Pistons News

Michael Curry's offbeat playmaking to keep opponents guessing
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October 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"In the Pistons' victory over the Miami Heat in the first exhibition last Sunday, the team committed 24 turnovers. In the team's triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, the Pistons had 25 assists to go with 31 shots made. The improvement in those ball-handling stats shows that the players' familiarity with the offensive principles of new coach Michael Curry is a work in progress, but the potential is there to be unleashed when playoff time rolls around. "Some of the offensive sets that coach is putting in are challenging," Pistons center Rasheed Wallace said Thursday. "Once we can pick them up where we can run them consistently without thinking and more reaction, we'll be ..."
Afflalo helps Pistons remain perfect in preseason
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October 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"Arron Afflalo scored 28 points and Rodney Stuckey added 15 to help the Detroit Pistons remain perfect in the preseason with a 111-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Detroit (4-0) got a scare when point guard Chauncey Billups limped off with an ankle injury with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter. The Pistons said Billups, who did not return, "tweaked" his ankle. Charlie Villanueva led the Bucks (0-4) with 26 points and Michael Redd had 17. After trailing for most of the game, the Bucks closed to 82-80 when Villanueva scored on a driving layup with 9:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Pistons responded with a 12-0 run to grab a 94-82 lead with 6:43 left. Afflalo scored ..."
'Sheed's 12 points lead Pistons over Wizards
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October 11
Detroit Free Press
 
"Rasheed Wallace scored 12 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 73-62 preseason victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Wallace had nine points in the first quarter and added a 3-pointer in the third as the Pistons, who never trailed, outscored the Wizards 19-11 to take a 57-47 lead entering the fourth. They extended their lead to 71-53 with 4 minutes to play. Chauncey Billups had 10 points, Kwame Brown added nine and Richard Hamilton had eight for Detroit (3-0, which is undefeated under new coach Michael Curry. Caron Butler, Etan Thomas, Dominic McGuire and JaVale McGee all had eight points for the Wizards (1-2), who missed 30 of 40 shot in the second half. It was ..."
Kwame Brown quiets jeers in Pistons' win
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October 11
Detroit Free Press
 
"Washington Wizards fans gave Kwame Brown a nice, warm welcome to the Verizon Center on Friday night. Not. Brown was greeted with boos from the fans of the team that made him the No. 1 overall choice in the 2001 draft. But he answered the jeers with a solid outing of nine points, three steals and two rebounds in just over 14 minutes as the Pistons pulled away for a 73-62 victory to move to 3-0 in the exhibition season. He also teamed with Rasheed Wallace in the frontcourt during a key third-quarter spurt to allow the Pistons to take control. "It was fun and it was easy," Brown said. "'Sheed makes it easy for you. He's such a crafty veteran, he keeps you dialed into the game. "A lot of times ..."
Pistons' Curry in charge
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October 11
Detroit News
 
"The exhibition season will be half over by the end of the weekend, so what have we learned about the Pistons? Start with this: Perhaps the biggest question coming into camp already has become a non-issue -- Michael Curry's relative inexperience as a coach. Could a rookie coach affect change on an established team? Would the veteran players accept leadership from a guy they played with and against just a couple of years ago? Would one season of actual coaching experience be enough to ready Curry for this challenge? Yes, yes and heck yes. Curry, through his 16-year playing career and success as the head of the players' association, had the players' respect before he took the job. That ..."
Michael Curry not one for histrionics
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October 10
Detroit Free Press
 
"The sight is familiar at basketball games -- college or pro. The coach standing on the sideline, shouting instructions, yelling at his team or the officials, making wild hand gestures -- sometimes creating more entertainment than the game itself. Pistons coach Michael Curry stands out for not standing out. During a 2-0 exhibition start, Curry has stayed mostly in his chair and has yet to be demonstrative. Curry said Thursday that he stays on the bench because it helps him get the input of his staff -- assistants Dave Cowens, Pat Sullivan, Darrell Walker and Harold Ellis. "I've never understood how you can use all your assistants if you're not sitting there by them," Curry said. "That's ..."
Pistons adjusting to offensive scheme
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October 10
Detroit News
 
"You would think it would be a recipe for disaster. Michael Curry, rookie coach, comes into camp with an offensive plan that, for the most part, takes the ball out of the hands of veteran point guard and floor leader Chauncey Billups and uses Rasheed Wallace, one of the team's top offensive players, as a decoy more often than not. Sounds a little nuts, right? No worries. There is a method to Curry's apparent madness. While acknowledging adjustments have to be made by Billups and Wallace, Curry said, "At the same time, other guys are being more involved." Here's the deal: All those familiar offensive sets that involve Billups and Wallace -- the high pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop plays, the ..."
Pistons set with playing rotation
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October 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Pistons' playing rotation is becoming crystal clear.

We know the starting five will be point guard Chauncey Billups, shooting guard Rip Hamilton, center Rasheed Wallace, small forward Tayshaun Prince and power forward Amir Johnson.

First off the bench will be combo guard Rodney Stuckey. Next will come power forward Antonio McDyess, and then power forward Jason Maxiell.

Those eight can count on playing 15 minutes or more."

Among Curry's 16 rules: Don't whine to refs
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October 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"If Rasheed Wallace gets a technical, a minus goes down on the grading sheet. If Walter Herrmann fails to get out on a jump shooter, that's a mark on the sheet. If Walter Sharpe fails to attack when an opportunity is there? Ditto. Who's doing the grading? Prof. Michael Curry. Although he's not really a professor, the Pistons coach elaborated on 16 rules he has for his team before the Pistons' 85-71 exhibition victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at the Palace. The grading system is 0-100 and is a way of getting Curry's point across about winning basketball. "Is the technical foul or mistake harmful?" Curry asked. "If it does, then it's going to go against the grading ..."