The problem is, even with a healthy roster Frank has been suspect at best. His ability to have his team ready to start the season is non-existent. His ability to adjust his game plan in the face of stagnation is not present. His playing time is binary and rigid. His substitution patterns are not consistent with top performers. This timeouts are woefully late and his insistence on earning playing time while cementing those in the lineup who are routinely sub-par does not warrant another 82 game waiting period as far as I'm concerned. A good coach finds a way to get more out of his players than expected and helps them to improve. Playing the hand you're dealt means actually playing that hand, not just folding the hand and shrugging.
When you put it that way it comes off as kind of crass. Does anyone know what is wrong with her? I missed the beginning of the game, was his absence addressed? I know it's been rumored that she's been ill, but it's been vague and under-reported. He looked so disheveled and distraught the one time I saw him stagger onto the court after calling a timeout that I figured his wife was caught with another man. He wouldn't miss this long for that though, would he?
I agree with everything you said except that. Don't put that on the coaches. Stuckey has never ever ever EVER looked to pass the ball. Never in his career he showed even a glimpse of being capable of doing that. Even when he played as the only PG for years. The bowling ball drive has been his only game since he was drafted.
Not sure what is wrong with Mrs. Frank, but she had major surgery he stayed with her while she was hospitalized. She is home now and decided it was time to go back to work. At this point in the season with only 13 games left, Joe should throw up the white flag and just have him go home to take care of wife while she is on the amend. No use having two issues on your mind regarding both an ailing wife and an ailing team. Brian Hill should just sit back and let Dee Brown or Roy Rodgers close out the season. We are in the 5th draft spot and only a game out of the 3rd spot, so having Hill coach would probably get us there, but it's time for Dee to prove he can coach in the big leagues. If he does well, he can comeback and be the assistant after Joe and the owner decide to clean house. If Joe survives, have him offer the job to Adrian Dantley ...after all the Pistons do owe him something after dumping him for Zekes buddy Aguire in 89....AD was bitter about that trade for years...especially after the Pistons got two rings and he is ringless and now works as a crossing guard in his home town.
I remember 1 game where he was pouting or trying to prove a point where he all but refused to shoot and got allot assists, or at least I think that happened LOL.
Favorite part of the game: Charlie gets a dunk to pull the Pistons to within 30 and he does a brief Charlie-face pose. I can see blaming the coach at times, but now isn't the time. He has absolutely nothing to work with. Are some of you hoping he can pull out some meaningless wins at the end of the season? Why? Last night he didn't even have Calderon.
BoT's mean-muggin' is a prime example of why Charlie Villanueava should never wear Piston gear again. He personifies the exact opposite of the type of culture that the Pistons should be trying to cultivate. As far as coaching goes, I don't hold Frank responsible for all of the losses but I DO hold him responsible for the way that the team plays. He's off the hook for the W/L record due to the fact that he has an extermely below-average roster to work with. The dude was doomed to fail with the components that he was given. However, The decisions that he's made and his coaching of the players that he's been given had been nothing shy of AWEFUL. At any given time in a game, the lineup on the floor looks like 5 guys who shouted "NEXT" in a pickup game. There's no continuity or reason for Frank's substitution patterns and rotations. No matter who is in the game, the execution is sporatic at best. Does the team look like they're running their sets better now than they were back in October? Does ANYone on the team look like they've learned anything or developed skills throughout the course of the season? Has Frank taught these guys ANYTHING? I didn't expect wins this year. All I expected was that the team and its' player would improve and be better positioned for the future. Joe kinda did his part by swapping Tay & Daye for Calderon/cap space. ...Frank has done nothing. The thought of firing another coach is almost out of the question but there are other candidates out there that I feel would be much better. Unfortunately, Joe has put the team in a position where we simply can't fire Frank. Firing yet another Piston coach is almost unthinkable at this time. Like it or not, Lawrence Frank will be coaching the Pistons next season.
Emotional Lawrence Frank returns to Pistons after dealing with wife's surgery | Detroit Free Press | freep.com I think Frank should take the rest of the season off if he needs it to take care of his family. Family is more important than a ball game. It sounds like his wife is not doing well.
Agreed. Nothing is more important than your family. My thoughts go out to he, his wife and his kids. As someone who is currently going through a similar situation (family illness), I empathize. Get your house in order. Be there for the people that need you! ...one question though. What exactly does he mean by: What IS Piston basketball? ...I didn't realize that the team had a specific identity. ...In fact, this is one of the reasons that I'm so disappointed with the way that this season has gone.
I thought an identity was starting to become established in late December/early January. The Pistons were on a 9-4 run and the bench was a HUGE part of it. Stuckey was either coming off the bench or getting DNPs. The identity emerging had Andre Drummond front and center. Over that span, he was averaging double-digit points and rebounds, plus over 2 blocked shots per game. The Pistons are 5-16 since Andre got hurt.
So that's three votes for Larry returning home to take care of wife/family...do we need a poll? I think the family lives in NJ....since there are only 13 games left...go back there take care of her and let the Piston season run it's course in semi tank mode.
Full tank is what the Wizards did to get Wall a couple of years ago. Semi means we don't want to tank, but since our coach is at home and two of our three best players are out indefinitely, it can called a semi tank...or a valid excuse that we are losing
Its not that I think Frank is a horrible coach, but when the stink of losing gets on you and an organization it is just time to move on. Most of the blame is on the roster and this stink is also on Joe. Its like the Seinfeld episode with the stinky car. Some times it just needs to go.
Here is our depth chart, including Caldy PG - Knight / Bynum / (Stuckey) SG - Singler / Stuckey / English / (Middleton) SF - Singler / JJ / Middleton PF - Maxiell / JJ / (Moose) / Charlie C - Moose / Slava Thats garbage. There is no two ways about it. W/ Drummond + Calderon + Knight, this team can make noise. Without them, they can't. That is on the coach.
