Pistons get under way with new owner, new coach, new attitude

Auburn Hills ? Absurdity. Buffoonery. Chicanery.

If there were ABCs to last year's version of the Pistons, those would be among the key words.

Everything that could've gone wrong did. A 30-52 season included 10 losing streaks of at least three games, and players organized a mutiny against coach John Kuester. The season turned from disappointing to embarrassing.

The team was for sale, with an owner who essentially halted any significant transactions, and was led by a coach who in hindsight was ill-prepared to lead a disparate group of players.

Franchise mainstay Richard Hamilton was going through what seemed to be a 12-step divorce process that bordered on something you'd see on "The Young and the Restless" instead of on a team with a championship tradition. It was encapsulated by the player boycott in February, when half the team didn't bother to show up for shoot-around in Philadelphia.

If those were the Pistons' darkest days, the 2011-12 season marks the dawn of a new era. Owner Tom Gores, coach Lawrence Frank and first-round draft pick Brandon Knight hope to be the first pieces of the Pistons' third glorious era ? and they're starting from ground zero.

Gores is bringing an energy the team has lacked, and has been quick to put his stamp on the franchise by putting his money where his mouth is, devoting millions into revitalizing The Palace's facilities and hiring Dennis Mannion to run the entertainment endeavors.

Although Gores is a novice NBA executive, Pistons president Joe Dumars said Gores is engaged and has been nothing but helpful in the early stages of their relationship.

"We're going to lean on him," Gores said of Dumars at the owner's introductory news conference in June. "He knows basketball, and we're going to push (him) and push hard."

As an example that Gores will be much more than an absentee owner, Hamilton's contract was bought out, removing a black cloud of uncertainty.

Frank has taken the reins from Kuester and is in the long process of de-programming the bad habits the team developed in recent years, vowing to return the Pistons to their hard-working roots. He's spoken openly about "getting the fans back" and turning The Palace into the house of horrors for opponents it was once known as during the Pistons' successful run that ended a few seasons ago.

"We have to earn it; it's on us to bring the fans back," Frank said. "We have to give them a reason. We have to put forth a maximum effort to do that.

"When Tom hired me, he said it's not enough to win a championship. You have to be impactful, to impact the lives of people in and around the city."

When the lockout was over, Frank spent time with each individual player, letting them know the slate was wiped clean from last season's drama.

"He holds people accountable," guard Rodney Stuckey said of Frank. "He tells it like it is. He teaches every single one of us. It's very constructive."

Dumars himself seems to be rejuvenated, finally getting the support he's wanted but never spoke publicly about over the past few seasons.

Gores and his people like Dumars because he's not resting on his laurels as a player or executive, even though he's arguably the most accomplished local sports figure of the past 25 years. Now he has the task of rebuilding a team that has been hit by ownership neglect. He has a plan, and now he can actually go about implementing it.

Bringing back free agents Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince surprised most fans. It was expected the Pistons would distance themselves from last season's issues. But with those signings, Dumars demonstrated he believes the stench of losing can unfairly affect a player's worth and public perception.

"'Move on' doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bath water," said Dumars after Prince's signing was announced. "You can't just get rid of everybody."

A crucial step was hiring Frank, an experienced coach with a self-deprecating personality but also a chip on his shoulder. He wants results but he's ready to be patient with the process, too.

"You don't want this to be a circus; you can't be changing every day," Frank said.

And finally, Knight represents what the fans will hold onto as the biggest sign of hope ? someone who can step right in and produce.

Knight arrived from Kentucky as a big-game player, and after his surprising fall from the top of the lottery, he surely has a chip on his shoulder similar to Frank's.

"No matter what sport you're playing, you always want to win," Knight said. "You have to make sure that you're lifting the team up, picking guys up, being a great teammate."

The bottom line is getting to the playoffs, which this team plans on doing after a two-year sabbatical. Frank said it starts with a superior defensive effort.

"What history shows is if you're a high-level defensive team, it gives you the best chance to play in the postseason," he said. "That's our goal."

Then possibly, the ABCs that will become synonymous with Pistons basketball will be more flattering.

vgoodwill@detnews.com

twitter.com/vgoodwill

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20111226/SPORTS0102/112260355/1127/rss13

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