The Detroit Pistons Can’t Be Serious

The other day I wrote a compelling and thorough hastily organized piece about the asinine coaching carousel in the NBA and how teams just keep pulling out old retreads. The Golden State Warriors bucked that trend by hiring ABC NBA analyst and former Indiana Pacers guard Mark Jackson as their new coach and the Detroit Pistons seemed to be on the right track to renovation by considering iconic franchise bad boy Bill Laimbeer for their vacant coaching gig.

But the Pistons are still mulling other options like former Indiana University scumbag recruiter coach Kelvin Sampson and former Atlanta Hawks loser coach Mike Woodson. And now we can add to that list… Isiah Thomas.

*slams head against desk, signs Eddy Curry to a 10-year deal*

Thomas served as the New York’s president in a controversial reign from 2003-2008 that left him among the most hated sports figures in recent New York history.

That is not the case, however, in Detroit, where Thomas led the Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. Widely regarded as the greatest player in franchise history, the Hall of Famer could return to a club that has suffered through three straight losing seasons.

While Thomas’ performance in the Knicks’ front office left much to be desired, he has enjoyed success as a coach. He led the Indiana Pacers to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2000-2003 and helped develop Jermaine O’Neal, Jalen Rose and Ron Artest into stars. It’s that success with young players that has the Pistons intrigued, according to sources.

In 2002, Thomas led the Pacers to a 34-15 start and was the coach of the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. However, the Pacers finished poorly and were eliminated in the first round for the third straight year, leading to Thomas’ firing. (ESPN)

Sorry, I don’t typically like to block quote that much, but this information deserves attention. This article was written by ESPN’s Chris Broussard, who is considered to be an expert in some circles. So I find myself scratching my head at this key statement:

… and helped develop Jermaine O’Neal, Jalen Rose and Ron Artest into stars.

My apologies to the people at Oxford, who now have to tremendously alter the definition of “stars”. Best of luck, Pistons fans. I’m sure there are still some support groups in New York if you can make the trip.

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