Who Will Take the Mantle of Pistons Head Coach?

It's been about a week since the unlucky John Kuester was let go by the Pistons organization after two years of bad and worse seasons. Last week it was announced that Kuester would no longer man the sidelines of the Pistons bench for the upcoming season, raising new questions as to who will take on the team composed of players who tuned out and rebelled against their coach all while under the cloud of uncertainty caused by a pending sale of the team and, now, the looming lockout.

Names that have popped up are current Milwaukee Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, former Atlanta coach Mike Woodson, and two Pistons greats Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer. Another name I read in ESPN.com is current Celtics assistant and former Nets coach Lawrence Frank.


Of the five, Woodson has the best profile, having brought the upstart Hawks to the playoffs before being fired himself a couple of seasons ago. He was able to transform the rough and raw Hawks into a cohesive unit, albeit one that was never made for the deep run in the playoffs.

Thomas and Laimbeer are sentimental choices, having been part of the original Bad Boys team that won the '89 and '90 championships. Thomas' record as an NBA coach and executive was tarnished because of his last stint with the New York Knicks, where he had a losing team full of bad contracts and an office haunted by a sexual harrasment scandal. His overall reputation got a hit as well when just this past year his old-time friend Earvin "Magic" Johnson revealed that he never really liked Thomas that much, and that he, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan all plotted against Thomas in the '92 Olympic Dream Team. Laimbeer on the other hand comes from leading the WNBA's Detroit Schock, also once owned by previous Pistons owner Bill Davidson, to multiple titles. This past year he was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

There is no doubt that the return of either Thomas or Laimbeer to the Pistons would be good for PR. They could spin it so that it will be the return of the Bad Boys days when the Pistons were on top of the world. Or it could be the coming together of two champion squads ('04, as represented by Tayshaun, Rip, and Big Ben and '89-'90, represented by either Thomas or Laimbeer and Joe D) to return the Pistons to greatness. Funny how the two Pistons who are vying for the position are the ones who got involved in a fracas that left one with a broken hand (Thomas) and another with a broken jaw (Laimbeer). One was the icon for the never-say-die offense (Thomas) while the other was the face that the Pistons put in front to field all the bad flak for the underhanded defense the team was known for (Laimbeer).

Before this whole thing came out, I already posted a pic on my facebook account to show who I had wanted to take on the job. I think that the Pistons need a defensive identity, and for me number 40 is the right guy to do this. Also, he can command the respect of his players. Yeah he might end up in a brawl with them, but he'll be giving them a kind of vibe they haven't seen the past couple of years with Michael Curry and Kuester.

Now imagine, for a minute, a coaching staff composed of Laimbeer as Head Coach, with Thomas, another former Bad Boy and Laimbeer's partner-in-crime Rick Mahorn, and Mark Aguire as his assistants, and Joe D in the upper box, and you've got  a complete five from the '89-'90 team running the show. That would be cool to see, right? Thomas could impart wisdom on Rodney Stuckey on how to be an effective scoring point guard, Mahorn can teach Greg Monroe the tricks of the trade, and Aguire can teach a thing or two to Austin Daye.

In the end, I hope that whoever takes the job gets it done. The past few years of Pistons mediocrity have been too much for this long-time fan to handle. They should at the VERY LEAST get to the play-offs this coming season. Whether it be with the same roster that they currently have or not, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that the Pistons GET THEIR ACTS BACK TOGETHER!