Okay, I've read on another site (gasp!) that Joe D held a presser today at 1 pm.

I can't find evidence of that anywhere, not even on Pistons.com

Now I'm not saying that he did or didn't, but if he did and NONE of the local media covered it then that is just pathetic.

Anybody have any info on this "rumored" press conference?

I suppose asking for a link to the audio would be a bit greedy too.

He did, it was on 1270, he said we aren't going to make any major moves and we will not trade away Jerry Stackhouse.

Well if the honks on MLive aren't pulling a hoax, then indeed there was a "press conference" today at 1 pm.

Joe apparently said that he's not "blowing it up" and "Chauncey is his #1 priority".

edit: Well it's good to know that 1 out of 10 Pistons insiders (1270) were present at the "press conference".

I don't know why this shit pisses me off so much, but it does.

Maybe all of the other media outlets got sick of getting Langloi'd?

They should at least cover what was said at pistons.com goddamnit.

Joe will be on Stoney and WJ later today.

WDFN staying with Jim Rome over this press conference makes them a wonderful "flagship station".

Where McCosky with his supercool blog? Blakely?

It looks like even the beat writers are getting complacent, must have rubbed off from the players.

Thanks for the S&W tip, Herm.

Maybe Woji will have the sack to ask a good question or two.

I am by no means turning on the Pistons but If they are not going to make any major moves than this team will suck. It just lacks the hunger and has this arrogance that will not get them past the Cavs or the Bulls. They will just tease everyone again until playoff time!!!!!!!!!

Glenn, I think you are correct in thinking that the non-coverage of the press event is the biggest part of the story. However, I would guess that very fact is the is the answer to your question of "why didn't anyone cover the presser?" Link (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alanismorissette/ironic.html)

Maybe they are too intimidated to ask tough questions?

Because there are many to be asked, IMO.

Fuck a Dumbarse (I kid).

****** shook by Joe D like MJ.

Joe Dumars, unplugged
Posted by A. Sherrod Blakely June 11, 2007 14:09PM
Joe Dumars spoke with the media a few minutes ago regarding a wide range of topics, such as how the Pistons offense got bogged down (again) in the Conference finals, to what he plans to do with his roster heading into the summer.

Here are some of the things that, based on what he said today, I believe we'll see come to fruition.

Jason Maxiell will get to play more next season, and Amir Johnson will as well. Joe talked about how some guys are probably going to get their minutes cut next season. I suspect Rasheed and/or Tayshaun Prince are the most likely.

Through the draft or free agency, I believe the Pistons will add a backup point guard who won't challenge Chauncey Billups for major minutes, but will be groomed to be his heir at the position.

The core group of Chauncey, Rip, Sheed and Tay will be back, but all will be monitored closer than ever by Dumars to see if they in fact, need to be dealt elsewhere.

And when I asked him about the draft, one of the first things he clarified was that the Pistons had not made a promise to any player. As I said in an earlier blog, they like Rodney Stuckey a lot. But with so much uncertainty with who will be available at their spot, making a promise would have been pointless.

I'll have more from Joe D. in the Booth Newspapers and on mlive.com later.

I don't think it was an all out presser....it mentions that he spoke with the media....meaning he may have just got cornered by a couple guys.

If we are not going to "blow it up", we at least need to fire a couple rounds at it. This is not done by cutting minutes. What's that definition of insanity again?

Very very many. One day I'll be part of the press and I'll ask the tough questions. Very soon after this, I will be religated to covering horse races and arm wrestling.

I don't think it was an all out presser....it mentions that he spoke with the media....meaning he may have just got cornered by a couple guys.

Thanks for posting that info, Wiz.

Well, it was a scheduled press event, so that makes it a press conference, IMO.

The fact that we are 7+ days past the team imploding in the playoffs for the 2nd straight year and not a peep has been spoken by Dumars until today made this what should have been a major media event (at least from a local sports perspective).

It just seems so secretive. This is balls.

I listened to a 15-20 minute snippit they played on 1270.

He talked about how they were stagnent (mentioned above) and that they needed to make some changes. He said nobody is on the block, but they will listen to anything legit. He said that he had to thank the media for thinking there will be a fire sale because his phone rings off the hook.

He defended Sheed when asked about moving him saying he was the only player who showed up every single game. He said he was the most consistant player in that series and that he had to balence the good with the bad going forward.

He said that if you stand pat and fool yourself into thinking you'll be better that's when an "era" ends. Era's do not end when you progress and he's a proactive GM. That doesn't mean you change everything but you have to address any problems that you see.

He also talked about Billups being the #1 priority and that he didn't forsee any surprises on that. He mentioned Ben and that they weren't surprised Chicago offered him that too. They didn't know how much Chicago would offer, but they knew how much they could, and who had space. They know who has space now for Chauncey and will not be surprised at all there either.

He defended Flip, saying it's easy to blame the offense on him, but it's the players fault for not executing and his fault for not constructing the team right.

He also mentioned that Webber provided them a chance to get the #1 seed and that he got sick late and was not the same player after that. He did not have good energy after that.


That's all they played during that segment. They said more would be played during the inferno.

It just seems so secretive. This is balls.

maybe because they know people want answers and they don't have any. I agree though, totally sackless.

This is balls. Totally sackless.

That's a strange interplay.

Fuck this team, no changes and another season with Flip beeing coach...crap

He defended Sheed when asked about moving him saying he was the only player who showed up every single game. He said he was the most consistant player in that series and that he had to balence the good with the bad going forward.
until they asked him to leave




He said that if you stand pat and fool yourself into thinking you'll be better that's when an "era" ends. Era's do not end when you progress and he's a proactive GM. That doesn't mean you change everything but you have to address any problems that you see.
holding on to a dream




He defended Flip, saying it's easy to blame the offense on him, but it's the players fault for not executing and his fault for not constructing the team right.
so Flip gets none of the blame!?




He also mentioned that Webber provided them a chance to get the #1 seed and that he got sick late and was not the same player after that. He did not have good energy after that.
I know it takes me a month to get over being sick




That's all they played during that segment. They said more would be played during the inferno.
bullshit

Okay, this is exactly what I mean.

This is the top story on ESPN.com right now, and yet the local media are/were sleeping at the wheel.


Dumars: No reason to remove Saunders as coach

Associated Press

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons have no plans to fire coach Flip Saunders despite disappointing endings the past two seasons.

"Just because we haven't gotten to the [NBA] Finals, it doesn't mean Flip has done a bad job," Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations Dumars said Monday.

Dumars added that the team doesn't plan drastic changes this offseason.

"We don't have a fire sale going on," Dumars said.

With four of the same starters, the Pistons have lost in the Eastern Conference finals as the top-seeded team the past two seasons after winning a title in 2004 and falling just short of repeating the following year.

Dumars said his No. 1 priority is re-signing point guard Chauncey Billups when he becomes a free agent next month. He plans to bring back most of his key players.

Rasheed Wallace has been the subject of trade rumors in the week since the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated Detroit.

"You're talking about the guy that was our best and most consistent player in the playoffs," Dumars said. "He's probably also the guy that is the most volatile and crosses the line at times, but I have to balance that."

Wallace and Saunders have struggled to coexist the past two seasons. If that persists, Dumars insists he will not let that lead to the unraveling of the team.

"If we can't get it done, I'll make changes," Dumars said. "I wouldn't blink an eye about it."

The Pistons have received calls from other teams looking to make moves with major players, but Dumars said it's easier to talk about blockbuster trades than to pull them off.

"This is not fantasy basketball," he said.

While Dumars intends to bring back many familiar faces, he doesn't plan on begging his players to work hard or to allow them to casually prepare for games.

"If you come back with the same corps, the only difference is this would be the first time that they're coming back with this mandate," he said. "Complacency is the worst thing you can have in sports, and that's not going to be the calling card of our team going forward. I know that's been the tag labeled on us, and deservedly so a lot of times, but it won't be going forward."

I agree with you on Webber. I didn't understand that either. He has no mobility. Sickness is not an excuse. I think he just didn't want to throw him under the buss when he came here cheap to help us.

He didn't absolve Flip. He said "we're all in this together" and that you can't throw him under the bus. They all get their share of the blame. What do you want him to say? Unless he fires him (and you can't say it until you actually do it), he can't bash Flip. That would be stupid. My gutt says Flip will be back, but I wouldn't call it %100 either.

Dumars wasn't holding on to any dream. He said they had to address things. I think he didn't last year because he was forced to sign Nazr when Ben left. If he didn't make such a shitty pick in Darko (instead of Bosh), we wouldn't have needed Nazr, and we'd have that scorer off the bench with the MLE money we spent on Nazr.

Either Joe has some ninja shit in mind or he's planning on going down with the ship. I hope he's thinking about his career and legacy here.

Joe never shows his hand. I expect him to change more than just the bench, but less than 3 starters. 1-2 starters will be different next year (and not just Nazr for Webber either). He won't say anything until he does it IMO.

"If you come back with the same corps, the only difference is this would be the first time that they're coming back with this mandate," he said.

Okay, I'm sorry for ranting so much in this topic, but what the fuck, why not?

I think whomever wrote this used the wrong "corps". I think Joe meant "core", but what the hell do I know?

Quick transcriptions usually have those kinds of issues. I'm surprised they didn't try "corpse."

Joe never shows his hand. I expect him to change more than just the bench, but less than 3 starters. 1-2 starters will be different next year (and not just Nazr for Webber either). He won't say anything until he does it IMO.

your being level-headed about this....that's not fair

I'll be pissed later if he doesn't do shit.

KRISTA JAHNKE'S BLOG
Dumars: 'There's no fire sale'

June 11, 2007





Just arrived back from the Joe Dumars so-called State of the Pistons press conference. I’ll have much more in Tuesday’s Free Press, but here’s a quick gist of what the team’ president had to say.
Obviously, he’s disappointed in the way the season ended. But he said he’s not discouraged and that in his mind, that’s a big difference.

He is willing and open to considering any changes. He would not pinpoint any member of the team as untouchable in all scenarios.

But he is approaching the summer as he has approached everything in his tenure – with careful calculation. That’s to say he won’t make a change, as he put it, “just for the sake of change.” He will only make changes that make the team better. “There’s no fire sale,” he said.

Where there is a change coming is in the way he expects the players to approach their jobs. He made it clear he will no longer stand for what he deems a “lack of urgency.” Some might call it overconfidence – Dumars hesitated on that word. Some might call it cockiness. Whatever you want to call it, Dumars doesn’t want to see it anymore.

His plan for wiping it out of the team’s nucleus is to bring in enough young, athletic talent to challenge the veterans for playing time. He said that he doesn’t want to hear anyone complaining about playing only 30 minutes per game and then saying they can’t bring a sense of urgency through an 82-game season and then through the playoffs. It’s either bring that urgency, play with that hunger every time or sit on the bench. Or prepare to be traded.

As always, he said he will not blink an eye to make a change if he thinks it will make the team better.

He said he’s been getting all sorts of laughable calls, that GMs across the league think he’s about to blow-up the team, and that they’re offering silly things like guys on the inactive list for a starter. It doesn’t sound like any serious offers have poured in yet.

He hasn’t had a single offer for the 15th pick in the draft. And although I’m sure this fall under the umbrella of he’ll-consider-anything-that-makes-the-team-better, Dumars said since the focus is so much on brining in young talent, that pick is perhaps more valuable to the Pistons than to most teams.

He said they’ll bring in about 25 to 30 guys to workout before the June 28 draft and said the thing he’s looking for above all us is that intangible quality, a guy who is desperate to play, who hasn’t been coddled and who will bring an influx of athleticism.

He confirmed that his thinking about Chauncey Billups has not changed. They want to bring him back; resigning him is still priority No. 1. And for about the umpteenth time, he inferred that he should be able to do so with little problem. “There are few surprises in this league,” he said. He then said what happened with Ben Wallace last summer wasn’t a surprise at all. I take that to mean he knows exactly who will go after Chauncey this summer, he knows what they’re going to offer, he knows his offer will be the best combination of money and situation and he is ultra confident that Chauncey will take it.

There was a lot more in the interview. Most of it wasn’t too surprising. This is Joe Dumars. He sticks to what he believes in. It’s clear he isn’t panicking. He isn’t disillusioned about the players he has. He expects change this summer and is open to considering all ways that could come about. But that doesn’t mean blowing up the team.

Continuing my rant...

I love how these beat writers that have blogs always say "I’ll have much more in Tuesday’s Free Press" or "I'll have more from Joe D. in the Booth Newspapers".

Guarantee you that they are ordered to say that by their old school newspaper boss that went kicking and screaming into the blogosphere.

How much more on this do any of you really expect these clowns to have tomorrow?

Nothing. They'll just add their opion to what they already said. Like "Joe will probably try and move Sheed and RIP for a #1 scorer" or some shit like that. Nothing of substance though.

FYI, Joe D on S&W at 4:35

The team is just so unlikeable, they have been getting that way for a while, but its easy to overlook that when you think your team can win a championship. I'll be pissed if one of the big 4 aren't dealt (unless they get an all star center, which probably won't happen).

A new team, with some new faces, and something to get excited about, getting to the semi-finals and losing would actually be better than this same old team losing in the semis or even the conference finals last year. There was a big difference between the 2003 playoff run and the 2006 one, despite losing in the ECF both times. It was exhilerating to see the "new" Pistons advance into the playoffs, trying to win a title, the hunger... it was exactly the opposite here. This year it just makes me want to kick the team in the face.

Thanks, I'll tune in at work.

Hey Joe, it wasn't just the media who said there would be a fire sale, it was just about every analyst. They didn't say firesale but they did say at least 1 of the starters would be gone and maybe the coach. Why go on with the same group. Putting 1 new starter in the mix would be huge.

So Mad Max is going to play more next year? Wow huge news, its odd ESPN didn't run that as their headlines....sarcasm.

So if its not flips fault its the players fault and you put together the wrong crew, then why go with the same crew?

Maybe Davidson's bottom line was really good this year and he wants to run the same thing next year. I mean we really don't have any exhorbitant contracts.

I hope he is just playing a poker hand with all this 'we're standing pat' talk.

At least Joe is taking some of the blame for not providing all of the needed pieces...
The current squad should be capable of a good seed next year... The key will be "getting it right" before next years trade deadline.... he may want to see Amir a little more in game situations before pulling a Sheed deal... he would want to see the new backup PG in case he finds a diamond.
The final product going into next years playoffs is what really matters.
I think Joe is trying to deal from a strength position instead of jumping into a risky deal... one thing Joe can count on is another GM hitting the panic button where he can "pick a pocket".

The way I see it, Joe is gambling. Right now he knows his key players are going to take a hit if he tries to trade them now. If he rolls the dice and ends up with a better performance next year (and that would include getting their asses handed to them by the Spurs), then it would be a better time to move those players.

Good points, merc. Just because he doesn't make a huge deal this offseason doesn't mean he also won't before next year's playoffs.

I just think he would be able to get a lot for, say, Chauncey right now whereas if we resign him, it would be very unlike Joe (or any person with even a small amount of class) to trade him during the season.

For the first time since 2004, we've got some young bench players who can really show us something good. I don't know why they haven't been given this opportunity yet, but I'm down with seeing how things roll up next season before moves are made.

bump

Joe's on...

"Looking for a guy that can catch the ball in the low block and WANTS TO STAY THERE" has to be a shot at Rasheed.

Typed as fast as I could:

This series knocked Dumars back harder than any other loss. Hardest loss for him to take. he felt they should be in the finals for sure.

Can't publically analyze Flip on the radio. Joe doesn't seperate Flip from the players. Everyone "didn't get it done" and nobody is off the hook OR thrown under the bus. He could pick things apart all day but that wouldn't be the classy thing to do.

Sheed was best player and most volitile as well. Joe has to balence both. If it gets to the point of no return then he has to address that. Joe thinks he can pull him back in at this point and it's a delicate balence. Joe thinks he has to become more involved with that and be more hands on. If it doesn't work out, it's Joe's fault and it ends up on his desk anyway, so he better be proactive about it.

The days of playing the 4 starters 38-40 MPG in the regular season have come and gone. Everyone has to do a better job of playing other people more. If they play 30 MPG, they can give you more with the minutes they play. Right now they are playing 100 games a year at those minutes. That's how you get max effort, but playing them less and getting young legs in there. Good teams dictate minutes, bad teams allow the players to dictate minutes. You mandate minutes and they live with it or they don't. Joe won't let them dictate their own minutes.

There will be no stone unturned, but he will deal with each player's downfalls internally, not in the public.

There will be no fire sale, but if he gets value for a core guy he will do it. He's never been afraid to make big changes, but it has to better the team. Won't do change for the sake of making change.

Can't put a finger on what happened to the offense. They just bogged down in the ECF. 97 PPG in reg season to 80 PPG in playoffs. Too big of a drop off. Frustrating but can't pinpoint it right now.

Looking at adding a penetrating PG. Low block scorer as well. Find a guy that wants to operate down there and stay on the block.

Joe was more than sick that nobody would stop Lebron going down the lane. Didn't mind the fade away 3 but was infuriated that James was waltzing down the lane. Couldn't sleap that night.

Open to bringing Cwebb back, but doesn't know what he wants to do. Joe has a long list of things to address and doesn't know yet on him. He wants guys to play hard and play less, or go find a mediocre team and play more if that's what they want.

As an athelete you say stuff about you can turn it on, etc...but Joe doesn't put stock in that. You just say stuff and talk doesn't matter. It's about what you do on the court. That's what he likes about Sheed. Yeah, he talks a lot, but he brought it every game. All the talk he pays very little attention to that. The effort on the court matters.

Nobody reports about tha fact that they are the only team to go this far every year for the last 5 years. He knows how that wears on you, he's done it. You have to cut the minutes back so they have max energy this year.

Not even one of the big trades have been talked about with GM's. Joe has to answer some of these trades when half them don't even work. No crazy deals have been talked about. If it happens it happens, but nothing has been talked about yet.

(random talk about the lions) He looks at the players 3rd year as the defining year, which is why he's looking for big things from Maxiell.

"Looking at adding a penetrating PG. Low block scorer as well. Find a guy that wants to operate down there and stay on the block."

YESSSSIR!

"He looks at the players 3rd year as the defining year, which is why he's looking for big things from Maxiell."
So that was Delfino's defining year???

Great job Chris. Good work. I didn't get to hear it because I was at work.

Looks like a boat load of lip service. We aren't firing Flip saunders. That says enough about next year, damn shame. Flip wants to be back? fuck you, we can't use you properly, go somewhere else. we can't use anyone properly.


To all the "players dont want it in the post" critics, They didn't when Brown was hear, but he made them get good shots and made his guards feed the ball to his forwards. IMo its the coaches responsibility to get that. I mean if we gonna put all this on the players, then why do we even have a coach? We need a dictator. Not a democracy.

Joe D can get whoever he wants, But as long as Flip is coach, his odds of getting back to the top are slim. It would take a bench full of starters and a real Center. Get a real Deal Center in the middle on defense and a bench that could start on most teams, then Maybe i can look past Flip.

I was watching game 5 vs. SA on Classic yesterday and watching the offense working smoothly and the defense being top notch (other than the Horry blunder) really made me depressed.

After reading WTF Chris' post, AT LEAST JoeD isn't saying 'There's nothing wrong with this team" He realizes there are probs.

Like i posted somewhere, we are still prolly the most talented team in the East and Flip isn't the right guy for our squad.

I'm willing to give JoeD some time to work a trade. I am hoping like a sombitch that we get 1 new starter for next year.

I doubt we're the most talented now.

After reading WTF Chris' post, AT LEAST JoeD isn't saying 'There's nothing wrong with this team" He realizes there are probs.

Like i posted somewhere, we are still prolly the most talented team in the East and Flip isn't the right guy for our squad.

I'm willing to give JoeD some time to work a trade. I am hoping like a sombitch that we get 1 new starter for next year.

no one saw the rip trade coming. in joe's prime, he was as quiet as a ninja. i wouldnt at all be surprised to see another ninja like trade this summer. i dont think anyone really thinks that bringing it all back with the same ol' "less minutes" promise is something anyone would call a good plan.

welp no watching pistons for me next year if this is the case, whats the point, its like terminal illness.

But it's also an addiction. :( A very shitty one.

i can remember back in the 90s and early 2000s being so excited about the pistons, all day long I was waiting to come home and watch that game. Anymore its just like blah..I guess it comes with repeated winning.

The Sweet is never as Sweet without the sour

You were excited about the Pistons in the '90's?

You, sir, are a true fan.

But it's also an addiction. :( A very shitty one.

I feel you on that. My life would be emptier (but overall, probably better) without this lazy-ass team right now.

You were excited about the Pistons in the '90's?
We were a .500 team between our last Bad Boys Finals and the end of Grant Hill, with 6 playoff appearances and 3 Game 5s. We had 5 winning, 2 "ehh", and 3 losing seasons. It wasn't all teal gloom. There were factors that made the Pistons more exciting than they had any right to be -- the meltdowns of Dennis Rodman, Doug Collins, Bison Dele, etc. Let's not talk about the 1999 All-Star game, though.

1999 All-Star game? Why do I not remember what you're talking about?

Allan Houston.
End.

We were a .500 team between our last Bad Boys Finals and the end of Grant Hill, with 6 playoff appearances and 3 Game 5s. We had 5 winning, 2 "ehh", and 3 losing seasons. It wasn't all teal gloom. There were factors that made the Pistons more exciting than they had any right to be -- the meltdowns of Dennis Rodman, Doug Collins, Bison Dele, etc. Let's not talk about the 1999 All-Star game, though.

Oh, didn't know you were putting the Bad Boy years in there. Everything else after that in the '90's was a blur to me.

The teal uniforms were terrible too, lol.

I don't want to equate the Pistons with a trainwreck but...yeah....just can't stop watching.

Allan Houston.
End.
UGH!

Who's Allan Houston?

Oh, didn't know you were putting the Bad Boy years in there. Everything else after that in the '90's was a blur to me.
Whatever was left of the Bad Boys spirit really end with the Bulls sweep in '91. Heck, I have a hard time thinking of them as the "Bad Boys" post-Mahorn.