Joe Dumars just was not going to guarantee Avery Johnson another huge sum of money to coach his NBA team.  And talks have broken off and so now the Pistons reportedly will hire assistant John Kuester away from the Cleveland Cavaliers to take over for Michael Curry.  As it is, the Pistons owe Currey $5 million, nice work if you can get it-- $5 million to get lost.  The 44-year old Johnson, an analyst for ESPN, told the Pistons he'd take the job but only for a four year guarantee-- even Johnson realized the Pistons dump coaches quickly and he didn't want to be the next victim for awhile.  But the Pistons balked and Dumars said "right now we don't need another $4 million per year or $5 million per year head coach."  Right you are, Joe, right you are.  The Pistons need better players first and foremost.

     Kuester will come much cheaper.  Dumars said he wanted someone with head coaching experience-- oh well, Kuester has never been a head coach but money talks.  And Johnson wanted too much of it.  So Kuester, who was a Pistons' assistant under Larry Brown, will get his shot for the first time and it won't be easy given the players he has in Detroit and given who he leaves behind in Cleveland.  Kuester will coach a couple of seasons and then he'll be fired and the cycle will continue.  And the Pistons will either get better players and win or they won't and they'll lose and right now, better players to me are a bigger problem than finding the right coach.

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