palace.
Tracy McGrady, who was billed as the consummate pro not long ago when he was running the point out of necessity for the Pistons, is the latest to be sent to his room without dinner as punishment.
It was like a few weeks ago when Tayshaun Prince was being praised - and then all of a sudden made comments about the Pistons' chances of reaching the playoffs being none. Ooops.
Or when Richard Hamilton was supposedly causing havoc on the team and Joe Dumars reminded everyone he is the captain and that all is good. Hamilton subsequently scored 35 points in a game against Toronto. Not long after, the dunce hat was put on Rip, and he played in one game from Jan12 to March 1.
One moment we're being told coach John Kuester sent the team's head of security to talk to Hamilton, then there is nothing for eons. All of a sudden, Kuester is feeding Hamilon the ball during a post-practice shooting drill for photo opportunities that included a clicking of the cameras for a fist bump - and all is fine.
Rip just had a groin injury, silly.
One month Mike Ilitch is buying the team. The next, Tom Gores is buying the team. The next Mike Ilitch is buying the team. Hey, what ever happened to those guys from Abu Dhabi? Maybe they want in on the hijinks.
It's difficult not to wonder what late Pistons' owner William Davidson would be thinking about all this. Think, maybe, the term is spinning in his grave.
Tracy McGrady, who was billed as the consummate pro not long ago when he was running the point out of necessity for the Pistons, is the latest to be sent to his room without dinner as punishment.
It was like a few weeks ago when Tayshaun Prince was being praised - and then all of a sudden made comments about the Pistons' chances of reaching the playoffs being none. Ooops.
Or when Richard Hamilton was supposedly causing havoc on the team and Joe Dumars reminded everyone he is the captain and that all is good. Hamilton subsequently scored 35 points in a game against Toronto. Not long after, the dunce hat was put on Rip, and he played in one game from Jan12 to March 1.
One moment we're being told coach John Kuester sent the team's head of security to talk to Hamilton, then there is nothing for eons. All of a sudden, Kuester is feeding Hamilon the ball during a post-practice shooting drill for photo opportunities that included a clicking of the cameras for a fist bump - and all is fine.
Rip just had a groin injury, silly.
One month Mike Ilitch is buying the team. The next, Tom Gores is buying the team. The next Mike Ilitch is buying the team. Hey, what ever happened to those guys from Abu Dhabi? Maybe they want in on the hijinks.
It's difficult not to wonder what late Pistons' owner William Davidson would be thinking about all this. Think, maybe, the term is spinning in his grave.
Labels: Tracy McGrady Richard Hamilton Joe Dumars John Kuester Tom Gores Mike Ilitch William Davidson
posted by Pat Caputo at
12:20 PM
6 Comments:
My son an I have enjoyed going to Pistons games though thick and thin the last many years-- Bison Dele times and the whole works. But when Dele lost his joy in the game, he had the integrity to walk away from it. There is NO joy at the Palace these days and the season has succeeded in really turning my feelings about the whole organization. Credibility and integrity are missing in action.
Good point, Book. No way would Davidson have allowed this foolishness to carry on like this. His wife shoulda just let Wilson run the franchise during the sale process, and accepted that selling during an economic downtime was gonna bring a down price from past glory years, during better economic times.
Dumars has made some questionable moves, no doubt, but it's this uncertainty and lack of owner leadership that's killing the Pistons right now. Ilitch should just be allowed to buy the franchise, and be done with it. He's the guy, in my mind. That would stop the bleeding at least.
Larry Baker,
It's amazing how poorly that team is being run because it had been so properly run in the past. It's strange. It's made the league, as a whole, look bad. I feel for Piston fans who love the NBA like you and your son. Once great local product now very subpar. And all anybody is asking for is effort. Not getting it.
Caputo
Anonymous,
Dumars needed to step in somehow before this thing got out of hand. He didn't. And it got out of hand.
Caputo
Book,
Dumars hasn't had a hammer since the day Davidson died. He's been handcuffed. He can't make major deals, and Hamilton/Prince knew that, and showed their true colors.
D's wife put out the for sale sign, and Wilson fleeing was the clincher. It was escape time, and a free for all.
I don't see how Dumars could "step in", although I'm sure he appealed to those guys' professionalism, which isn't there it appears.
If Dumars had hired a major coach, somebody who could have Larry Browned that team by sheer force of will, maybe. But he and the Pistons didn't want to pay for that. Kuester is a nobody, in NBA terms, and the players appear to be treating him like it.
I'm sure Dumars has made mistakes, trading Billups and signing Hamilton long term being the biggest of recent times, and those 2 moves are what's killing them right now. Billups is a leader. I can't imagine all this taking place with him as captain. Had Rip been traded instead of Chauncey, we may not be having this conversation about chaos.
Anonymous,
Well, he could have called out both his player and coach publicly when it got really out of hand. He just stood there and let it happen. Then when it was essentially over, and the Pistons season basically lost, he finally made this vague statement. But I agree, he may not be able to fire the coach now even if he wants to do because of the ownership thing. It is unclear.
Caputo
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