NBA - Sports Rumors

“DetroitAllen Iverson(notes) isn't doing much for the Memphis Grizzlies yet this season since he's out with an injury but he's now saying that his lack of performance last year with the Detroit Pistons can mostly be blamed on his coach, Michael Curry, according to Detroit News. And Pistons guard Rip Hamilton is agreeing with him.

"It could have worked out," said Hamilton. "I just thought the coach we had at the time (didn't) put us in situations where we all could be at our best. When you don't have that, it makes it difficult."

Iverson clearly felt that way. He's saying that if he had been playing under current Pistons coach John Kuester, things could have been a lot different. "It would have been a hundred percent different -- a thousand percent better. I would have known what I was getting into," he said. One of Iverson's main beefs about Curry was that he wasn't straightforward with is players.

Source: Detroit NewsNew Window

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32 Comments

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  1. dude19
    1. Posted by dude19 Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:04 am EDT

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    that's true.. Curry was a garbage coach.. a lousy one..
  2. Emmanuel
    2. Posted by Emmanuel Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:18 am EDT

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    CUrry didn't know how to please A.i.
    the PISTON org knows what A.I wants an they know waht RIP and Co. could do help each other out to make a playoff run.
    they're a pretty good team last year with a pretty LOUsY and LOSER coach.
  3. dagoldeneagle
    3. Posted by dagoldeneagle Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:19 am EDT

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    michael curry was a figurehead for joe dumars.
    why do you think rodney stuckey stayed in the starting lineup after rip recovered from his injury? iverson and rip played well together before the whole man crush with stuckey began.
    stuckey sucks and he ruined pistons season because curry refused to take him out of the lineup.
  4. lerone c
    4. Posted by lerone c Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:37 am EDT

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    we back this year in stronger
  5. Jim
    5. Posted by Jim Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:58 am EDT

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    is this dude still crying???? SHUT THE [profane]K UP ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  6. deeteachout
    6. Posted by deeteachout Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:03 am EDT

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    Curry may have to take some blame, but at least Rip made an effort dispite of the situation. Can't say the same for iverson. He's already saying he won't come off the bench for Memphis either. That's not 'doing whatever it takes to win'.
  7. K NEL
    7. Posted by K NEL Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:30 am EDT

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    AI is coming off the bench in Memphis and he knows that and it's the perfect role for him b/c he'll still play starter minutes. Curry just didn't have the experience to handle the situation.
  8. Copeman Blvd.
    8. Posted by Copeman Blvd. Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:07 am EDT

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    A I is done, he'll prove it this year. Amen
  9. BasketballFan88
    9. Posted by BasketballFan88 Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:22 am EDT

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    Either Rip or Iverson had to come off the bench. Neither are capable of running an offense like a point guard. Iverson is a better shooting guard.
    Curry should've been straightforward. Being honest might've helped. As a coach you manage a bunch of egos. Unfortunately you have to treat them like their all special and try and get the best out of them.
  10. AP66
    10. Posted by AP66 Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:43 am EDT

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    STFU AI and move on you f'n baby. Face it thug, your career is done and you will not get a ring.
  11. mrkC
    11. Posted by mrkC Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:53 pm EDT

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    I agree!
  12. Redskins21
    12. Posted by Redskins21 Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:45 pm EDT

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    AI will be an All star this season. Don't know why people hatin on AI. DO ya thing ..
  13. Vladtheimpaler
    13. Posted by Vladtheimpaler Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    Just because he has no ring yet doesnt make him a thug.By that measure Charles Barkley is a thug right?Yeah,right AP66.
  14. TimO
    14. Posted by TimO Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    i agree ai is a baby
  15. Drizzle
    15. Posted by Drizzle Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:54 pm EDT

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    I agree with AI and Rip! Both should have and could have started. I know Stucky is the "future", but at that time with PERINNEAL ALL STARS, Stuck should've been the 6th man! Dumb azz Curry!
    Go Lakers baby!
  16. sportsnut888
    16. Posted by sportsnut888 Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:51 pm EDT

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    Easy to say now, throwing Curry under the bus. Everyone's to blame for that fiasco. Stuckey was the true point guard, so he had to be in the lineup. Curry could have sold either AI or Rip on the 6th man role, but it doesn't look like he established control of the situation and got the players to buy-in.
    If anything, Dumars could have stepped in and kept things from blowing up too. He has the credentials and the reputation to tell guys to keep their mouths shut.
  17. cense
    17. Posted by cense Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:51 pm EDT

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    stuckey is a combo guard like ai, not a true point guard. there was no way he should have started in front of either ai or rip. stuck had a good game the first time against chicago, and all of a sudden this one game where he was not game-planned for somehow had more merit than ai's hall of fame career or rip's all star career. they looked good against la and cleveland with ai and rip in the backcourt earlier in the year. there was no reason to go away from it. ironic, because ai was the one player that gave cleveland headaches during the regular season. but in the playoffs without him, cleveland just doubled rip and layed off stuckey and dared him to shoot. the cavs knew he could only drive to the right. pistons lost by double digits each game.
  18. JohnF
    18. Posted by JohnF Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:56 pm EDT

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    The Past is the past, but I do agree... the pistons only true PG was Billups the res are slashers and more SG position. AI can play point and didn't he play point with Sixers and Big AI played SG while Korver was SF
    No excuses in my opinion, but still curry isnt a good enough coach to handle that many superstars, since they're harder to handle then the scrubs
  19. brotim8
    19. Posted by brotim8 Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:57 pm EDT

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    Iverson is the new Charles Barkley.
  20. beancounter477
    20. Posted by beancounter477 Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:41 pm EDT

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    typical players blaming the coach, will there ever be a day when players step up and say they are the reason the team sux? last i checked the coach was not the one on the floor trying to put the ball thru the hoop... i understand a coach plays some part but i think its a 50/50 thing but always ends up being the coaches fault 100% anytime a team struggles, in any sport for that matter...
  21. Dad Zach
    21. Posted by Dad Zach Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:59 pm EDT

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    Curry was a bad coach, not ready for the job but AI was the fifth best guard on the Pistons last year. His best nights were with his posse at the Motor City Casino.
  22. Marc M
    22. Posted by Marc M Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:24 pm EDT

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    Kuester is an outstanding hire for the Pistons. They are a classy organization and will be a top four seed this season with Kuester.
  23. porifrealvizhun
    23. Posted by porifrealvizhun Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

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    If Curry was a poor coach (which I think he was) or he was just a figure head for Joe D (which is probably true to some extent) then some of the accolades that people heep on Joe D needed to be re-tracted. He is the one who hired Curry. He is the one who made the trade. And yes, he is the one who has the 'man crush' on Stuckey (Pistons will never be good until they choose another PG.
  24. Dan S
    24. Posted by Dan S Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:54 pm EDT

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    I think everyone knew from the start that Michael Curry wasnt the best fit for the Pistons. Yeah he was a former player and one heck of a defensive player which is the Pistons trademark but he wasnt head coach material. I have to agree with Iverson and Rip that the situations they were in werent the greatest but that is the past. Its a new year we got a decent draft pick because of it so we all hope so lets play for this year and prove everyone wrong that we are back on the right track. Keuster is going to get them to play the "right way" as a Larry Brown assistant.

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