Solid D
06-10-2006, 08:05 AM
The Detroit News
Rob Parker: Clubhouse Confidential
Look for Porter to join Pistons
My moles are telling me Terry Porter will replace Sidney Lowe on the Pistons' bench next season.
Lowe, Flip Saunders' top assistant, has taken his dream job as coach of North Carolina State, where he played in college.
Porter was coach of the Bucks for two seasons before being fired in June 2005. Players, moles say, loved Porter because he knows what it takes to be an NBA player.
In two seasons with the Bucks, Porter was 71-93 and led the team to the playoffs in 2003-04.
The only reason Porter got the broom was because new general manager Larry Harris wanted to hire his buddy -- current coach Terry Stotts. For the record, Stotts was a runner-up when Porter was hired in August 2003 to coach his hometown team.
Fans, of course, will remember Porter as the pesky Trail Blazers guard during the Bad Boys days. In 1,274 games, Porter averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists and 1.24 steals. His teams went 815-547 and made the playoffs 16 times.
This might work out for everyone. Saunders and Lowe often were seen arguing about plays and situations during timeouts.
Lowe, a point guard for N.C. State during its 1983 national title run, replaced Herb Sendek.
As far as Porter, expect an official announcement soon.
Pistons upgrade?
My peepsare telling me some familiar names are linked to the Pistons as they look to retool.
Pistons president Joe Dumars has said his goal this offseason is to re-sign unrestricted free-agent center Ben Wallace and keep his starting five intact. Beyond that, Dumars said he just wants to add some firepower from the bench.
How about Bonzi Wells , Grant Hill and Jalen Rose ?
Dumars can't speak about Hill and Rose because they are under contract with their respective teams. Wells, originally drafted by the Pistons, is a free agent.
Moles say Wells is the most likely to sign. Wells appeared ticketed for Auburn Hills last offseason. Many expected Memphis would buy him out of the last year of his contract. Instead, he was traded to Sacramento.
Last season, he averaged 13.6 points and seven rebounds off the bench. In the playoffs, he went wild, averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds in six games. He also shot a whopping 60 percent. The Pistons could have used that against the Heat.
Hill's return isn't a pipe dream. He left the Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic that netted him a seven-year, $92 million contract.
Moles believe Hill, who finally appears to be healthy, would love the chance to return to Detroit in a reduced role and allow his wife to be closer to her family in Windsor. For that to happen, the Magic would have to buy him out of the last year of his deal.
Rose, a Detroit native, would need the Knicks to buy out his contract -- $16.9 million.
Stay tuned.
Too tired? I don't think so
My CWPFs (close warm personal friends) are saying some Pistons are still blaming their playoff flameout on Saunders.
Even though the players performed poorly -- shooting 35 percent and turning the ball over often -- the fingers are still being pointed at Saunders. The complaining players, moles say, believe Saunders overused the starters -- burned them out, basically.
Chauncey Billups certainly looked tired. He couldn't make jumpers, couldn't stay in front of his man on defense and basically was sluggish.
To be fair, Billups was 40th in the NBA -- the only Pistons player in the top 40 -- in minutes played. And, he averaged one minute morethis season than a year ago under former coach Larry Brown .
You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected] or go to sportsraptv.com. Watch Parker on "Clubhouse Confidential" at 11:30 p.m. every Sunday on WDIV Channel 4.
Rob Parker: Clubhouse Confidential
Look for Porter to join Pistons
My moles are telling me Terry Porter will replace Sidney Lowe on the Pistons' bench next season.
Lowe, Flip Saunders' top assistant, has taken his dream job as coach of North Carolina State, where he played in college.
Porter was coach of the Bucks for two seasons before being fired in June 2005. Players, moles say, loved Porter because he knows what it takes to be an NBA player.
In two seasons with the Bucks, Porter was 71-93 and led the team to the playoffs in 2003-04.
The only reason Porter got the broom was because new general manager Larry Harris wanted to hire his buddy -- current coach Terry Stotts. For the record, Stotts was a runner-up when Porter was hired in August 2003 to coach his hometown team.
Fans, of course, will remember Porter as the pesky Trail Blazers guard during the Bad Boys days. In 1,274 games, Porter averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists and 1.24 steals. His teams went 815-547 and made the playoffs 16 times.
This might work out for everyone. Saunders and Lowe often were seen arguing about plays and situations during timeouts.
Lowe, a point guard for N.C. State during its 1983 national title run, replaced Herb Sendek.
As far as Porter, expect an official announcement soon.
Pistons upgrade?
My peepsare telling me some familiar names are linked to the Pistons as they look to retool.
Pistons president Joe Dumars has said his goal this offseason is to re-sign unrestricted free-agent center Ben Wallace and keep his starting five intact. Beyond that, Dumars said he just wants to add some firepower from the bench.
How about Bonzi Wells , Grant Hill and Jalen Rose ?
Dumars can't speak about Hill and Rose because they are under contract with their respective teams. Wells, originally drafted by the Pistons, is a free agent.
Moles say Wells is the most likely to sign. Wells appeared ticketed for Auburn Hills last offseason. Many expected Memphis would buy him out of the last year of his contract. Instead, he was traded to Sacramento.
Last season, he averaged 13.6 points and seven rebounds off the bench. In the playoffs, he went wild, averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds in six games. He also shot a whopping 60 percent. The Pistons could have used that against the Heat.
Hill's return isn't a pipe dream. He left the Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic that netted him a seven-year, $92 million contract.
Moles believe Hill, who finally appears to be healthy, would love the chance to return to Detroit in a reduced role and allow his wife to be closer to her family in Windsor. For that to happen, the Magic would have to buy him out of the last year of his deal.
Rose, a Detroit native, would need the Knicks to buy out his contract -- $16.9 million.
Stay tuned.
Too tired? I don't think so
My CWPFs (close warm personal friends) are saying some Pistons are still blaming their playoff flameout on Saunders.
Even though the players performed poorly -- shooting 35 percent and turning the ball over often -- the fingers are still being pointed at Saunders. The complaining players, moles say, believe Saunders overused the starters -- burned them out, basically.
Chauncey Billups certainly looked tired. He couldn't make jumpers, couldn't stay in front of his man on defense and basically was sluggish.
To be fair, Billups was 40th in the NBA -- the only Pistons player in the top 40 -- in minutes played. And, he averaged one minute morethis season than a year ago under former coach Larry Brown .
You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected] or go to sportsraptv.com. Watch Parker on "Clubhouse Confidential" at 11:30 p.m. every Sunday on WDIV Channel 4.