Flip Saunders please

[Frenzy]

Link

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Flip Saunders was fired as Detroit Pistons coach Tuesday, four days after his team was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

President of basketball operations Joe Dumars said it's "time for a new voice to lead our team." Saunders had a year left on a four-year deal he signed in 2005. The decision comes three years after Saunders took over for Larry Brown, who led the Pistons to two straight NBA Finals.

"Decisions like this are difficult to make, especially with the success we have had throughout the last three regular seasons," Dumars said in a statement. "However, at this time, I feel it is necessary to make a change."

In Saunders' three seasons, the Pistons were 176-70 in the regular season and 30-21 in the postseason, but they lost in the Eastern Conference finals each year.

Before coming to Detroit, Saunders was 411-326 with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 1995-05. He led them to eight straight postseason appearances -- seven first-round exits and an appearance in the 2004 conference finals. After leading Minnesota to a franchise-high 58 wins, he was fired with a 25-26 mark in the 2004-05 season.

please........he's available now

[capstone21]

He would be a great addition

[TheTruth]

So, that makes Avery and now Saunders. Hmm...I'm sure even the most tenacious of Woody nut-huggers can't deny now that there are better coaches than him available...

[macdaddy]

I don't want him but this is a good example of what good teams do. they don't settle for less and don't reward doing a pretty good job.

[EazyRoc]

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So, that makes Avery and now Saunders. Hmm...I'm sure even the most tenacious of Woody nut-huggers can't deny now that there are better coaches than him available...

They'll make some kind of excuse like.."They couldn't win with their roster. No Flip/Avery."

We've got to chance to bring in a coach that can make us a very good team, but will we do it ?

[Murat]

This is the year when you get a coach and we are in a perfect situation right now.

1. Woodys contract is up.

2. We underachieved this past year.

3. There is some really nice coaches available.

4. We have a nice team of solid young players.

If we extend Woody even for 1 year than we are making a big mistake. I doubt that there will be any good coaches left for next year. So we will probably end up with Lon kruger, Stotts type of coach again.

We already lost out on D'antoni, Carslile and Skiles. I would be pissed if we also lose out on Avery and Flip.

[HawkNJersey]

If Avery can be fired, if Flip can be fired....how the hell does Woody be retained?

[Admin]

Those coaches were fired because their players lost respect for them. That has not happened in Atlanta other than a few minor arguments with Smoove and AJ.

At this point we don't know that Woody will be retained, Sund hasn't made that decision that we are aware of so who knows maybe he was waiting to see what coaches would become available.

[EazyRoc]

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Those coaches were fired because their players lost respect for them. That has not happened in Atlanta other than a few minor arguments with Smoove and AJ.

At this point we don't know that Woody will be retained, Sund hasn't made that decision that we are aware of so who knows maybe he was waiting to see what coaches would become available.

The players in Detroit didn't lose respect for Flip Saunders. They just didnt have the gas in their tanks to play championship level basketball. You don't make it to the conference finals playing for someone you don't respect. It doesn't happen.

The reason Dallas didn't make it was because the GM completely destroyed the team for a PG they really didn't need. He was making the flashy trade to keep up with the Lakers and the Suns. Even then, Dallas didn't have much of a team to begin with. Dirk is a solid player and bonafide All-Star, but his defense is lackluster and he's playing on a team where post defense is a weakness. Josh Howard's defense has went down ever since he's became the legitimate second option on that team. Dallas' problem is that they didnt have a good enough defense despite being a better defensive team under Avery, or a gimmicky offensive scheme that would make up for their lack of great defense.

[Admin]

Dumars is the one that put that out there, I don't have enough knowledge of the situation in Detroit to make that statement. I'm just basing that off of his press conference.

[EazyRoc]

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Dumars is the one that put that out there, I don't have enough knowledge of the situation in Detroit to make that statement. I'm just basing that off of his press conference.

I heard Dumars say he fired him because of the lack of effort displayed by his veteran players. I haven't heard anything about a lack of respect. Do you have a link to the press conference ?

[mattlanta]

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This is the year when you get a coach and we are in a perfect situation right now.

1. Woodys contract is up.

2. We underachieved this past year.

3. There is some really nice coaches available.

4. We have a nice team of solid young players.

If we extend Woody even for 1 year than we are making a big mistake. I doubt that there will be any good coaches left for next year. So we will probably end up with Lon kruger, Stotts type of coach again.

We already lost out on D'antoni, Carslile and Skiles. I would be pissed if we also lose out on Avery and Flip.

Great post.

[Dsinner]

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Those coaches were fired because their players lost respect for them. That has not happened in Atlanta other than a few minor arguments with Smoove and AJ.

At this point we don't know that Woody will be retained, Sund hasn't made that decision that we are aware of so who knows maybe he was waiting to see what coaches would become available.

Wow, so Flip brought a team that didn't respect him to the ECF? Yeah, makes a whole lot of sense. Let's keep a crappy coach cause the players like him. Thats much better than the ECF. You guys crack me the F up.

[Admin]

I guess Joe Dumars must crack you up since he is the one that said that.

Yeah let's fire the coach that Joe Dumars and Larry Brown and Joe Johnson all think so highly of instead of replacing the undisciplined players with a low basketball IQ on the team. Brilliant strategy.

The ONLY reason I am even remotely interested in Woody being fired is just so I can say I told you so that it wasn't ALL Woody's fault or even close to that.