So You Wanna Coach In The NBA? Better Double Think That

I once asked Earl Cureton, the old U-D Titan and two-time NBA Champion, why in the world Isiah Thomas was bringing John Long and him out of retirement and onto the end of the Toronto Raptors bench. This was in 1996 -- has it been nine years already? -- and Thomas was looking for his two former Pistons teammates to provide some sort of stability to a young and unrefined roster.

"Isiah needs people to help coach (Darrell) Walker police the kids," Cureton explained over the phone to his caller -- me -- who was wondering, "What the hell?" At the time, Cureton was 39 and retired for three years, and Long was 40 and hadn't played in the NBA in almost six years. Yet Isiah signed them both -- Twin Leaning Towers.

But Cureton's explanation about being dragged out of retirement -- that the Raptors needed greybeards to help the coach make certain the players minded their p's and q's -- didn't really surprise me. Young coaches like Walker can be chewed up and spit out by the modern NBA player, if the right hand isn't there to guide him. And that right hand means it must be tough yet respectful, disciplined yet tolerant, and tutorial yet open to freelancing. No easy path to travel. It's like trying to walk a straight line after one too many tequilas.

Today's NBA coach doesn't have to be so much a coach as he has to be a chaperone. He has to know when his troops need guidance, but he also must realize that no matter how experienced he is or how impressive his resume, it's still a player's game, baby. And they will absolutely make you or break you -- sometimes breaking you if they simply don't like you.

So how was Darrell Walker doing handling the kids?, I asked Cureton shortly after he was signed with Long to provide veteran stability, that ancient term. "I think he's (Walker) glad we're around," Cureton said. "Things were getting out of control. Today's players don't appreciate what they have sometimes." I grinned. Here was Earl (The Twirl) Cureton, all grown up from his days as the B.M.O.C. on U-D's campus, waxing parental about life in the NBA.

The Pistons twice have had teams police themselves, needing only the deft, understated tweakings of a veteran coach to steady them: the Bad Boys of '89 and '90, and today's team, those Goin' To Work fellas.



Daly (left) and Saunders: Two Pistons coaches,
two perfect fits


Chuck Daly was the perfect coach for those Pistons of yore. Thomas himself has said so. Daddy Rich, the Prince of Pessimism -- call him what you will, Chuck Daly simply knew how to work those reins better than anyone. There was no questioning who was in charge, but Daly didn't let that power go to his head. Instead, he allowed his players freedom -- on and off the court -- and their respect for him grew exponentially each season as the team rose to championship caliber.

Flip Saunders, it appears, might just be the best person on this planet to coach today's group of Pistons, who are pumping with deadly precision. They play at a gaudy 26-5 clip, grinding teams into dust slowly and painfully in the fourth quarters of games. Or, they simply kick your ass. Whichever you prefer. Regardless, 2006's point guard, Chauncey Billups, has spoken glowingly of Saunders' offensive philosophy, which goes something like this: Do whatever you want, within reason.

Okay, so maybe it's not that loosey-goosey, but the truth is, Flip Saunders has taken the shackles off the Pistons, offensively speaking, and has encouraged them to get creative. But the offense does indeed have structure, and Billups sees to it with what some people are saying is MVP-like success.The offense, with its constant movement without the ball by the players, also fits Richard Hamilton like a glove. It's no surprise that Hamilton, too, is having a stellar year. You get the feeling the Pistons truly enjoy playing for Flip Saunders, having fun on the basketball court. After two seasons of playing for Larry Brown, this must feel like a prison break for these dudes.

Not every team has a Chuck Daly or Flip Saunders, of course. There's Scott Skiles over in Chicago, whose team recently suffered through a nine-game losing streak a season after making the playoffs. There's Maurice Cheeks in Philadelphia, an old 76'er returning to his promised land, finding that two stars do not a team make. There's Jeff Van Gundy in Houston, who has Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady (although T-Mac has been hurt off and on), yet can't make that team amount to a hill of beans this season. But here Flip Saunders is, albeit with the best starting five in pro basketball, coasting along because he operates with the magic dust necessary to keep the players on your side. The Pistons lead the league in chemistry, if they keep such a stat.

You have to be so much to be a coach in the 21st Century NBA. It ain't like it was in the late 50's, when then-Pistons coach Charley Eckmann said, "Hell, you don't have to coach these big lunks." Eckmann also said his two favorite plays were "'South Pacific' and 'put the ball in the basket'."

Now THAT'S loosey-goosey coaching for you.