ducks
04-21-2006, 10:04 PM
Pistons' Flip Saunders under some scrutiny in Detroit
AUBURN HILLS -- Because he is the one unknown quantity when it comes to the Pistons and the postseason, coach Flip Saunders might be in for some undue scrutiny over the next couple of months.
He has coached 47 playoff games and took the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals two years ago. But because of his record, 17-30, and because his teams were bounced in the first round seven times, there are those who would question his playoff mettle.
None of those people play for him.
"We aren't worried about that at all, man," Chauncey Billups said. "We've been there so many times and been through so many situations together, man, there's no concern. And Flip's been there, too. He brings a lot of experience to the table. He hasn't won, but he's done everything else.
"We have complete confidence in him."
Saunders makes no apologies for his playoff record.
"The reason we got beat before is because we weren't as good as other teams," he said. "Usually, in a seven-game series, the better team prevails."
The reality is, in most of those seasons, the Timberwolves won 50 or more games and wound up as the No. 8 seed. That meant they had to play the eventual champion Lakers or Spurs in the first round.
"In the East, we would have been the third seed most of those years," he said. "It's like all those years Chicago was winning championships. The teams they beat weren't all bad teams. We were losing to San Antonio and the Lakers in years they were champions.
"Our teams always won a lot of games. We just couldn't get over the hump."
There's certainly no shame in that.
"If I didn't think my teams performed at a high level, or if I thought we underachieved or didn't give it their all, then I would say, 'Wow, what's going on,'" Saunders said. "But I never felt that. We had bad draws, or whatever, and the better teams prevailed over seven games. That's what the playoffs are about."
Looser approach
Saunders said that coaching the Pistons has been a completely different experience for him. His Minnesota teams were tighter-wound. Shoot-arounds and practices were more serious. His first couple of months with the Pistons were eye-opening.
"You always have to change and adapt to your team," Saunders said. "This is a much looser team. People always talk about that switch. I never believed in the switch. But this team, they have shown me they have the ability to turn that switch.
"I am pretty sure I have had to adjust more to them than they have to me."
Billups, who played for him in Minnesota, gave Saunders high marks for adaptability.
"Some coaches would come in and say, 'I don't care how it's been, this is how it's going to be,'?" Billups said. "It would have been tough for him to do that, given our team and our history. I give him a lot of credit for recognizing that."
Still, Saunders has not compromised his basic principles. He still demands stingy, aggressive defense and complete efficiency on offense. His offensive system, in fact, has greatly altered the dynamic of the Pistons.
No longer are they a one-dimensional, defense-only team.
"Defensive-oriented teams usually have more success in the playoffs," he said. "The longer you play against a team, the more you get comfortable with what they're doing and where they like to get their shots from. You have the ability to really lock in and take things away.
"But we run so many different sets and we have so many guys who can score and so many different ways to get them the ball, it's more difficult to defend against us."
Saunders said the looseness of the players worried him until the regular season.
"I have never been around a group as competitive and driven to win," he said. "There is no agenda other than winning. It's really special."
Credit for success
There was a lot of talk among the Pistons coming into the season about how maybe former coach Larry Brown got too much of the credit for their success the past two years. They aren't about to put any undo stress on Saunders for what may or may not happen in this postseason.
"Nah, different team, different situation," Ben Wallace said. "It's no issue for us. They might talk about it, but we're focused on what we got to do. We know what it takes to achieve our goal, regardless of who is on the sidelines or who is on the floor.
"Everybody is committed to doing what it takes."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...1127/SPORTS0102
AUBURN HILLS -- Because he is the one unknown quantity when it comes to the Pistons and the postseason, coach Flip Saunders might be in for some undue scrutiny over the next couple of months.
He has coached 47 playoff games and took the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals two years ago. But because of his record, 17-30, and because his teams were bounced in the first round seven times, there are those who would question his playoff mettle.
None of those people play for him.
"We aren't worried about that at all, man," Chauncey Billups said. "We've been there so many times and been through so many situations together, man, there's no concern. And Flip's been there, too. He brings a lot of experience to the table. He hasn't won, but he's done everything else.
"We have complete confidence in him."
Saunders makes no apologies for his playoff record.
"The reason we got beat before is because we weren't as good as other teams," he said. "Usually, in a seven-game series, the better team prevails."
The reality is, in most of those seasons, the Timberwolves won 50 or more games and wound up as the No. 8 seed. That meant they had to play the eventual champion Lakers or Spurs in the first round.
"In the East, we would have been the third seed most of those years," he said. "It's like all those years Chicago was winning championships. The teams they beat weren't all bad teams. We were losing to San Antonio and the Lakers in years they were champions.
"Our teams always won a lot of games. We just couldn't get over the hump."
There's certainly no shame in that.
"If I didn't think my teams performed at a high level, or if I thought we underachieved or didn't give it their all, then I would say, 'Wow, what's going on,'" Saunders said. "But I never felt that. We had bad draws, or whatever, and the better teams prevailed over seven games. That's what the playoffs are about."
Looser approach
Saunders said that coaching the Pistons has been a completely different experience for him. His Minnesota teams were tighter-wound. Shoot-arounds and practices were more serious. His first couple of months with the Pistons were eye-opening.
"You always have to change and adapt to your team," Saunders said. "This is a much looser team. People always talk about that switch. I never believed in the switch. But this team, they have shown me they have the ability to turn that switch.
"I am pretty sure I have had to adjust more to them than they have to me."
Billups, who played for him in Minnesota, gave Saunders high marks for adaptability.
"Some coaches would come in and say, 'I don't care how it's been, this is how it's going to be,'?" Billups said. "It would have been tough for him to do that, given our team and our history. I give him a lot of credit for recognizing that."
Still, Saunders has not compromised his basic principles. He still demands stingy, aggressive defense and complete efficiency on offense. His offensive system, in fact, has greatly altered the dynamic of the Pistons.
No longer are they a one-dimensional, defense-only team.
"Defensive-oriented teams usually have more success in the playoffs," he said. "The longer you play against a team, the more you get comfortable with what they're doing and where they like to get their shots from. You have the ability to really lock in and take things away.
"But we run so many different sets and we have so many guys who can score and so many different ways to get them the ball, it's more difficult to defend against us."
Saunders said the looseness of the players worried him until the regular season.
"I have never been around a group as competitive and driven to win," he said. "There is no agenda other than winning. It's really special."
Credit for success
There was a lot of talk among the Pistons coming into the season about how maybe former coach Larry Brown got too much of the credit for their success the past two years. They aren't about to put any undo stress on Saunders for what may or may not happen in this postseason.
"Nah, different team, different situation," Ben Wallace said. "It's no issue for us. They might talk about it, but we're focused on what we got to do. We know what it takes to achieve our goal, regardless of who is on the sidelines or who is on the floor.
"Everybody is committed to doing what it takes."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...1127/SPORTS0102