It has been another difficult season for the Pistons so far and it seems as 
though head coach John Kuester has been right at the forefront, like any coach should. Now everything that has happened this season, in terms of the negative, you can’t fully put on Kuester, the blame is on everyone whether it be the team, the front office or the owner.
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at John Kuester and whether or not he has reached a point of no return with this current team.
Here is some of what Rosenberg had to say after last night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers…
Kuester sat in his postgame news conference and tried to calmly explain what went wrong in his team’s latest loss. I felt like I was watching a good man calmly saying “Hey, we shouldn’t smoke any more cigarettes,” while his house burned around him. He might be correct, but that isn’t the point anymore.
What happened? Start with this: With 54.2 seconds left, and the Pistons down 97-96, Kuester called for Rodney Stuckey to go into the game. In the coach’s mind, it was probably a simple and obvious decision. The Pistons were about to go back on defense, and Stuckey is a better pick-and-roll defender than backup guard Will Bynum. (Bynum does not keep anybody from scoring except the guys on his own team.)
Stuckey had been on the bench for the whole fourth quarter, and he threw a little whining fit as he stood up. He obviously did not want to enter the game, and it showed on the court: Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge easily scored off a pick-and-roll.
Afterward, Kuester said, “Guys that are on the bench have got to be ready to play. Whether I don’t call their number the entire fourth quarter. … Ben Wallace, he was ready to go. The thing that has to happen is the energy we need from that person, whoever comes into the game, we gotta get ready to go.”
Was Stuckey right? No. Is Rip Hamilton right in his ongoing feud with his coach? No. Was it right for Tayshaun Prince to publicly mock the “buffoonery” of how Hamilton’s situation was handled? No again.
But this isn’t about being right. You don’t win championships in the NBA for following all 10 commandments and paying your taxes on time. Coaching in this league is largely about handling egos and agendas and agents and entourages, because every team has them.
With this team, it certainly seems like the majority of players have checked out on Kuester. Another thing that is concerning in this whole mess is the way some of these players, especially the veterans, react to new coaches. Ever since Larry Brown left, the core players on this team would find something to bitch and moan about with each new coaching staff. Whether it was Flip Saunders, Michael Curry or John Kuester, this collective group of cry babies always managed to find something wrong with how the games were being managed.
However how many of these players will be back next season with this team?
Tayshaun Prince is on the final year of his contract and may be included in a deal before the trade deadline.
Ben Wallace may retire at the end of the season, however he hasn’t been much of a problem throughout the year.
Rip Hamilton, if he isn’t dealt this year, you would have to think would have his contract bought out once new ownership comes in.
Rodney Stuckey is a guy that also must go in order for this team to be successful. His antics Sunday night in a close game are unexcusable especially for a guy that is suppose to be one of the leaders on this team.
Once new ownership comes in I really don’t see them retaining Dumars or Kuester, however that necessarily doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get one more chance to make things work.
Source: Detroit Free Press
