LOS ANGELES — There was a lot of frustration in the Pistons locker room after the Los Angeles Clippers ran them out of the building on Sunday night (a 129-97 Los Angeles win).
They aren’t the first team to be fodder for a Lob City highlight show, but in a good sign for the long term a few Pistons players were pissed off at their team’s lack of fight. Detroit has lost five in a row and eight of nine gems. Center Greg Monroe was blunt.
“Maybe guys don’t care, I don’t know,” Monroe said after the game. “Something has to change, this can’t continue. If you don’t want to play just say it. This has got to stop, this is unacceptable…
“If you don’t want to play, you should say something. This is unacceptable. This is going on too long. If you don’t want to be on the court, if you don’t want to give 100 percent on the court, just don’t play.”
Interim coach Brian Hill was right there with him (Lawrence Frank is away from the team dealing with his wife’s illness.)
“It was an embarrassment for us as a coaching staff and certainly an embarrassment for them as players,” Hill said.
There have been stretches this season where the Pistons have shown promise. And they could certainly use rookie Andre Drummond back in the lineup. There are some building blocks in place. But this team is a long way from competing.
One of the things it needs is a leader that holds guys accountable. Maybe Monroe can be that guy. Somebody needed to say this in Detroit, good for him to step up like this.