After a 59-win season and a trip to the Conference Finals, Flip Saunders was relieved of his coaching duties as he sounded the trumpet the team was in need of change. He was applauded by the local media, as it was apparent that the team didn't respect him.

Terry Foster called drafting Walter Sharpe a low-risk move because he was a second-round pick. Dumars traded out of the first round in order to land Sharpe. His career will be compared to the players Dumars passed on--DJ White and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Chris McCosky has stated that signing Kwame Brown is a low-risk move because Brown isn't the number one pick (Washington) or replacing a franchise player (LA, Memphis). His expectations may be low, but he remains the Pistons' only free agent signing. With respect to Will Bynum and Walter Hermann, Brown is making 4 of the 7 million dollars the Pistons have in free agency. Without his stature as number one overall, it is hard to believe he would make such money or have a job this long in the league. Amir Johnson is not mentioned in Mr. McCosky's article. He was given a contract similar to Brown's last offseason with the hopes he could be the defensive big man of the future (3 years, 11 million).

What Mr. McCosky does not mention is that Brown has trouble keeping his head in the game. His defensive focus is only as intense as the player he's guarding. His stance is weak, he often becomes lost, and he looks as if he never prepares for an individual matchup. From game to game he can be very inconsistent. He is not the embodiment of the Pistons' 'Goin' to Work' defense established by teams led by new Pistons' head coach Mike Curry.

I am very disappointed with how our media has treated the Pistons in the past two seasons. It is as if no accomplishment was bright enough to stop the complaints that the team was lazy because they didn't want to play for Flip Saunders. The Pistons became a running team and last season they returned to a lock-down defense that held through the postseason. Richard Hamilton has become one of the most well-rounded guards in the league. Rasheed Wallace just turned in his best season as a Piston--his defense and post-game were amazing. The same could be said of Antonio McDyess and Jarvis Hayes; they had career seasons.

But opinion had hardened--change was the only thing the opinions at the paper and on the radio would accept or it would lead to criticism. Without winning a Championship, they were considered never ready or close to winning one. Our fans have bought this, too. I fear we'll soon learn how good the 2007-08 Pistons were by how bad this team will be in 2009 and 2010.