Getting Dumped Detroit Style

Apparently winning an NBA Championship in your first year as head coach just doesn’t warrant the same job security that it use to. At least not in Detroit. As Larry Brown was asked to move on by Joe Dumars and the rest of the Pistons front office, it is not to far-fetched to wonder why exactly would Detroit want to rid itself of one of the greatest basketball coaches ever.I think it comes down to the fact that the Detroit Pistons have a flair for the dramatic. The front office seems to like to shake things up even when the going is good.  Remember Rick Carlisle? The current head coach of the Indiana Pacers, had back-to-back 50-win seasons and an appearance in the 2003 Eastern Conference finals, before being thrown under a bus by Detroit management. They decided that winning was more important than loyalty to him.

So, this whole debacle begs the question: Does this decision to get rid of Larry Brown come down to winning? How could it. Brown has amassed 108-56 regular season, a 31-17 postseason record, two Eastern Conference titles, and effectively dismantled a Los Angeles Lakers dynasty through the play of his Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. I would much rather have him as my coach then prime candidate Flip Saunders who couldn’t even lead a Minnesota Timberwolves team, featuring future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, past the first round of the playoffs for six straight seasons.

So as Larry Brown moves on to coach the New York Knicks, Detroit Fans scratch their heads and wonder if they will ever be able to say “DETROIT BASKETBALL” in unison again.