Pistons favor Curry as coach

He replaces Flip Saunders who was fired after the ouster by the Celtics.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Play hard or sit.

Basically, that is Michael Curry’s coaching philosophy and it seems to be exactly what the Detroit Pistons need.

The Pistons gave Curry his first head coaching job Tuesday in part because they’re confident he can get the most out of their remaining veterans, some of whom are former teammates.

“I don’t think you make anybody play. I think you substitute,” Curry said at a news conference. “You remove the ones that are unmotivated. That’s pretty simple.”

A week after firing Flip Saunders, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars did not sound concerned about the 39-year-old Curry going from peer to boss.

“Guys either respect you or they don’t, and they respect this guy,” Dumars said. “Those guys trust him.

“They know he’s a tough guy, and they know they’re going to have to get it done.”

The Pistons didn’t meet their high expectations in three seasons under Saunders, who couldn’t help them get past the conference finals after they won the 2004 title and almost repeated in Larry Brown’s two years as coach.

When Detroit’s season ended May 30 against the Boston Celtics, power forward Antonio McDyess lamented that the team teases itself and its fans with inconsistent because they play like “zombies” sometimes.

Curry will be offended if people are still saying the Pistons pick and choose when to play with him in charge.

“That’s a stab to me and that hurts me more than losing in the conference finals because that’s something you directly control,” Curry said.

One of my goals is to never let that be said about a team that I coach and that represents this organization.”

The Pistons chose not to look far for their fifth coach in nine seasons.

Curry was on Saunders’ staff last season, his first as a coach, and he played with Dumars about a decade ago and with some current Pistons during the 2002-03 season.

Bulls to hire Del Negro

CHICAGO — Vinny Del Negro has accepted his first head coaching job, agreeing to take over a Chicago Bulls team that went from 49 wins to 49 losses in a season and missed the playoffs after making the second round in 2007.

Bulls general manager John Paxson plans to introduce Del Negro as the team’s new coach at a news conference today, team spokesman Matt Yob said Tuesday.

His selection ends a drawn-out search in which the Bulls’ high-profile courtships of Mike D’Antoni and Doug Collins collapsed.

Del Negro, most recently the Phoenix Suns’ assistant general manager, interviewed for the job last week and quickly moved to the top of the list after Collins and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf decided to pass on a reunion.