Pretty disappointing, to say the least. I felt Johnson was the best candidate for the job, especially because of his ability to whip players into shape and maintain a team’s conduct. I still don’t think Cuban should have let him go from the Mavs.

Can’t really put this one on Joe Dumars either, if Avery was really demanding a long-term contract at $4-5 million a year, it doesn’t really fit into the rebuilding equation.

It looks like the position will now be between Cavs’ assistant coach John Kuester and Celtics’ assistant Tom Thibodeau. Hope those assistant coaches don’t turn out like the last assistant coach Detroit hired.

By VINCE ELLIS • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • July 7, 2009

Pistons president of operations Joe Dumars confirmed this afternoon that Avery Johnson is no longer in the running for the Detroit Pistons head coaching vacancy.

The announcement was made after the two sides could not come to terms on a contract.

It is widely believed that Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester is now the favorite to get the job, but Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau remains under serious consideration.

Johnson, currently an ESPN studio analyst, has a career winning percentage of nearly 75% and was once two wins from an NBA title. It was believed that type of resume made his asking price a bit steep. There were also reports that Johnson, 44, wanted a say in personnel matters, something Dumars was unlikely to be open to.

It now appears that Dumars will turn to Kuester, 54, a longtime assistant who has never been a head coach at the professional level but was a member of Larry Brown’s staff in 2004 when the Pistons won the title.

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