Flip Saunders: Boy, Never Saw That One Coming
NBA June 3rd. 2008, 12:00pm
Detroit severed times with coach Flip Saunders this morning, three days after the Pistons succumbed to the Celtics in game six of the Eastern Conference finals. We saw this one coming after the game five loss, and begun to feel bad for the guy back then.
Tough to get a gauge on if he’s a good coach or not – your mom could have taken this Pistons team to the Conference Finals three years in a row, and she probably wouldn’t have guided KG and Cassell past the Lakers, nor would she have been able to get Minny out of the first round during the 90s. He’s no Byron Scott as a coach, that’s for sure. Then again, he’s no Tim Floyd, either.
32 Responses to “Flip Saunders: Boy, Never Saw That One Coming”
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June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
He seems to be too much of a push over. After a few years the players just take over and he’s got no power. Thus, not a good coach.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Flip will definitely get another job and then that team definitely won’t win an NBA title.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Minnesotans are laughing aboot this one.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Larry Brown would be a great fit in Detroit.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Why would any team want him? Can you definitely say he’s done anything to improve a team? Is there proof to back it up?
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
maybe the flipper can be an assistant for tubby smith at minnesota. or is androgenous saul smith already in that position?
the NBA should just allow the trading of coaches. why the hell not? it’s just a big fucking carousel anyways. don nelson to the nets. flip saunders to the warriors. and lawrence frank to the bucks. all coming your way in 09.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
If Chuck Daly comes back the same week as Doug Collins, I’m officially busting out my swatch watch.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Flip is like Vermouth, he adds nothing yet takes nothing away and if you remove him most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him speak. He kind of just stands on the sidelines and nervously looks around.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
TBL, he has taken teams to the Conference championships, I am not saying he did anything to do it but look at the coaches around the league. Doug Collins (!?!?!?) was just hired by the Bulls. You honestly don’t think Flip get’s another head coaching job?
PJ Carliesmo has done jack shit as a head coach, he got another shot, I am 100% sure Flip will get another job.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Is this Ballin?
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Perhaps he could go to Boston to be Doc’s assistant.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
@cbh: Sad but true about Carlisemo.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
In other words, NBA coaches don’t really do anything?
Or is that baseball?
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Mike Brown needs an offensive coordinator in Cleveland.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I heard Isiah is available
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
that was one strange “your mom” joke.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
fixed for my sanity.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Two words, folks: Bill Laimbeer.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Avery Johnson. He’s got the balls and bravado those nannies need to keep focused and play the hard nosed D the played under Brown
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
What does “severed times” mean?
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I think Avery would be a good fit in Detroit.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
@ jb49ers: that’s a question best answered by Doc Brown and Marty
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
it has to be a guy with experience, not a first timer like Laimbeer or Terry Porter. This team is too good to bring in a newbie. Unless Joe D is going to trade 1 or 2 of the core guys and take a year or two to get back to the point where they have been.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
The Pistons do have a liking for big names and known quatities, so I could see Avery Johnson getting a shot.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Seton Hall in 89 with Andrew “Illegal” Gaze means nothing to you? I think the recycling of coaches plagues all sports. It’s criminal that Doug Collins could get the Chicago job.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:00 pm
great now we definitely get to hear Mark Jackson campaign for the Detroit job for the next 2 weeks. Joe D, do us all a favor and hire someone before the Finals start.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Saunders will never do what Jim Lynam did.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
TBL that was 19 years ago and in college, that earns him another shot as a pro coach?
\If you were being facetious nevermind the above statement.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Anybody but Avery Johnson. What in the name of hell is with the infatuation for a dude who took a perennial play-off team and drove it into the ground in three years? I would be more than happy to see how Curry will do. It will be Curry. Laimbeer would be sweet too.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’M STEPHEN A. SMITH AND MY SOURCES HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE DETROIT PISTONS, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, HAVE HIRED MICHAEL CURRY TO TAKE OVER THE HEAD COACHING POSITION. QUITE FRANKLY, I DON’T AGREE WITH THIS MOVE.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
This was a bad fit from the beginning. Unfortunately at the time of the hiring, he was the highest profile coach out there and seemed to be the kind of guy that would improve the offense and not disturb a defensively solid veteran team.
That’s the problem though. He didn’t disturb them at all. In any way. They needed more Larry Brown. Brown stayed in Chauncey’s a**. Rasheed respected Coach Brown (maybe that Carolina Blue had something to do with it). Everyone played hard under Coach Brown. Not so much so for Flip.
Unfortunately Joe, you’re a day late and a dollar short. This should’ve been done last year. Rip and Tayshaun are the only worthy pieces of this team that need to stay. Everyone else needs to be moved for whatever young talent we can get. Please. Make a trade now. We need a lot of young talent or we’re going to look very bad very soon.