It looks like Tom Gores is calling on his friendship with Phil Jackson to help him decide who to bring in as the Pistons new head coach.

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores announced Thursday night that Phil Jackson has agreed to serve in an advisory capacity during the team’s search for a coach.

But one source close to the situation told ESPN.com that Jackson’s willingness to counsel Gores and Pistons president Joe Dumars as they weigh candidates to replace the ousted Lawrence Frank is an unpaid consultancy stemming from Jackson’s friendship with Gores and “does not foreclose any options” with regard to the 11-time championship coach’s intentions to find a new full-time NBA management job.

Jackson’s arrangement with the Pistons, according to sources, is an “act of friendship.” Former New York Knicks and Utah Jazz executive Dave Checketts previously served as a Pistons adviser to Gores without officially joining team management.

The Pistons, in a story on the team’s website announcing Jackson’s willingness to help, described the move as an “advisory role” designed “not (for Jackson) to assume a formal position inside the Pistons’ organization.”

“Phil Jackson is a friend and one of the best minds in the business,” Gores said. “We are thrilled to have him as an adviser as we make some very important decisions for this franchise. Joe (Dumars) and I discussed this and he and I are in full agreement that this is a great opportunity.”  Via ESPN

Jackson on the side of Detroit just seems odd no matter how you look at it. From a fans standpoint it’s weird to have Jackson who coached the Bulls past the Pistons in the early 90′s and then the Lakers later. On a Pistons organizational standpoint it looks like maybe Dumars is treading thin ice.

The Pistons.com spins this one as a good friend helping out another, but considering the fact that things are changing and Jackson was being pursed by other NBA teams could it be possible that he’ll have a different role with the organization soon? Well have to wait and see.

May The Gores Be With Us

It seems for the moment the Nate McMillan is the running favorite for the #Pistons vacant head coaching job. That doesn’t mean that he’s a lock, but considering the names that have been thrown around we may be seeing him around the Palace of Auburn Hills come October.

If it were up to Pistons fans across the ocean they would love to see Zeljko Obradovic take the reins and bring his distinct coaching style to Detroit.

Lindsey Hunter, who was mostly a bad boy for life, has asked the Phoenix Suns permission to interview with the Pistons for the coaching gig. He had limited success with the Suns after he took over late in the season and though he was a big part of things in Detroit it’s not likely that he’d be atop the list.

On a side note Lindsey was a lot of fun when he was here.

I’ve heard Mike Budenholzer Spurs longtime assistant is being looked at. Anyone who worked under Pop in San Antonio has serious knowledge as far as I’m concerned.

Mo Cheeks had limited success in his two previous head coaching stints so he’s semi legit.

Brian Shaw I never liked because of his playing days with the Celtics and then later the Lakers, but being a guard in the league would be a welcome help on the bench for Detroit.

Scott Skiles may know how to coach a team and has ties to the Michigan State, but his style I believe is not conducive to young players. He’s got a his way or the highway type of attitude that takes a special kind of team to work with. Plus I think he’s a DB.

You want Drummond and Monroe to take it to the next level then Patrick Ewing is your guy. There is no better coach to have on your bench to teach the twin towers what they need to learn than Ewing.

Now for what you don’t want to hear…

Bill Laimbeer is will not be the Pistons Head coach.

We are all “homers” of some sort when it comes to the team we love and the nostalgia that goes along with it, but so many of you need to let go of the whole Laimbeer as coach idea.
Don’t you think if he was a serious candidate he would have snagged the job the other two times he was interviewed for the job? Don’t you think he would have been a better choice than Michael Curry if Detroit was serious about hiring him? He won Championships for the Shock here in Detroit yet they gave the job to Kuester.

We loved him as a bad boy, but he’s legitimately a jerk. Ask just about anyone that has had contact with him or has a story to tell about him and I can guarantee it’s not a nice one. We may never really know what he did behind the scenes here in Detroit or in his assistant spot with the Timberwolves, but there is a reason that he went back to coaching the WNBA.

Nobody likes him.

We can remember him as our beloved Bad Boy that had a hell of a hop skip three-point shot, but let’s stop the Laimbeer for head coach thing please.

And please don’t do the forgive Larry Brown thing either for that matter.

Or Sheed for that matter, though it would be a hell of a lot of fun!

Let’s face it, no top-tier coach is going to want to come to Detroit right now.

• This team is seriously rebuilding.
• They like to fire the coach at the first sign of trouble.
• There has been issues with the team/coach relationships for a while.
• Management is making changes every day.
• The roster is a work in progress.
• The GM (Joe D) is on the hot seat.
• They’re not paying the big bucks. Think about it, they have been paying two coaches’ salaries each season for years.

So let’s just sit back and see what the draft and management deals us, but keep your wish list serious. We are Detroit…remember.

It’s bad enough that I can’t spell Viacheslav “Slava” Kravtsov without looking at his Wikipedia page, but I hope I don’t have to contend with the new rumor in Pistons land.  It seem as though the new rumor is that Detroit is looking at overseas champion Zeljko Obradovic for the Pistons vacant head coach position.

Look I have no clue who he is other than this ridiculously awesome and expressive picture of him.

Let’s take a look at his Wiki page, which is all I can really tell you about him since he hasn’t coached an NBA game in his career.

Obradović’s greatness as a basketball head coach is fully confirmed by the great collection of titles he has acquired in his seventeen-year career as a coach: a record eight pro sports club European Champions Cups (with four different teams), two Saporta Cups, numerous domestic league championships and cups, the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics Basketball Tournament, the gold medal at the 1997 FIBA European Championship, the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship, and the bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA European Championship while coaching the FR Yugoslavian national basketball team, where he was the head coach from 1996–00. He was also the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team in 2004–05.[1]
He was the head coach of Panathinaikos Athens from 1999 to 2012, leading the team to become the top club in European club basketball during that time, while simultaneously maintaining the club at the top position in the Greek national championship. In total, Obradović won 11 Greek Championships, 7 Greek Cups and 5 Euroleague titles (2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011) with the “Greens”. In 2007, he achieved winning the highly coveted Triple Crown championship for the second time as a head coach (the first was in 1992 with Partizan) and won the Euroleague Coach of the Year award. Also in 2009, he managed for third time this achievement in Berlin as a head coach. In 2011 he won his 8th Euroleague trophy with Panathinaikos. His list of titles is unmatched by any other current European coach.

Cool…so he’s won a #@$% load of European Championships, does that mean Detroit is better off with him than they were with L Frank? I’m guessing that the list of top sports betting sites aren’t putting Zeljko Obradovic at the top of the list of candidates for the Pistons new head coach position.

At this point is it really about the coach?

Do we really want another to give another coach the head coach position that’s never been one in the NBA yet?

This team clearly has issues.

I’m pretty sure all of us saw this one coming and it didn’t even take more than 24 hours after the #Pistons last game of the season. There has been no official press release by the team just yet, but I’m sure their will be soon.

As of the moment it look like Joe Dumars and the rest of the Pistons coaching staff are safe, but stay tuned.

The 29-52 #Pistons play their last game of the season Wednesday night in Brooklyn when they take on the 48-33 Nets.

• The good:The Pistons can close off the season with a five game win streak and 30 wins if they can beat the Nets.
• The bad: With a win the Nets can sweep Detroit for the first time in their 36-year history.
• The unknown: Though it’s the last game of the season, there is likely to be plenty of news out of the Pistons organization this offseason. What that news is, we’re not quite sure yet.

Tip off is at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports. If you can’t catch the game on TV, catch it on the radio over at 97.1 the Ticket.

Tom Gores was in town for the last #Pistons home game of the season, but his agenda isn’t just about enjoying his team’s last game. With the past two season showing little or no improvement Gores made it clear that thing will happen.

The rumors have been circulating for weeks that Lawrence Frank’s job is on the line. Gores had lofty playoff aspirations and Frank led the team to another Draft Lottery pick.

“Lawrence is a tremendous guy, I’ve gotten to know him a little bit the last couple years and he’s a tremendous guy. But I have to worry about this franchise and what is the best thing to do.” Via Mlive

Dumars is also on the hot seat.

“I think both of them, including ownership, has to be accountable for the year. We have to be accountable for the results of this year.

I expected to be in the playoffs. So I’m disappointed by that. When I said that last year, I meant it. I’m very excited about what we have going. We have a lot of room financially. In basketball operations, we’ve set ourselves up. So I’m very excited about the future. But I’m not content about how we performed this year.”

We’ll know soon what the direction of this Pistons team will be but it seems quite obvious at this point.  I’m not sure many Pistons fans would rally behind Lawrence Frank, but I know that many want to give Joe Dumars another go at it considering his hands have been tied for a while.

I myself am a big Dumars slappy, and think he’s got to take a ton of blame but I’m not all that sure that this ownership team can do much better. Their not sports guys, they are money guys.

What do you think?
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The 28-52 #Pistons will play their last home game of the season Monday night at they host the 33-47 Philadelphia 76ers at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

• The good:The Pistons have won their last three games and with the news of the Sixers head coach Doug Collins resigning after this season, Detroit may get their fourth.
• The bad: Andre Drummond is listed as a game time decision for the final home game of the season, but he’d like to play if he can.
• The unknown: Tom Gores will be attending the Pistons last home game of the season. Do we have a better chance seeing Gores show off his dance skills or his firing skills while he’s in Detroit.

Tip off is at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports. If you can’t catch the game on TV, catch it on the radio over at 97.1 the Ticket.

If you’re thinking of going to the LAST home game at The Palace, you can get tickets directly from the Pistons with NO FEES.

The #Pistons won their 28th game of the season Friday night after taking down the Charlotte Bobcats 113-93. Detroit, led by Jonas Jerebko, who matched his season high 21 points, put on show for the hometown crowd with a bevy of three-pointers and pretty plays.

Key Points:

• Andre Drummond twisted his ankle with five minutes left in the game and had to be walked into the tunnel by Greg Monroe and Arnie Kandor at the end of the game. Andre however is hopeful he’ll be able to play in the last two games of the season.
• Detroit fans had a ton of t-shirts when they left the game on Friday night (myself being one of them). The T’s for Threes program at the Palace had a ton of action with the Pistons hitting 12-of-18 shot from downtown.
• Word on the street is that Tom Gores is coming to town on Monday. I wonder if some jobs are on the line in Aubrun Hills?
• Fun game to watch, but I assumed it would have been easier to beat this Bobcats team. They do have Ben Gordon remember.
• Bynumite with a double-double on the night off the bench for Detroit. Will had 10 assists and 15 points for the Pistons in 26:48 on the floor.
• Solid nine points for rookie Khris Middleton.
• A ton of great Pistons Highlights via NBA.com

• Brandon Knight with 19 on 6-of-9 shooting with seven boards.
• Andre and Knight each turned the ball over five times. Detroit had 22 turnover on the night compared to just five the last game.
• Drummond is just fun to watch, he truly is the future of this team. Andre finished with 15 points, nine boards and one blocked shot on the night.

Photo Getty Images editing Need4Sheed.com

“We’re starting to play with some poise, that’s a good sign for next year. We’re just using this as a stepping stone. We’re not going to play in the playoffs, so we’re just going to continue to get better and work as a team to get better for next season.” Via Pistons.com

• Jerebko was fantastic again, leading the Pistons with 21 points of pure hustle. It’s a shame that for whatever reason he lost his spot in the rotation most of the season because he’s been contributing big time since he got his floor time back.
• No Calderon.
• Stuckey just 1-of-7 on the night.
• Greg Monroe with 12 points, 4 assists and six boards for Detroit.
• Fun game to watch and the team truly looked like they were enjoying playing this one.  The game truly meant nothing but this young team gave it 100 percent for 48 minutes.
• Last home game on Monday against the Sixers.

The 26-53 #Pistons will play their second to last home game of the season against the 18-60 Charlotte Bobcats.

• The good:The Pistons could make it three wins in a row with a win against the Bobcats. Detroit has won seven of their last eight games against Charlotte.
• The bad: The Bobcats are worse than Detroit so the lottery balls will be on their side come Draft day.
• The unknown: Will Andre Drummond have another huge night.

Tip off is at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports. If you can’t catch the game on TV, catch it on the radio over at 97.1 the Ticket.

If you’re thinking of going to one of the few remaining games at The Palace, you can get tickets directly from the Pistons with NO FEES.

The #Pistons got their 25th win of the season with a fifth consecutive win against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night. The 111-104 showcased Andre Drummond as he led the Pistons with a career high 29 points.

Key Points:

• Though Andre stole the show, Greg Monroe was solid again for Detroit. Greg finished with 23 point, eight boards and four assists in 38 minutes on the floor. It was a Monroe layup with 39 seconds left in the game that gave the Pistons a 105-103 they never relinquished.
• Stuckey is playing some of his best basketball of late. Rodney, in the starting lineup again, scored 18 with seven assists on the night.
• Looks like we may not see Calderon again this season…or the next if Detroit doesn’t sign him.
• A solid 16 from Bynumite off the bench.
• Highlights via NBA.com

• Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 27 points and nine assists.

• As I watched the game Andre started off like this and I knew he would have a big night.

• The let’s foul the big man or the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy backfired for Cleveland. Andre, who’s not the best free throw shooter went 9-for-17. The Cavs fouled him nine times in the fourth quarter.

“I knew I needed to make free throws for us to win, so I just focused. Some went in, some went out, but all of them were on line. It gave me the chance to score more points. That’s the way you’ve got to look at it.” Via NBA.com

• Just five turnovers for Detroit on the night.
• As I watched how well Andre played Wednesday nigh I tweeted out just how I feel about what kind of player he’s going to be. Andre is the best draft pick since Joe Dumars. And I put Grant Hill aside because he was a no-brainer. Dre will be the pick that got away for all the teams that passed on him.

Photo Getty Images Editing Need4Sheed.com

• Andre put up a double-double with 29 and 11 boards.
• Knight with 7 on 2-of-11 shooting.
• Pistons crushed on the boards 49-33.
• Just a few more to go in what seemed to be a very long season for Pistons fans. Next up, the Bobcats Friday night at the Palace.