Dumars: Flip is staying.

The image above says it all, I'm about as confused as Flip looks.

Joe Dumars made it pretty clear today that Flip Saunders WILL be back next year in Detroit. Pretty crummy if you ask me.

Let's take a look at some things:

Since the resurgance of the Detroit Pistons they have had three coaches, Flip Saunders being the third.

1. Rick Carlisle: Rick came and took a team that was predicted to be one of the 5 worst in the league by many and made them division champs. The prior season the Pistons won 32 games. Carlisle's first year in Detroit and rookie season as a head coach--Detroit wins 50. They are bounced from the second round of the playoffs.

Next year, same result. Pistons win 50. They increase one what they did, made it to their first of five consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Swept by New Jersey, but played with a very injured Chauncey Billups.

Carlisle was fired within five days after his second season with the team.

2. Larry Brown: The Pistons made the right move probably in firing Carlisle for Brown. The team wins 54 games and makes an incredible and league shocking run to win the 2004 NBA Title.

The next season the Pistons win another 54 games. They make it to the finals. They go to seven games against San Antonio, and lose the game in the final 12 minutes.

Brown is then let go by the team, he never said he didn't want to come back and planned on coming back the next season
-------

So let me get this straight?

Carlisle has two seasons and he improves each year, but is fired?

Brown gets them to The Finals twice in two years, they lose in a thrilling game seven, and he is fired?

------

Flip Saunders leads them to (a very Minnesota-like) 64 wins in the regular season and a fizzle in the conference finals and complete total meltdown. The next season, they win 53 games--they also self-destruct and were upset by Cleveland in the conference finals in six games, but were outplayed in all six games!

Yet, this guy is the only of the three who isn't fired after two years?