| Pistons Should Flip For Saunders In Case Of Coaching Change Authored by Tommie De Riemaecker/Off The High Glass - February 13, 2005 - 1:32 am
As the axe finally fell on longtime Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Phil “Flip” Saunders yesterday, it’s likely that Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars added a little note towards the top of his Want List.
Rumors have been swirling about the fate of current head coach Larry Brown in Motown since the team celebrated its third NBA title in 15 years last June. Between media reports that Brown is enamored with other professional teams and Brown’s own public consideration for retirement, it’s all but certain that Brown won’t be around to finish the final year of his five-year, $30 million contract in Detroit. With Detroit still in the race to repeat as champions, Brown may elect to step aside with back-to-back titles this summer. The pickings for a potential replacement have been pretty slim – until now.
Bill Laimbeer, head coach of the WNBA Detroit Shock, Pistons television analyst, former NBA All-Star center, two NBA championship rings, one WNBA championship ring. John Hammond, vice president of basketball operations of the Detroit Pistons, former assistant coach with three NBA teams, extensive experience in scouting with multiple teams, associate head coach at University of Missouri. Michael Curry, small forward for the Indiana Pacers, president of the NBA Players’ Association, former Piston. Tom Izzo, head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, one NCAA championship.
Topping that hodgepodge list now for Dumars should be Saunders, who posted a record of 411-326 in more than nine seasons with the Timberwolves. He was promoted on Dec. 18, 1995, from his position as general manager, taking over one of the worst teams in professional sports history from former Larry Brown assistant coach Bill Blair. Saunders helped turn the Timberwolves into a contender and last season became the eighth person in NBA history to have coached his first 700 games with the same organization.
He led the Timberwolves to eight straight playoff appearances, but the team was ousted in the first round seven straight times before reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.
Only Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan had a longer tenure than Saunders among current NBA coaches, running the team since 1988.
In Saunders’ defense (which isn’t challenging to mount), his boss and longtime friend Kevin McHale should have been ousted instead. McHale, who stepped down from the front office to take over the head coaching position on an interim basis for the remainder of the season at owner Glen Taylor’s request, hamstrung the roster by signing Kevin Garnett to a mammoth contract. Role players Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Wally Szczerbiak won’t accept their roles and want to be paid like All-Stars, though none of them are. McHale was caught by the NBA illegally negotiating with Joe Smith, costing the team four first round draft choices in five years that could have been solid role players by now. McHale signed center Michael Olowokandi to a massive contract, then the big center landed on the bench when he failed to produce. McHale’s recent draft picks were nothing to write home about either – Rick Rickert and Ndudi Ebi. But it’s McHale’s problem now, not Saunders’.
Saunders posted seven productive seasons as a head coach in the CBA, where his 253 career victories rank second all-time in the 60-year-old league. He began his CBA career in 1988-89 with the Rapid City Thrillers, and then moved to the LaCrosse Catbirds for five seasons (1989-94) before coaching the Sioux Falls Skyforce in 1994-95. He also served as general manager (1991-93) and team president (1991-94) of the Catbirds. While in the CBA, Saunders won two CBA championships (1990, 1992), two CBA Coach of the Year awards (1989, 1992) and lead 23 players to earn NBA call-ups during his tenure.
When Brown leaves Detroit, the team will still likely be legitimate contenders, if not defending champions, which means a veteran coach will be needed. Early experiments with lead assistant coach Gar Heard in charge this season while Brown recovered from hip surgery failed, and none of the other assistants on Brown’s staff have the credentials at this point in their careers to take over an expansion team, let alone the defending champions.
In Detroit, Saunders would be blessed with a group of professionals who put the team – not their contracts – first. Of course, the Timberwolves announced during their press conference Saturday that Saunders had been “re-assigned within the organization,” a dismal reward for his loyalty and hard work over the years, even when the Portland Trail Blazers tried to court him away. But Saunders would likely flip for a second chance at a head coach’s gig instead of whatever consulting or scouting position they force upon him in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves may try to pry Sam Mitchell away from the Toronto Raptors this summer, which may not be too far-fetched. Mitchell has faced reports he challenged two players to fights this year (Rafer Alston and Vince Carter) and team continues to struggle while players request trades. Mitchell, a longtime Timberwolf and Garnett’s mentor, may be available for Minnesota. If not, the Timberwolves also may make a play for Maurice Cheeks, who is without a contract with the Portland Trailblazers this summer. Cheeks, a former Brown assistant coach in Philadelphia, also would be on the Pistons’ short list if he is let go by Portland.
Regardless, Dumars has a history of anticipating major moves well in advance, so Pistons fans can rest easy knowing that the team has a number of options to remain supreme if Brown decides to bolt.
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