Officially, the date is June 30, 2009, when Michael Curry's short tenure with the Pistons came to an end. But in reality, the date that doomed Curry to failure as coach was Nov. 3, 2008 -- when Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars shipped Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson's expiring contract. The move had one main purpose: clear cap space for this summer so Dumars could have a smooth transition to the next Pistons era. And Iverson, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, would be hungry for an NBA title. The move backfired when his playing style clashed with his teammates. It also set off a series of other problems that ultimately led to a 39-43 record and first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Iverson doesn't fit The Pistons' era of dominance relied on movement and sharing the basketball, whereas Iverson's one-on-one style caused players to stand around looking at Iverson probe the defense for a shot. Also, Iverson played the same position (shooting guard) as longtime Piston Rip Hamilton, and they struggled to coexist. After trying to play them together (Hamilton at small forward) -- it deteriorated into a public display of dissension focused on which of them would come off the bench. At first it was Hamilton, but after an eight-game losing streak, Hamilton said something had to change. Iverson, suffering from a bad back, missed a few games when Curry announced he would come off the bench when he returned. The team started playing better and after a long absence, Iverson returned for three games during which he openly complained of coming off the bench saying he "would rather retire" than come off the bench again. Shortly afterward he was declared out for the season with the bad back, and the Pistons officially cut ties with him at midnight Tuesday when he became an unrestricted free agent. Stuckey isn't ready The trade made it so the Pistons had to turn the reins of the team over to second-year point guard Rodney Stuckey. He started off on fire with 40- and 38-point games in December, but it quickly became apparent that defenses were catching up to his penchant for penetrating. He seemed tentative at times and his assist total (4.9 per game) was low for a point guard. Also, young players like Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell weren't ready for larger roles, and the team's frontcourt strength was a problem all season. Age and injuries Curry was handed a team in decline. Rasheed Wallace, 34, was no longer equipped to do the banging in the post, and several leg injuries hampered his sixth season with the Pistons. Hamilton, 31, also had a rough time with injuries and a bruised ego -- first from the Billups trade and then the fact he was sent to the bench over Iverson. And the Iverson that came to the Pistons was a far cry from the explosive scorer that had terrorized the league for years. At 34, he could no longer get by average defenders, and when he was able to get to the rim, his legs no longer had the lift to finish. Missing Chauncey Whatever the shortcomings of the roster, they probably would have been glossed over if Billups had remained. He went on the have a spectacular season with the Nuggets, as the trade appeared to rejuvenate his career. The Pistons probably would have gotten 46-50 wins. Roles would have been defined so Curry wouldn't have spent so much time experimenting with the lineup , and he might have been able to settle in and return for a second season. But that isn't the case, and now Dumars is looking for the sixth head coach of his nine-year tenure. http://www.freep.com/article/20090701/SPORTS03/907010356/1048/SPORTS -- ○○○○○ □□□ ⊙⊙ ◎◎ ☆ ☆ ○ □ ⊙ ⊙ ◎ ◎ ☆☆ ○ □□□ ⊙ ⊙ ◎ ◎ ☆ ○ □ ⊙ ⊙ ◎ ◎ ☆ ○ □□□ ⊙⊙ ◎◎ ☆ --

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