The Detroit Pistons' Season: Gone with a Whimper, Not with a Bang

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper."

       —The Hollow Men, T.S. Eliot.

Although Eliot was talking about the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, it could aptly (though less dramatically) be ascribed to the situation a certain basketball team in Michigan finds itself in.

The Central Division baton has officially been passed by the Detroit Pistons to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Of course, this was to be expected, as the Cavs have imitated the Pistons for a number of years. Their Detroit-based owner has used the Pistons as a model for his young team, importing the Pistons' style of atmosphere at his arena, and even stealing play-by-play man Fred McLeod. 

It was only fitting that eventually they would take the Pistons' spot on top. Pistons fans expected this to happen. However, they did not expect it to happen like this, with a team that gives up and likely will barely squeak into the postseason with a losing record.

The reasons for this demise have been explored to death, but watching Sunday's game against the Cavs left something obvious to be discussed:

This team just doesn't have it.

Over the past few seasons, the most painful thing to see was that the Pistons were better than the teams that beat them in the playoffs. Even last year, Detroit matched up well with Boston. As a result, former coach Flip Saunders rightfully took the brunt of the criticism after the loss.

This year, even with a subpar coach like Michael Curry, the players need to take the lion's share of the blame. This team has no idea what it is doing. It has no identity. And while losing Chauncey Billups was likely the best decision for the long term future of this team, it goes to show how valuable the point guard was to this team.

In his absence, there is no offensive flow to this team. Nearly every time down the court, the game boils down to one-on-one match ups with four other guys standing around. This is a strong testament to the fact that Detroit does not have a strong point guard, or even strong leadership. 

There is no doubt that Rodney Stuckey will develop into a star in this league. However, there is doubt as to whether he will be a star point guard. It seems as though he hasn't quite figured out the position. Additionally, while he does have quickness on defense, he lacks the strength that Billups used to keep other point guards out of the paint.

Allen Iverson has received a great deal of criticism from the fans, but he is just part of the problem. Iverson has been a star in this league because coaches he has had have known how to use him. Curry has not figured this out, and it is dragging the entire team down.

Is there a right way to use Iverson on this team? That remains to be seen. However, things have gotten worse, and now it seems doubtful that this team, as presently constructed, can recover.

It does seem as though there is no real way to win with Iverson on this team. The only way would be if the shackles were completely removed from Iverson and he was allowed to run the offense. Sure, he doesn't seem to be much of a facilitator, but neither does Stuckey right now. 

At the very least, Iverson would likely lead this team to the playoffs, and once there, who knows? Detroit might make a strong run and improve their odds of landing a top-notch free agent like Carlos Boozer. At season's end, they will still allow Iverson to walk and use his contract to lure a prized addition.

The only problem with this logic is that it may stunt the development of Stuckey, whose ascension was one of the largest reasons for the Billups trade in the first place. 

However, the team can not continue like this. 

The most difficult part about this entire episode in Pistons' history is how they seem to have come full circle. Every last aspect of the team that we knew and loved is gone now. They are no longer a hard-fighting, scrappy team of castoffs that play every game until the end and fight for every loose ball. 

Sure, there are still a few of the same team pieces, namely Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace, but things are irrevocably changed. Not only is there no longer a swagger, but there seems to be no sense of a clue as to how to win.

In addition to the offensive problems, the defense is truly a mess. Wallace has obviously stopped trying, and as a result, the little things that he did are going undone, exposing the weaknesses in his teammates. It's as though he finally said "enough" and pulled the plug on his effort. 

It's like the co-worker you have that feels unappreciated for making the coffee every day, and when he stops, the office has no clue how to make it without him. 

Furthermore, they don't really seem to care.  It's as though they have already written off this season and they are waiting to see what happens next.

Most fans knew that there would be growing pains with this new transition. However, it is as though the fans are being forced to relive the nightmare that went along with the last rebuilding project.  

For alcoholics, when things reach their worst point, it's referred to as "rock bottom." It's the moment they wake up in a Dumpster in a strange city, trying to collect the last drop of someone else's empty wine cooler.

So, have the Pistons reached rock bottom? They are just about there. The next step is for someone to step forward and offer a plan. This is key. The team needs to know where it is going. 

This is where Michael Curry can prove that Dumars did not make one of the few mistakes of his tenure. If not, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be fired by season's end. 

Forget the contract and the fact that Curry is a friend of Dumars. He has done an awful job, and friend or no friend, Dumars will do what is right for the team. 

You don't take essentially the same team that went to six straight conference finals and add a future Hall of Famer that is still technically in his prime and come close to missing the playoffs. 

Add to the mix that this is his first head coaching gig, and the margin for error gets a lot slimmer. Look at what happened in Phoenix. Terry Porter is a young coach, but he showed promise in Milwaukee. Curry should have a leash of similar length to Porter's.

The other option is that the players call a "players only" meeting and decide to work out their issues together. This would likely spell out the end for Curry, and lead to a more hands-on approach by some of the elder players, namely Wallace. 

If the players pull this out on their own, Dumars will likely send Curry packing because his voice is not being heard. The problem doesn't seem to be bad leadership; the problem seems to be no leadership.

So we will find out within the next week or two whether or not the Pistons have reached rock bottom. Given that they are on a particularly daunting road trip right now, the timing is right for the leadership talk. If it works, they will make the playoffs as a four seed and make a run. If it doesn't, they will sneak in as a seven seed and get beat in the first round.

Either way, there is reason for optimism. The Pistons will have a solid middle first round draft pick and will undoubtedly be able to get some talent at that spot. Add to that mix the existing players on the roster and the free agent that they bring in and this team could easily be in a position to reclaim their division and conference.

This team is in a much better position than the team that was in place in the early 1990's when the core of the title team was either gone or on their way out. 

There was no clear-cut young talent waiting for their shot. The front office had neglected the young talent and instead kept the core together way too long. This team has a whole second unit of talented young players.

Additionally, only one member of the core, Dumars, was still in his prime. Rodman had already been traded, and his replacement, Sean Elliot, was a bust. Dumars was left on a team looking for talent and an identity. This team still has Prince and Hamilton from its title run, and Wallace will likely be back in a lighter role. 

If Detroit is able to land Boozer and re-sign Wallace to a smaller contract, they will enter next season with a starting lineup of Wallace, Boozer, Prince, Hamilton, and Stuckey.  Add to the mix the bench players and the draft pick, and Detroit will be a contender again. 

There will continue to be growing pains. If you remember, there were tough times before this team stole our hearts with their tough play. And even then, there were tough times. Nothing of worth was ever gained instantly. This team will need to find itself. 

However, these are not the Lions. The Pistons have shown an ability to win, and the man pulling the strings with this team was there for all of that winning. He will find a way to make this team a winner again.

In the meantime, we have to take our turn getting beat by teams that are now better than us. It's the circle of life in the NBA. Hold your heads up high and remember that your team has done what few teams have done, and you can wear your jerseys and hats with pride. 

This team went to the top of the mountain, and now its someone else's turn.  Let them purse out their chests with pride.  We were in their shoes once, and we will get there again. 

However, let this serve as a warning, Cleveland fans. You may be feeling good right now, which is fine because you have a very good team to support. Savor these moments. Embrace the fact that you have a team that you expect to win every night.  It is a great feeling. We know. We used to have that.  

Be careful not to gloat too hard, though. When your king leaves you, and he will leave you someday (likely in a year or two), you will be left with a team built with spare parts and supporting players. 

And we will be back in our rightful spot on top of the division.