Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Michael Curry has said all the right things. Well, he had said all the right things until “Curry said he'll start his small lineup of Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson in the backcourt, and Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace in the frontcourt.” (Courtesy of Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News) Here’s a look back at some of Curry’s smarter, but not necessarily as honest, statements.

Curry: I think the toughest is when you’re making lineup changes, especially when guys are doing everything that you ask them to do but maybe for the team’s sake you need to adjust their role. I think that’s always the toughest, but if you’re honest then I don’t think you have as much of a problem. No matter what, at certain times players are not going to like decisions you make. When I was a player, I was the same way. But they respect it knowing that you’re honest and truthful with them and that you’re doing the things that are best for the team and the organization to be successful.
– Keith Langlois, Pistons.com, 6/12/08

"Defensively we have been good in stretches when we have two bigs on the floor," coach Michael Curry said. "One of the things we give up with our small lineup is that inside presence. Not having that other big on the floor, teams attack even more on the inside. When they attacked today, even when they got around Amir or 'Sheed, the other big was there to protect the basket."
– Chris McCosky, The Detroit News, 12/27/08

"The big lineup makes us better defensively and at the end of the day we have to make sure we are good enough defensively," he said. "We know we can go to that small lineup if we have to. We are able to play both, so we will decide it game by game. But the small group has to get better defensively. It has gotten better but it isn't on par with what we can do with the big lineup."
– Chris McCosky, The Detroit News, 12/30/08

"We've been putting emphasis on (defense)," coach Michael Curry said after the Pistons held a team under 80 points for the second time in three games Wednesday. "It's just there's certain things certain lineups can't do."
…
"Amir made some mistakes (against the Nets), but because of his size and ability to rebound, he's really solidified things for us," Curry said.
– Chris McCosky, The Detroit News, 1/2/09

"I wouldn't expect them [Iverson and Hamilton] to like coming off the bench," Curry said. "Both have been starters their whole career. But the reality is, we've got good guys on this team and they are all willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful. Whatever decisions we make, is because we feel its the best thing for us to be able to get the most of everybody on the team, regardless if a guy likes it or not.

"They are going to be OK because the No. 1 thing is, they want to win."
– Chris McCosky, The Detroit News, 1/12/09

"We've seen just from the data in our games that we know defensively ... it's no secret when we got two bigs and (Tayshaun Prince) at the three-spot we're our best defensively, and at the end of the day that's normally what's going to drive most of our decisions," Curry said.
– Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, 1/13/09