If anything, all the right things are being preached by MC. Let's hope he can have the team committed to everything he wants. Most everything sounds like what we Pistons fans have been pleading for, for years.


Curry going 'back to basics'
Hard work, defense and conditioning are touchstones of new coach's court agenda. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/SPORTS0102/809190353/1127)
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

FLINT -- It's been a rough stretch for Pistons coach Michael Curry. In a little more than a month he's lost his father and fraternal grandmother.

"Everybody goes through it," he said. "Fortunately for us, my grandmother lived 80 years and she did a great job with her kids and with our lives. And I had my father for 62 years, 20 of those were really a bonus because he got really sick when I was in college, and we didn't think he would make it."

Curry joined the Pistons' preseason bus tour for its final two stops (Flint and Toledo) Thursday and offered a glimpse of what to expect from his first training camp.

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Here are some of the points of emphasis:

• Pay attention to detail. "Going back to the basics," is a phrase Curry will use a lot. Curry respects veteran players and their past success. What he plans to do, though, is reinforce all the little things that led to their success.

"It sounds simple, but if the play calls for a pick, set the pick," Curry said. "If you are supposed to be in a certain spot on defense, be there. What's happened is, we've had slippage here and because of our talent, we've gotten away with it. But when that slippage starts seeping in and you get into a series against a team that's just as good as you or better, there is no way you can overcome it."

• Daily conditioning and player development sessions. Curry believes the Pistons have the best strength and conditioning coach in the league (Arnie Kander), and they haven't used him to the fullest in recent years.

"We aren't going to just run guys into the ground, but we are going to spend time every day, regardless if it is a light (practice) or heavy day," Curry said.

Curry has already talked to Rasheed Wallace about coming to camp in shape, and they have mapped out a plan to maintain that conditioning throughout the season. Wallace, who has been at the practice facility most of the summer, has complied.

• Increase the intensity and consistency at the defensive end.

"No matter what the rules are, the game of basketball goes to the most aggressive teams and players," Curry said. "We want to be the team that's always on the attack, both defensively and offensively."

The Pistons will play mostly man-to-man. They will extend pressure up the court and apply traps to induce transition baskets.

• Increase scoring in the paint. Curry wants the ball thrown into the post with more regularity. The goal is to work the ball inside-out, and play better in the lane and at the free-throw line.

Curry plans to create points in the paint through dribble penetration and a more motion-oriented offense. Assistants Pat Sullivan (New Jersey) and Walker (New Orleans) come from teams that used elements of the Princeton motion offense. The Pistons will try to incorporate some of those elements to their half-court attack to facilitate low-post chances.

• Establish clearly defined roles. Curry expects to play 10 or 11 players on a regular basis.

He said he hopes guards Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey can average 30 minutes a game, with Arron Afflalo picking up the rest of those minutes.

He hopes to use a five-man frontcourt rotation. Amir Johnson, it appears, is going to get every opportunity to win the starting spot alongside Wallace. McDyess will be the first big man off the bench, with Brown and Jason Maxiell getting regular minutes -- Brown getting more minutes against bigger teams and Maxiell against smaller, more athletic teams.

You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or chris.mccosky@detnews.com.

Curry has already talked to Rasheed Wallace about coming to camp in shape, and they have mapped out a plan to maintain that conditioning throughout the season. Wallace, who has been at the practice facility most of the summer, has complied.

Only an idiot would try to read anything into the future where Sheed is concerned. At the risk of being an idiot, that seems like a good sign.

I like. Like gee said, I'm not forecasting anything in regards to Sheed, but if he is in shape and focused he is a monster.

I'd love to see some interior Defense. Can Kwame provide that or buy into that?

According to an interview right after he came here, he said that's why he's here. So let's hope.

I'd love to see some interior Defense. Can Kwame provide that or buy into that?

Well, the optimist in me says that Kwame's stronger as a defender than as a scorer.

loving it. we'll see if it translates onto the court though.

but we haven't attacked the rim, rebounded, or defended consistently since we won the title. and those are our 3 biggest deficiencies IMO.

if we did those things with the same relentless intensity as in 2004, we'd be polishing at least 2 other championship trophies.

we need to sell out and give 100% on every play, so to speak, instead of 'pacing ourselves' and trying to 'turn it on' when it matters. that attitude is what has killed us. hopefully curry can rectify this.

i love hearing that he wants to go 10 or 11 deep in the rotation. i hate when i hear that you can only really go 8 or 9 deep. nonsense. you don't have to give major minutes to player #10 or #11. but if you give them some spot minutes they can provide you with a very high level of intensity for those short minutes.

shuffle them in and out of the lineup and mix in with some starters. having more guys play small roles allows you to play with a higher level of intensity throughout a game. and to sustain it.

OK, that's my rant.

"It sounds simple, but if the play calls for a pick, set the pick," Curry said.

I have been screaming this for years

IT SOUNDS SIMPLE BUT IF THE PLAY CALLS FOR A PICK SET THE PICK!!!!

That seems tough to scream.

FUCK YOU SHEED!

Much easier.

lol..........I have very descriptive anger

i love hearing that he wants to go 10 or 11 deep in the rotation. i hate when i hear that you can only really go 8 or 9 deep. nonsense. you don't have to give major minutes to player #10 or #11. but if you give them some spot minutes they can provide you with a very high level of intensity for those short minutes.

shuffle them in and out of the lineup and mix in with some starters. having more guys play small roles allows you to play with a higher level of intensity throughout a game. and to sustain it.


It seems to me that last year's regular season kind of did that. The starters were rested, the team was healthy, the bench had gotten a lot of run and the win total exceeded expectations. While no regular season is ever perfect, last season was as spurs-like as we've ever seen from this team for the 82-game slog. If I'm having false memories of last season, I humbly accept any correction that follows but I recall saying the same things right before the start of the playoffs and there seemed to be some consensus (or at least no one raised any counter points) at the time.

When it comes down to the ECF/Finals, the top 8 or 9 guys have to get it done, ours didn't. Hopefully we'll see a coach-inspired attitude adjustment from the starters combined with another year of seasoning raising the level of bench play to put them over the top when/if they get that deep in the playoffs.

i don't know that we consistently went that deep. and there were games where we for some reason reverted to gluing some guys to the bench.

for me it isn't so much the average number of minutes guys get- it's WHEN they get them. i think you CAN consistently go 10-11 deep, even late in the season and some playoff games. just make those minutes come in small short spurts. that way you risk very little or nothing and you can gain a sustained level of intensity not normally experienced if you do your typical substitution patterns.

i don't know if i've sensibly explained what i'm TRYING to say. but i believe in subbing guys in and out fairly regularly and if managed properly it can benefit your team. it also benefits the players as everyone has a defined role even if it's just to be the energy guy who comes in for the last 2 minutes of the first 3 quarters, let's say.

I just wonder how realistic that is. Have there been any teams that routinely go 10-11 deep night in and night out? It just doesn't seem like something that happens anywhere in today's nba. Mostly, I think, with good reason as the bottom of most rosters is filled with spare parts and projects.

The Grizzlies were doing 10-deep to good success, under Hubie Brown.

I just wonder how realistic that is. Have there been any teams that routinely go 10-11 deep night in and night out? It just doesn't seem like something that happens anywhere in today's nba. Mostly, I think, with good reason as the bottom of most rosters is filled with spare parts and projects.


I agree, just because Afflalo may be able to "hold his own" for 20 minutes, doesn't mean I want to see him on the floor for 20 minutes.

At some point, depth becomes overrated.

for a team like ours though it is necessary. we don't have a true superstar in that sense. and when we just put out our starters for to long they do not play with the intensity or sense of urgency needed. perhaps because they're so used deferring to others, i don't know.

but in any case, with the physical and mental makeup of our team we NEED to do it IMO. we don't have elite athletes in our starting 5 either, whereas some of our bench guys bring those qualities which help us be more well rounded.

and as i said, when we go with a deeper rotation it forces everyone to play with more intensity all the time, or risk being sat down in favor of someone who WILL play that way.

i think you need a bench that comes in and changes the pace and intensity level. we can have that if we follow curry's plan AND if the player's buy into it.

i would disagree that depth is overrated. it might be if you've got lebron james as your star. he can carry the rest of the team a long way. but we don't have that luxury. our bench depth was perhaps THE key reason we won the title in 2004. it beat up on other team's second units, it raised the intensity level and the tempo of the game on both ends of the court, and it inspired and ignited our starters to pick up their level of play too IMO.

for a team like ours though it is necessary. we don't have a true superstar in that sense. and when we just put out our starters for to long they do not play with the intensity or sense of urgency needed. perhaps because they're so used deferring to others, i don't know.

but in any case, with the physical and mental makeup of our team we NEED to do it IMO. we don't have elite athletes in our starting 5 either, whereas some of our bench guys bring those qualities which help us be more well rounded.

and as i said, when we go with a deeper rotation it forces everyone to play with more intensity all the time, or risk being sat down in favor of someone who WILL play that way.

i think you need a bench that comes in and changes the pace and intensity level. we can have that if we follow curry's plan AND if the player's buy into it.

i would disagree that depth is overrated. it might be if you've got lebron james as your star. he can carry the rest of the team a long way. but we don't have that luxury. our bench depth was perhaps THE key reason we won the title in 2004. it beat up on other team's second units, it raised the intensity level and the tempo of the game on both ends of the court, and it inspired and ignited our starters to pick up their level of play too IMO.

I agree 100% with all that. Really the only thing I was questioning was depth being 8-9 deep vs depth being 10-11 deep. Not saying it wouldn't be a phenomenal thing to have, just maybe too much to hope for.

"No matter what the rules are, the game of basketball goes to the most aggressive teams and players," Curry said. "We want to be the team that's always on the attack, both defensively and offensively."

The Pistons will play mostly man-to-man. They will extend pressure up the court and apply traps to induce transition baskets.
Music to the ears.

When it comes down to the ECF/Finals, the top 8 or 9 guys have to get it done, ours didn't. Hopefully we'll see a coach-inspired attitude adjustment from the starters combined with another year of seasoning raising the level of bench play to put them over the top when/if they get that deep in the playoffs.
I believe the team's attitude starts at the coach. We weren't playoff fighters until LB took over, I truly believe he brought that element with him, and may have taken it away with him too. Your coach is a big part of your culture in the season, but even more so in the playoffs.