If he needs a lesson on patience, he can stroll into the office of the man who hired him. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars made a quick decision after last season to replace Flip Saunders with the 40-year Curry, whose previous coaching experience was one year as an assistant to Saunders.

Dumars also took the unusual step of calling out his top players and putting them all on the trading block. But instead of taking the best offer, Dumars chose to sit tight and stick with virtually the same group that lost 4-2 to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Other than the addition of much-maligned center Kwame Brown, the continued development of guard Rodney Stuckey and a tweaked lineup, Dumars is banking on the idea of new leadership to bring change.

Curry, the former head of the National Basketball Players' Association, carved out an 11-year NBA career as a defensive specialist. So it's not surprising that Curry has put a heavy emphasis on defense in training camp. He wants to force more turnovers and get more transition baskets.

Offensively, Curry wants more players handling the ball and creating opportunities for themselves and teammates. He also wants more points in the paint from a unit that has too often relied on perimeter shooting.

All but one of the starters has been in the lineup since the last championship season. The backcourt duo of Billups and Richard Hamilton has been selected by the conference's coaches as All-Star reserves for three consecutive seasons. Small forward Tayshaun Prince, a member of the USA team that won the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics, has been named to the league's All-Defensive Second Team for four straight seasons.

Then there's the perennial wild card, center Rasheed Wallace. More than any player, he has brought the team down in recent years with his actions in the Conference finals. He was thoroughly outplayed by Kevin Garnett last season and he's got 13 seasons of tread on his 34-year-old tires. But Wallace is also the one of the league's craftiest defenders when he's in the mood to go full tilt.

Wallace has a great rapport with younger players and seems more energized when one of them is on the floor. That's one of the reasons why fourth-year forward Amir Johnson will join the starting lineup. Johnson can give the unit a boost with his defensive energy, shotblocking and ability to run the floor, though it will force Wallace to guard centers instead of trading off defensive assignments with Antonio McDyess.

McDyess will return to the second unit after starting last season. Curry wants McDyess to become more offensive-minded again while taking pressure off other reserves to score. Brown will get steady minutes against teams with bigger frontcourts while Jason Maxiell will play more often against smaller, more athletic opponents.

"I think he will be a star in this league because he wants to be one," Curry said. "He has the right temperament, demeanor, work ethic and skill level to improve."

Barring major injuries, the Pistons are a playoff lock. Getting back to the Finals for the first time since 2005 will hinge on whether the patience of Curry and Dumars will turn into a virtue.

COACHING STAFF: Head coach Michael Curry, 1st year overall. Assistant coaches -- Dave Cowens, Darrell Walker, Pat Sullivan, Harold Ellis.

LAST SEASON, REMEMBERED: 2007-08 Record 59-23 (1st in Central), lost to Boston in Eastern Conference Finals 4-2.

THIS SEASON, PREDICTED: Record 55-27 (1st in Central), lose in Eastern Conference semifinals.