Terry Foster of The Detroit News:
"Everybody felt rushed and frazzled. That included Frank, who tried to implement a new defensive system. Players complained that it took a while to learn it. Frank countered that it was not rocket science and they should learn more quickly."
There’s a fine line between disarray and a constructive, ongoing conversation between coach and players. I’m not sure we have enough context to tell how often this issue fell on which side of the line, but I’d guess it was some of both.
Without question, something clearly went wrong with the Pistons’ defense last season, even if there were signs of progress later in the year.
Is Frank’s defense too complicated? I’m not sure. But the results weren’t pretty in a season-opening loss to the Rockets, and I’ll be watching closely now how quickly the new players absorb it this season.