Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE

The Pistons have agreed to a three-year contract with Cavaliers assistant John Kuester to be their next coach, CBSSports.com has confirmed.

Kuester, who previously worked on the Pistons' staff as an assistant when the team won the NBA title in 2004 under Larry Brown, is traveling to Detroit Wednesday night and is expected to be introduced Thursday morning after signing the contract, a person familiar with the situation said. The deal is fully guaranteed for three years, the person said.

The Pistons opened negotiations with Kuester, credited with diversifying Cleveland's offense last season under coach Mike Brown, after failing to agree to contract terms with former Mavericks coach Avery Johnson on Tuesday. The sticking point with Johnson, who is owed $8 million from Dallas over the next two seasons, was said to have been a third guaranteed year.

UPDATE: Kuester leaves LeBron James in Cleveland for a chance to sit in the first seat on a rapidly evolving Detroit bench. The Pistons were the first team to jump aggressively into the free-agent market last week, agreeing to terms with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. If team president Joe Dumars is unable to make other moves, those signings will effectively preclude Detroit from being a major player in the 2010 free-agent market that will include LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh -- unless they decide to sign extensions with their current teams this summer.

Dumars fired Michael Curry last week after only one season at the helm. Curry's inability to juggle the three-man backcourt of Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, and Allen Iverson in the wake of Dumars' decision to trade Chauncey Billups to Denver for A.I. is now Kuester's problem, though with slightly different names: Stuckey, Hamilton, and Gordon.

Kuester, 55, has paid his dues as an assistant in Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, New Jersey, Orlando, and Cleveland. His name quickly climbed the charts of head coaching candidates last season after Mike Brown gave him autonomy to revamp the Cavs' offensive approach following the team's acquisition of Mo Williams.

I never even heard of this guy and Detroit is a defensive team, not an offensive one. Bringing in an offensive coach does not make sense, and to hire a coach who has never coached anywhere after just firing one in the same situation is dumb. I agree with Bucsfan about the Cavs offense. It was not so good. It may have been strong in the regular season, but the regular season means nothing. If you cannot score in the playoffs, that's what matters because you will not be able to win. That is what happened with the Cavs. Their offense was far from solid in the playoffds. They blew big leads in every home game and in every fourth quarter against the Magic, it was a Lebron iso game. Everyone looked to get the ball to him and Orlando knew this. The Cavs also had no one to stop Howard and couldn't play defense because of it. And did anyone think for a second that Orlando had a better team than Cleveland? Besides Lebron and Mo Williams, this was a team of role players and an aging big man; remove Lebron, this team would not even come close to making the playoffs. And everyone else has a valid point about Orlando not being good for a long time and they have won the same amount as Cleveland (no titles) but the fact is that they beat the Cavs. What happened 14 years ago does not matter now and the Magic have done more this season than Cleveland did. And Moneybags is right about one thing: he is not to be blamed to what happened against the Magic. Doubling Howard left a shooter open at all times and if he was single-covered, he would dominate. Also, coach Brown made most of the coaching decisions. But I think Detroit, a veteran team, should have went with someone who has been a head coach somewhere before.

BucFan34 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 4, 2008	Posted on: July 8, 2009 4:52 pm Score: 69 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE LMAO at the Pistons. The guy who designed the Cavs offense? What offense? [ Reply to Comment ]
miamivice82 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jan 25, 2008	Posted on: July 8, 2009 4:58 pm Score: 100 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE I love Orlando fans. They have one successful season every 10 years and they get all crazy and big headed. Look what that got you in 1996!!!! Respect the city of Detroit. It has been a sports city that has won championships in every decade in at least one sport since the 1950's. You are on par with Cleveland my friend but you have lost twice in the finals and they have only lost once. [ Reply to Comment ]
BucFan34 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 4, 2008	Posted on: July 8, 2009 5:01 pm Score: 89 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE the point being there were better options out there other than the idiot behind the "let lebron isolate in the 4th quarter" offense that got them beat against Orlando. Why not get the coach behind their defense? Or bring Malone back? hell, even Avery Johnson. The Pistons made a dumb move. [ Reply to Comment ]
Nasterdamous Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 5, 2006	Posted on: July 8, 2009 5:42 pm Score: 79 Bucfan...you idiot The Cavs averaged over 100 points a game...so they had plenty of office...you moron...your team finally has a good yr and you are talking crap about one of the best franchises in the league? [ Reply to Comment ]
BucFan34 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 4, 2008	Posted on: July 8, 2009 6:22 pm Score: 94 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE Cleveland has how many rings? Same as Orlando. I'm sorry but when your team is blowing 3 20 point leads at home in one series and needs a miracle to pull one of them out and one guy takes EVERY 4th quarter shot, you are not running a real offense. They shouldve gone elsewhere. [ Reply to Comment ]
Moneybags213 Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 20, 2006	Posted on: July 8, 2009 6:45 pm Score: 109 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE Bucfan is trying to make a point, and i get where he is coming from. But my man, Cleveland's offense was pretty solid last year. Just cause in the playoffs they struggled with "1 team", they still had a great year offensively. And remember, this guy was just the offensive assistant coach. He isn't to be blamed for all the wrongdoings of the Cavs against the Magic. I think he will do great in Detroit and definitely has paid his dues. [ Reply to Comment ]
BucFan34 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 4, 2008	Posted on: July 8, 2009 6:52 pm Score: 102 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE my point is that the guy didn't really have a system. He had a great slasher and surrounded him with two great 3 point shooters, a great mid range shooter and a guy that could hit a layup. Watch the Cavs, they had ZERO offense in the 4th quarter other than let LBJ iso. Who do the Pistons have like that? Ben Gordon? That's not Rips game. Stuckey is too hesitant. Tayshaun never developed into that. My point is not Detroit or Cleveland are bad. My point is there are better options. [ Reply to Comment ]
Moneybags213 Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 20, 2006	Posted on: July 8, 2009 6:57 pm Score: 108 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE Pistons didnt make a dumb move my friend. Signing Avery Johnson would have been a dumb move. The guy wanted a ton of money and a contract for 4 years. He's not that good and his career shows it. Call Avery Johnson the "Regular Season Warrior"...cause come the playoffs he and his teams just disappear. Great signing Joe D, keep it going. Make a move for Bosh. Trade Rip and Prince for Bosh and then extend him. [ Reply to Comment ]
Moneybags213 Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 20, 2006	Posted on: July 8, 2009 6:58 pm Score: 79 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE Tay and Rip won't be here that long...as much as we Detroiters love these guys, Joe D is ready to make moves with them. [ Reply to Comment ]
NYKLIB725 Reputation: 93 Level: All-Star Since: Dec 7, 2006	Posted on: July 8, 2009 8:08 pm Score: 132 Pistons, Kuester agree on three-year deal UPDATE I never even heard of this guy and Detroit is a defensive team, not an offensive one. Bringing in an offensive coach does not make sense, and to hire a coach who has never coached anywhere after just firing one in the same situation is dumb. I agree with Bucsfan about the Cavs offense. It was not so good. It may have been strong in the regular season, but the regular season means nothing. If you cannot score in the playoffs, that's what matters because you will not be able to win. That is what happened with the Cavs. Their offense was far from solid in the playoffds. They blew big leads in every home game and in every fourth quarter against the Magic, it was a Lebron iso game. Everyone looked to get the ball to him and Orlando knew this. The Cavs also had no one to stop Howard and couldn't play defense because of it. And did anyone think for a second that Orlando had a better team than Cleveland? Besides Lebron and Mo Williams, this was a team of role players and an aging big man; remove Lebron, this team would not even come close to making the playoffs. And everyone else has a valid point about Orlando not being good for a long time and they have won the same amount as Cleveland (no titles) but the fact is that they beat the Cavs. What happened 14 years ago does not matter now and the Magic have done more this season than Cleveland did. And Moneybags is right about one thing: he is not to be blamed to what happened against the Magic. Doubling Howard left a shooter open at all times and if he was single-covered, he would dominate. Also, coach Brown made most of the coaching decisions. But I think Detroit, a veteran team, should have went with someone who has been a head coach somewhere before. [ Reply to Comment ]

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