Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars: “First of all thanks for coming out today. We wanted to come out today and introduce two of our newest members of the Detroit Pistons, Ronald “Flip” Murray and Nazr Mohammed. Just briefly, first and foremost we are extremely pleased to have these guys join us this year. We have a certain type of guy that we want on this team, we have a certain profile of the type of people we want on this team, in this organization. These two guys meet that profile 100 percent. Basically we want good people and good players. Both of these guys are that indeed. They are good people and they are very good players. We feel very fortunate to come out of this summer’s free agency class with these two guys. Just briefly, we think that their style of play fits exactly what we need and the style that we play here. We are very familiar with both of these guys. We have had both of these guys in before. I think Nazr as a free agent a couple of years back and Flip coming out of college. We have had both of these guys in and looked at bringing both of these guys here. Finally it’s happened a few years later, but we could not be happier to add Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray here with us, so with that I will kick it over to the other Flip, Flip Senior. I will let him talk about how he envisioned these guys playing and what he intends on doing with these guys.”
Detroit Pistons Head Coach Flip Saunders: “One, they are good people. Good people, people that work hard. I think you look at our core group and you look at where we are at they are veteran players but yet they give us the ability to start younger players; veteran players to keep our organization going. Our style of play, both players have the ability to score, both players have the ability to defend. I talked to Flip a little bit and I told him that when he came out of college and I saw him in Milwaukee he was known as more of a defensive player than even as an offensive player and so our ability with him and to defend people out on the floor is something that is going to really help us this year. If you look at both players, Nazr, if you look at his stats on a 48-minute game basis he averages almost 15 rebounds a game. I think with extended minutes he is going to give us good production. The same thing with Flip, a lot of people probably see the press release, but the time he was able to start he averaged almost 20 some a game as far as in Seattle.”
Detroit Pistons Center Nazr Mohammed (On stepping in for Ben Wallace): “I was in a similar situation when I got to San Antonio. Malik (Rose) was not an icon but he was well respected in the community. I decided it’s the same situation that I went through there, to come in and be myself. You can’t try to be anyone else but yourself. So I come in, work hard and do the things I am capable of doing and through my career I have been successful at that.”
Flip Saunders: “As he (Mohammed) talked about, as coach of this team, you look at what the players can do and you try to maximize the things they can do and minimize the things they don’t do. In both situations, Flip brings a lot to the table in that we really don’t have a great breakdown player, a player who can break down the defense. Nazr is going to give us something that I think we lacked a little bit last year in our ability to score in the post. I believe we are going to be able to utilize his ability offensively around the post. He is one of the better offensive rebounders in the league and he is going to fit right in. The one thing people have to realize is we have a core group and we have four guys who are all All-Star-type players and so people are going to be able to fit in because they are going to make them fit in and because of how we play. And, as Joe said, if we didn’t have players coming in like both Nazr and Flip that were unselfish and were not hard workers, they might have a problem fitting in, but because of their character they are not going to have a problem fitting in with what we are trying to do.”
Joe Dumars: “Acquiring players from drafting, free agency, trades, whatever it is, it really is all about fit. You certainly don’t put a basketball team together like you do a fantasy team. You don’t look at stats, numbers and say ‘okay it works’. It’s about personalities; it is about the mentality, the approach. So for me it has always been about fit. Finding guys who are the right fit here for Detroit. We certainly think that these two guys fit. Irrespective of their numbers or anything that has happened in the past, like some of the other guys we have right now, they got here and fit. We think these guys are going to make the same transition in Detroit. Actually, we are looking forward to it. We are all pretty excited about having these guys here and what is going to be like on the floor next year.”
Detroit Pistons Guard Flip Murray (On coming to Detroit): “I have always been a fan of Detroit Basketball, the organization and the players that they have here. I have been spending time waiting and it is finally here. I am excited for the chance to come here and play here. I am excited about being here.”
“I think it was just a chance to play. My being here in Detroit is going to be different. It is going to be a change where I am going to be here from the beginning of the year and I know I am going to have the chance to play from the beginning of the year to the end. There have been times I have been put into a situation where I was starting because of injuries and there were times I was coming off the bench. The thing about being here is that I am going to know what my role is going to be from the beginning of the year.”
“It was a situation where I looked at I could have a change of plan and it was the best situation for me as far as coming here and winning. Like was said, Detroit was the best fit. I have a chance to come here and play and also the chance to come here and win. With them being, if not the best contender in the league, one of the top contenders, to come out here and win the title. So I am looking forward to it. It’s another journey in my path.”
Nazr Mohammed (On playing time last season): “I don’t control the minutes. I’m the type of guy who is always ready to play. I do whatever I am asked to do. Last year was a tough year just because at the beginning of the year my wife and me had a new baby boy and I had to miss a considerable amount of training camp and by the time I got back everything was a little bit different. I was ready to play. I played hard when I was on the court. I have always been a player where if you give me the minutes, I produce. Throughout my career, when I am on the court, good things happen. I am going to play my role, not going to try to do too much, go after every ball, do what I am supposed to do and go out there and play hard. Last year was a situation where I had no control over it but I continued to work hard, stay ready and when I was given the minutes I feel like I produced and we won games.”
Joe Dumars (On if the Pistons are still expected to win the title): “Essentially those are the same (expectations). I am not going to sit here and say we are playing for second place. We have not done that in the past five years and I am certainly not going to sit here today and say that. We are putting this team together and bringing in guys like Nazr and Flip to win a championship. Nobody’s goal has changed. A few of the parts have changed, but that doesn’t change the overall goal. We are going to be playing to try to win a championship this year.”
Nazr Mohammed: (On why he has moved around from team to team): “Each situation is different and I can tell you the reason for every team. As far as Philadelphia, I was just a young guy trying to learn this league. In Atlanta, I was in a situation where I was on a bad team. We really didn’t have an identity. When I got to New York it was another situation where I was able to play and show what I can do and that led me to San Antonio where I think I was able to contribute and help my team to win games. I think this situation is another one where I am even more fortunate because I have been put on a team with All-Star-caliber players, which I always like because at the end of the day you have to forget about somebody, and usually it is going to be me. I love being in that position when teams want to forget about me so I can make them pay for it and just being able to go out there and just do what I do - rebound and defend and take advantage of opportunities.”
