The Palace Prince

Folks, my apologies for neglecting my usual Monday post.

If you live in the D, you'll often hear the phrase "Groundhog Day" every Monday in the Autumn. It's a fairly obvious Lions reference. While the players and opponents change, the game remains the same. The Lions will find a way to disappoint, regress, and, ultimately, lose.

So, when facing the worst team in the NFL - the winless Buffalo Bills - the Lions proceeded to play their most uninspired football game yet. They fell behind by double-digits in the 4th quarter and looked as lifeless as Luca Brasi's fish. Shaun Hill led their obligatory comeback in the waning seconds, but he inexplicably threw the 2-point conversion pass into the stands. 14-12 Bills.

Yawn.

Is it any wonder why I was uninspired to write? In much more interesting news, the Pistons' ship has a full-fledged mutiny on its hands. Despite a somewhat successful West Coast swing (2-2), Kuester and Prince had another blow-up during yesterday's loss to the Warriors. Fellow blogger, DetroitBadBoys, attended the Pistons/Clippers game at the Staples Center and sat right behind the Pistons' bench. After some hilarious comments about his goal to get a Red Panda and Bat-signal sign in front of the TV cameras, he offered this first-hand insight:

The thing that struck me most being just feet away from the players and coaching staff was something that I sort of expected, but was surprised to see so pervasively: this is not a happy team. There was little warmth between players, zero warmth between players and coaches, very little fanfare from the bench even after big shots and next to zero excitement after a tightly-contested overtime victory.

However, the players did not seem fragmented. They fought as a team and talked to one another on the bench. But my assessment is that their unity is one not necessarily for one another so much as against Kuester. Nearly every player (CV was the notable exception) shook his head and grumbled to his teammates when benched.

If we ignore the fact that these are supremely blessed young men paid millions of dollars to play a game for a living, then perhaps the petulance is understandable. Losing is no fun. Yet, they're actually winning some games now, and the irritability continues. The team apparently hates Kuester. Should we really be surprised?

Kuester was given the unenviable task of developing young talent (Daye, Monroe, BG) without cutting into the minutes of the veterans (Prince, Hamilton). It's not possible to satisfy both goals. And Prince is no dummy. He can see the writing on the wall. He knows he's got an expiring contract. He knows he'll be coveted by other teams. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already talking to other organizations. Why should he respect the coach? He's got short-timers disease!

I'm relatively torn about Prince in this situation. While he's one of the few trade-able assets on the roster for a team that desperately needs a trade, he does provide value. Austin Daye is a fine shooter and burgeoning talent. Yet, even in peak form, I'm not sure he'd help the team win like Prince. Daye can rebound and block shots, but does he have Prince's basketball IQ? While Prince ain't flashy, he's a proven winner. That's probably what makes this season so unbearable for him.

Hamilton, on the other hand, is a worse fit on the current Piston roster. The Pistons are no longer built to set double-picks so Rip can get open looks. When he was at his peak, the vast majority of Rip's points came on quick jumpers off curls. On this current roster, he's usually taking his man off the dribble or posting him up. This is not Rip's game. It's no wonder he's shooting under 40% and averaging a career low 13.0 ppg. If anybody should find a new home, it's Rip. Yet, this is the NBA. Trades are about salary first; the player second. Rip has three years remaining at $12.6million per year. No team is going to take that on.

My guess is that the Pistons will ultimately move Rip to the bench in favor of Gordon. It's possible Rip may thrive when paired with Will Bynum. But it's more likely that Rip will sulk. The magic 8-ball says the Pistons will buy out his contract at some point next season.

Today, though, he's still a starter. And the team hasn't played that poorly. They still don't know how to defend or rebound, but they have interesting parts. Too many parts actually. That's the problem facing Kuester, and it's frustrating for the players to have no defined role. One night Austin Daye is a starter, challenging the NBA record for most consecutive 3-pointers. The next night he gets a DNP-CD.

The NBA's greatest soap opera returns home tomorrow to face the Lakers.