Pistons coach says losing stinks, but fun starts again after midnight

Auburn Hills— The only sounds on Roundball One were the roaring engines.

Lawrence Frank still was upset the Pistons folded against the Timberwolves on the road.

He was in one of those moods. He didn't want to talk to anyone. And he didn't want to hear anyone.

But by the time the clock struck midnight last week, laptops were open, and coaches started talking about what went wrong and how to improve against the next opponent.

This midnight rule has played out way too often for the Pistons this season — they are 4-15, and only the Wizards and Hornets (3-15) and Bobcats (3-16) have suffered more.

"Losing (stinks)," said Frank, the first-year Pistons coach. "There is nothing fun about losing. It is that night or the next day at practice where you try to fix it. As a coach, you are miserable. You are not a fun guy to be with.

"But when 12 o'clock hits, you've got to be able to turn the page. Now you've got to start fixing problems. That's the fun part."

It's the only way Frank knows how to survive in this gridlocked NBA season, where games race by like IndyCars speeding around the Brickyard.

Building good habits

Frank is being asked to be "Mr. Fix-It" in more ways than one.

He's being asked to change a mind-set and attitude.

He's trying to find a route to success for a roster too young in some areas, too beaten up in others and not good enough in others.

"You just try to be honest," said Frank, the sixth coach for the Pistons since 2003. "No one likes to lose. Are you losing the right way or losing the wrong way? In other words, are you losing on your own terms of what you work on every day or are you preaching every day or are you acting out of character?

"When we don't do what we work on and talk about, that is very frustrating. When we do the things we talk about and work on, you can live with that. You are continuing to build those habits, those habits to where we all want to go."

It isn't easy changing a culture of losing, especially after such a successful seven seasons from 2001-02 to 2007-08.

The Pistons went to six consecutive Eastern Conference finals (2003-08) and two straight NBA Finals, winning in 2004.

But Frank is trying to do it in Detroit by building a bond among the players.

It's one reason Frank called a late practice before the Pistons played the Trail Blazers last week, a victory.

"It is about building that brotherhood," assistant Dee Brown said. "We got to be like that band of brothers."

And don't think the movement is going unnoticed.

Pistons general manager Joe Dumars recently gave Frank the seal of approval, saying: "He is no question the right man for the job."

"There are a lot of guys capable of doing the job," Frank said. "It was nice of Joe to say that, but the right guy is we are all on the same page making it work. You make it right, not me but the staff. Tom Gores, management, the players.

"That is how you make it right by everybody working together to make it right."

Optimism thrives

That's no line for Frank.

It's reality.

His staff plays a huge role in turning this franchise around.

Why else would the offices in the practice facility have a view of the court and be within walking distance of Frank's office?

The assistants know Frank is going to pop his head into their office at any moment looking for feedback.

They just don't know when.

But they know one thing: If they disagree with his opinions, they're more than welcome to let him know.

"I think he has an idea in his mind on how he wants to handle different situations," said Brian Hill, who runs the defense and has been by Frank's side seven years. "But he is a bright enough guy that if there is a better way, he wants to know what it is."

Brown, who played 12 seasons in the NBA, said he enjoys his sessions with Frank, and feels comfortable being open and honest.

"The door is always open," Brown said. "He is like, 'I will listen to you. It does not mean I will agree with you. But I don't want you to be a yes man.'

"So when you hear that from a head coach, it allows him to hear a different view and think of a different philosophy."

Frank said he needs every voice to shape this team.

"They are my lifeline," Frank said of his assistants, who also include John Loyer (offense) and Roy Rogers. "They are the ones who make it go every step of the way. It is a phenomenal staff. They all have unique gifts, and that was planned."

Frank knows the process of rebuilding the Pistons will be tough and long. There will be no shortcuts.

But, he allows himself to think about a bright future he plans to be part of.

"I think we have a whole lot more to give," he said. "There are better playing days ahead for us."

terry.foster@detnews.com

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