Pistons hire Kuester

Evidently, Kuester was to Mike Brown's offense as Thibodeau was to Doc Rivers' defense, albeit with less fanfare. From a Hollinger article last year (oddly enough about VDN's crappiness):

"Brown's solution this season was to outsource the offense to assistant John Kuester, much as Doc Rivers turned his defense over to assistant Tom Thibodeau a year ago to spark Boston's march to the title. Brown's move has worked brilliantly -- the Cavs finished this season fourth in offensive efficiency and improved by 21 games."

Seems like a smart move given the new faces in Detroit.

over 2 years ago YaoPau 28 comments 0 recs |

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nice find on the Hollinger piece

not really a inspiring coaching move by Detroit, but at least he was an assistant coach. I admit I totally whiffed on how green VDN would be this time last year.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 2:07 PM CDT reply actions

Good to see Vinny has taken the advice by outsourcing the defense to a veteran assistant

Oh wait, never mind.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on Jul 7, 2009 2:14 PM CDT reply actions

I'm still confused based on various leaks

whether Vinny refused to delegate or his assistants were taking early retirement.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions

God, what a clusterfuck last year was

Hiring someone who’s never coached before is bad enough, but then to surround him with assistants who are complete strangers to him is just insane. What a screwed-up organization.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on Jul 7, 2009 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions

I've heard the latter from a very good source within the organization...

the same guy who told me Del Harris was the biggest disappointment and would be the first to get the boot this off-season (under the cloak of “early retirement”).

For my true fans, I feel bad for them. The longtime fans of the Chicago Bulls – I just felt like they’re being cheated. Not with me, but just things that happened in the past. I feel like the fans deserve a lot better. - BG7

by smash! on Jul 8, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions

they should've just paid for Avery Johnson

by darksmokepuncher on Jul 7, 2009 2:54 PM CDT reply actions

tough to be sure if Avery Johnson is that good.

and I think it was the years moreso than the money.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions

not to mention

they’ll still be paying Curry $5 million for the next two years…looks like Joe D is reading the JR manual for coach hiring…

http://awsomepeoplesearch.com/

by NormVanBeer on Jul 8, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Avery will prob be our coach next year.

Homecoming

by illwill on Jul 7, 2009 3:02 PM CDT reply actions

after Tyrus is gone

and we’ll go to a ‘no nuckleheads!’ crusade.

If Avery can get Dallas to become a top defensive team, he can probably do some good here. I wouldn’t be against the hire at all.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions

No concerns about the offensive side?

Avery’s team’s were far from dynamic on offense — IIRC he was like the anti-D’Antoni. It’s somewhat suspicious that Devin Harris exploded after leaving Avery’s system…

by hitlesswonder on Jul 7, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I dunno

maybe I’m resigned to find a coach who can coach one side of the ball?

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions

harris didn't improve that much, imo

his shooting is still poor and none of his advanced stats other than PER really improved. he just had a few more shot attempts and MADE more FTs/game than he ever even attempted (also per 36 min). he either learned to draw fouls or somehow got the calls… which is a different skill on its own but that alone isn’t to say he got remarkably better.

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on Jul 7, 2009 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Unimaginative offense

But, the Mavs were 1st, 2nd, and 8th in offensive efficiency during his 3 full seasons as head coach.

I guess that means he knows how to utilize players that are already dynamic on offense (Dirk, Terry,Howard) without messing them up?

The Chicago Bulls.....the more profitable Los Angeles Clippers.

by Ozzie Montana on Jul 7, 2009 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions

To everyone that thought the Pistons had a plan after the BG signing . . .

Told ya.

by Option27 on Jul 7, 2009 5:01 PM CDT reply actions

Probably a better coach than we have.

Perhaps this isn’t a subject for Bulls fans to gloat about.

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on Jul 7, 2009 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

I'm not really gloating

Just saying,

It looks pretty obvious that these guys are lost and some actually thought Detroit had a plan

by Option27 on Jul 7, 2009 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions

I think it's more that they've had plans in the past

so it’s easier to think they’d have one again. The Bulls never have a plan.

Also, yet again: who gives a shit about the Pistons?

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 7, 2009 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions

every good coach has to start from somewhere...

by LoveForTheGame on Jul 7, 2009 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions

who?

by SoulEater7 on Jul 7, 2009 5:43 PM CDT reply actions

The guy that was on TV drawing up all the plays for the Cavs while Brown wasn't even in the huddle.

It was amazing to me how much that happened this playoffs! I wonder how Bron Bron feels about this?

by smash! on Jul 8, 2009 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Interesting

Dumars told ESPN.com Tuesday afternoon: “As we have continued to go through this transition, it has become clear that we needed a ”http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4297296" >more experienced coach to help guide us through this period."

The Pistons’ pursuit of Johnson ended, sources said, because Detroit — having paid both Flip Saunders and recently fired Michael Curry last season and still owing an estimated $5 million to Curry over the next two seasons — was only prepared to extend a two-year offer to Johnson with a team option for a third season.

At least Ben’s used to playing for guys without head coaching experience.

In honor of the dearly departed, I declare July PB&J month - everyone raise a sandwich to the memory of Ben!

by wjb1492 on Jul 7, 2009 6:50 PM CDT reply actions

BG's thought process was $.

by SoulEater7 on Jul 7, 2009 8:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes,

And no matter what he said about going someplace where winning is the #1 priority – it seems the Piston’s thought process is also money. :)

In honor of the dearly departed, I declare July PB&J month - everyone raise a sandwich to the memory of Ben!

by wjb1492 on Jul 7, 2009 8:58 PM CDT up reply actions

so true

money, money, money

by LoveForTheGame on Jul 7, 2009 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions

I think the telling differences are in how things are presented and talked about

This quote straight from Dumars was pretty interesting:

Dumars told the Detroit News: “Where we are right now as a team is kind of like where we were at the start of the Rick Carlisle era. And a $4 [million] to $5 million [per year] coach is not what we need right now. We didn’t have one of those until we were close to contending for a championship when we got Larry [Brown].”

Sort of an astonishing admission, isn’t it? He’s flat out saying they’re a couple years away from being a contender. I can’t fathom the Bulls ever coming out and saying something like that, even now when it’s the obvious truth of the matter.

It’s an astonishing abmission, but it’s a realistic one too. And that’s how I take the “winning is the #1 priority” sort of comments. Of course there are other considerations, but above all, fans and players probably both want to have a realistic belief in some sort of plan.

I mean, Dumars, Gordon, and most other folks aren’t pure simpletons. Nobody thinks the Pistons are gonna be overnight contenders, I think. What they ought to expect is that the Pistons are cognizant of their situation and building accordingly. If they’re a few years away, then plan for it. Replace your older core guys with younger core guys. Position yourself to pick up more pieces down the road and get better.

BullsTwo

by Sports2 on Jul 8, 2009 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs