By George B. Eichorn

Detroit Monitor 

        The lid is off another Detroit Pistons season, their 51st in National Basketball Association history. The October 29 opener against the Indiana Pacers at the Palace in Auburn Hills was the first for rookie head coach Michael Curry.

        Indeed, the Pistons are starting another season with another new coach as Curry replaced the fired Flip Saunders following last season’s Eastern Conference finals loss to the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

        Curry is the ninth coach of the Pistons since Chuck Daly left in 1992. That is an astonishing record for a team that has helped dominate the NBA in wins and losses much of that time. Curry is the fifth coach in club president Joe Dumars’ regime, dating to 2000. Others were George Irvine, Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown and Saunders.

        “If anything, I think the change to Michael Curry has re-energized the players,” said longtime Pistons announcer Mark Champion.. “Curry is a contemporary who has the respect of the players. Without it a coach is spinning his wheels.

        “Curry will also bring a toughness and focus to the team that was missing at times last season.”

        Certainly Dumars and owner Bill Davidson were disappointed that Saunders could not maintain discipline and appeared to lack coaching ability to guide the Pistons to a fourth NBA Championship in the three years he was here. Making it to the Eastern finals every year is nice yet not winning the best-of-seven is agonizing on management, players and the fans.

        Following last year’s exit it was Dumars who said he would probably shake up the Pistons core of players, anchored by team captain, guard Chauncey Billups, guard Richard (Rip) Hamilton, center Rasheed Wallace and forwards Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess. It did not happen. So why are they all back?

        “Dumars said all along he would not make a trade just to be making a trade,” said Champion. “If it made sense and would help the team get to the championship…then do it. I agree with that.

        “The core group of the Pistons is still strong. I don’t think the window of opportunity has closed. I think the Pistons will be right in the thick of things thanks to an

improved bench.”

        Curry has several options off the bench starting with sixth man McDyess who is still searching for his first NBA ring after 12 seasons with the Pistons, Nuggets, Suns and Knicks. There are other weapons in the Pistons arsenal such as up-and-coming guard Rodney Stuckey and forward Jason Maxiell.

        “McDyess will be more effective coming in with the second unit. Rodney Stuckey has a chance to be special,” said Champion. “Jason Maxiell, Aaron Afflalo, and Kwame Brown will also bring energy. This unit has caused the starters to play at a higher level.”

        The Pistons starters showed their fatigue at times in last year’s second season — the NBA playoffs. The veterans led by Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, Prince and McDyess failed to seal the deal against the hungrier Celtics, who claimed their first ring since the 1985-86 season. Adding insult, Boston won the East on the Pistons home court last spring.

        The Pistons have one significant new addition in Brown. The 6-11, 270-pound center is in his 7th NBA season and appeared in just 38 games (15 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies last year averaging 4.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

        Starting at power forward is fourth-year veteran Amir Johnson. Stuckey (2nd season), Maxiell (4th) and Afflalo (2nd) will be coming off Curry’s bench frequently. Others battling for playing time or roster positions are third-year forward Walter Hermann, rookie forward Walter Sharpe, second-year center Cheikh Samb and second-year guards Alex Acker and Will Bynum.

        Once again the East will be a battle royal between the Pistons, Celtics and probably Cleveland Cavaliers to make it to the NBA Finals representing the East. The choice by most pundits will be the Celtics but do not underestimate Curry’s Pistons team.

        “The East is an improving conference,” said Champion. “However, there are a lot of question marks. The Celtics, Pistons, Cavs and Orlando Magic are the top four. It’s a guessing game for the other four spots. I think Philadelphia and Toronto are poised to make a move.

        “The Sixers added Elton Brand and the Raptors added Jermaine O’Neal. The Heat should be better with a healthy D (Dwayne)-Wade. The Wizards are snake-bitten with injuries. Gilbert Arenas is out again until December and Brendan Haywood perhaps for the season. The rest of the teams are not a factor.”

        In the NBA West, Champion and this writer agree. “Look out for Portland. And will this be the year the Spurs and Mavs finally show their age? Biggest tumble in the West is Denver.”

        The Pistons open with a grueling schedule as seven of their first 10 games are away from home.

        George Eichorn’s NBA picks: Central-Detroit, Atlantic-Boston, Southeast-Orlando, Southwest-San Antonio, Northwest-Utah, Pacific-Portland. NBA Finals: Pistons over Trail Blazers. Reach George at geichorn@yahoo.com.

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