The Cleveland Cavaliers finished off Detroit in the first round, completing a sweep in which they won by an average of 15 points.

The Pistons sacrificed a season in the hopes of improving their chances of rebuilding the team into an NBA title contender in the near future.

Coach Michael Curry expects to be part of the plan.

Did team president of basketball operations Joe Dumars tell Curry he would be back on the bench for a second season?

"We never talked about that, but we talked today about what we're going to do going forward to get better," Curry said Monday night in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We have to become more of an up-tempo team after having guys that have been here for years that were used to a half-court pace."

At least one of those veterans probably won't have to worry about making the transition.

Rasheed Wallace is eligible to be a free agent this summer and it would be stunning if he's re-signed. Wallace was acquired in a trade-deadline deal in 2004 and the Pistons have acknowledged they wouldn't have won the NBA title that year without him.

After signing a contract to return, he hurt Detroit's chances with physical and mental breakdowns in each of the last five postseasons.

The petulant power forward was surrounded by reporters following Sunday's season-ending loss, and parted with few words.

"Rough season, man," Wallace said.

Wallace was scoreless in Game 4, missing all seven of his shots, with a heavily taped left calf that led to him looking much older than 34.

"A lot of success we've had around here has been because of Rasheed," Curry said. "But he had a poor series."

Wallace wasn't alone.

Tayshaun Prince was slowed by a sore back, Richard Hamilton was stymied by the Cavs' defense and Rodney Stuckey struggled with his shot and decision-making.

When Dumars dealt Billups on Nov. 3 to the Denver Nuggets, he wanted to open up playing time for Stuckey, create about $20 million in salary-cap space and give the team a new look with Allen Iverson in the backcourt.

It was different.

And, it wasn't pretty.

The Pistons fell apart without Billups, who guided them to six straight conference finals and an NBA title, and failed to integrate Iverson's ball-hogging ways.

They won just three games in February and three in April, plummeting to the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff field and a no-win matchup with the Cavs.

"Obviously it's a bad ending. I feel for the guys. It was an epitome of what the whole season was for them," Billlups said. "It was an uphill battle all season. They could never get their feet up under them, but I'm sure they'll come back strong."

Curry said the single-season struggles will lead to future benefits.

"Long term, it's going to help Stuckey and the franchise to play and experience as much as he did," he said. "We saw what he did against starters, not backups. At worst, he held his own. Most of the time, he won his matchup.

"He made a big jump, but it got camouflaged by the season we had."

Stuckey, though, wasn't ready to have an optimistic view of the year.

"I don't ever want to feel this way," he said. "This season was a waste of time."

It will be up to Dumars to make this season an aberration and not the start of a slide out of the playoff picture next season and in the years to come.

Wallace and Iverson's contracts will come off the books, allowing Dumars to make a splash by perhaps signing Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon when he's eligible to be a free agent in July. Every player other than Stuckey might be on the trading block.

The Pistons might like to have Antonio McDyess back, but the 34-year-old power forward sounded like he's had enough of falling short of winning a title with them.

"It's definitely a disappointing season for me and everyone in this locker room," McDyess said Sunday. "I'm sure it will play a role in my decision."

The Pistons will have chances to improve their roster in June's NBA draft with the 15th pick overall and three selections in the first half of the second round.

Detroit's dominant run in the Eastern Conference playoffs ended with a thud, but it was impressive while it lasted. The Pistons and the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers are the only franchises to play in six straight conference finals since 1970-71, when teams had to win two series to advance that far.

Cavs superstar LeBron James said it's "very hard" to do what Detroit did.

"Look at the history of the game, look at how many teams have done it. Not too many," James said. "This franchise has nothing to look down on. I think Joe D is going to do a great job of getting this team back to playing competitive basketball."

-----