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Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown spoke with InsideHoops.com and other major media outlets in a teleconference. Here are the questions and answers:

Larry Brown's Opening Statement: Like most teams, we’ve had some injuries. Ben Wallace hasn’t been able to play and Rasheed Wallace has been hurt. We’re trying to incorporate Antonio McDyess without wearing him out. The first three games we’ve played a lot of young people, and have not played well, but we’ve practiced pretty well. We’ve had some good practices recently, and we’re hopeful that Ben and Rasheed will be back very shortly. If they can get back in the next couple of days, I think we’ll have ample time to be ready when the season starts.

Q: What can Eric Snow bring to Cleveland, having coached him for many years in Philadelphia?

Larry Brown: He’s one of the great leaders in our league and one of the true point guards. I thought Allen (Iverson) and Eric together were a tremendous backcourt. I think with LeBron (James) and the young people they have, he’ll bring some stability. He can play more than one position, he doesn’t command the ball, he’s a great defender and a great leader. I think when you have an unbelievable talent like LeBron who really loves to play, plays the right way, having someone like Eric alongside him will help him and everybody else.

Q: What are you expecting from Richard Hamilton this season?

Larry Brown: I think as the year went on he got better in every area of the game and I think that’s what he wants to do. He wants to become a complete player. His assists went up, he rebounded better, he defended better as the season went on. Everyone knows he’s a terrific scorer, especially in the mid-range game and he never stops trying to get himself open. I think he’ll continue to improve, because that’s the type of kid he is.

Q: Is it harder today to get a group of players to play as a team, and if so, why?

Larry Brown: I think it probably is harder to get young players to play as a team, but it’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because they haven’t been asked to. Most young players that we have didn’t go through four years of college, where as freshman and sophomores, they had roles defined, and maybe had to sacrifice for some of the older kids. But I think they all want to do the right thing. That’s something we all have to keep in mind. To me, kids want to be coached, and sometimes a lot of us shy away from doing that, and they’re the ones that suffer, but I truly believe they all want to play the right way. It’s just a matter of priorities. It is helpful if you have older guys on your team that do have character and understand the importance of being a good teammate and playing the right way.

Q: Why do you consider Eric Snow one of the best leaders in the game and could you come up with an anecdote to illustrate that belief?

Larry Brown: I don’t know if I can come up with a story. I just know that he came to practice everyday wanting to get better. He complements everybody that he plays with, in terms of the way he plays and the way he conducts himself. As a player on the court, in order to be a good leader, you have to walk the walk. He plays hurt, he comes to practice everyday. He always gives his best effort and I think his teammates see that. If you ever hear Allen (Iverson) talk about his teammates, he’ll always bring up what Eric Snow sacrificed to help him, and I think that’s something that every one of his teammates would verify. I loved coaching him. Being around a guy like him makes me feel like I’ve chosen the right profession.

Q: Can you talk about the challenges of repeating as champions?

Larry Brown: Well, we’re thrilled we’re going to be getting our rings. That’s quite an honor. When you’ve been at it as long as I have and you realize how difficult it is to get there, it makes it even more meaningful. I think the one thing we have to keep in mind is we can’t forget why we won. I think the biggest challenge is to understand we won because we were a team and everybody had roles they played every single night. We played hard, we played unselfishly, we tried to defend, we tried to rebound the ball. We’ve got to keep that in mind every single day, and then we also have to understand that now we’re kind of a marked team. Everyone in the league will respect us. To just come out and play any night is not going to get it done, because we’re going to be a huge game for most teams that we play. We have to bring our A game every single. That could be good, too, because if we have the character I think we have, hopefully we’ll elevate our game even more.

Q: Do you have to have a different mentality as a coach?

Larry Brown: My situation is must different than it was last year. I was replacing a great coach who had accomplished a lot (Rick Carlisle). We really changed our team, losing Michael Curry, John Barry and Cliff Robinson. So, I was kind of on pins and needles. I didn’t know exactly what our strengths were. I was trying to incorporate young players in Mehmet (Okur) and Tayshaun (Prince), and some new faces. It was a huge adjustment. This year I’m a little more comfortable in knowing most of the players and them knowing me. But the thing I’m worried about is that Corliss Williamson, Mehmet Okur and Mike James were big parts of our team last year and we have to replace them and that’s not going to be easy.

Q: How will this team be different from last year?

Larry Brown: We were almost two teams. We played one way when we had Tayshaun in the game and we played another way when we had Corliss in the game. This year, I don’t think we’re going to have that luxury. Corliss was a hard matchup for a lot of people and really a tremendous weapon. You can say the same thing for Memo. He gave us versatility. He could play center and step out on the floor. We have to find ways to overcome these absences. If McDyess is healthy and continues to show what he’s shown in preseason, that could really be helpful because he gives us another defensive presence and a low-post scoring threat, like Corliss was. The other young guys that are going to step up have big roles to fill. We’re trying to find a backup point guard and it’s between Lindsey Hunter, Smush Parker and Horace Jenkins. Mike James gave us a lot last year in that role. We have to find another perimeter player and Carlos Delfino and Ronald Dupree, two young kids, are trying to fill that role. I think they all have the ability, and hopefully they’ll be able to contribute.

Q: Was your team’s defensive performance last season as dominant as you’ve seen in some time?

Larry Brown: I think the whole league has gotten better defensively. I think San Antonio has consistently been a great defensive team. Our team had a lot of things going for us on the defensive end. We were long and athletic with Ben, Rasheed and Tayshaun. And our two guards got better as the season went on. And then our whole team had a defensive mentality. Offensively, teams are not able to run as much in our league anymore, so possessions are down and teams have to score against a set defense a lot and that makes it a lot easier to defend. There have been a lot of great defensive teams in the league over the years. We just tried not to take any possessions off. I think that really helped us accomplish all the things we were able to accomplish.

Q: What do you think about some of the proposed changes to the game, such as eliminating the three-point line and trying to increase motion?

Larry Brown: I’ve always felt we should give three points for the layup, because that’s a harder shot to get. A lot of the problems we have with our game have to do with taking bad shots, and the three-point shot sometimes causes that. I also think we have to get rid of these illegal defenses and just play. You saw in Europe. I think it’s a pretty appealing game when you can play any kind of defense, and if teams were to use more zone, I think you would find more teams running and trying to get easy baskets and it would probably open the game up even more. And if we really want the three-point shot, make it international distance, so if you do play zone, the penalty is even greater. I really liked the game the way it was played years ago. Allow any defense you want. If we got all the great players in the world and you want to double-team a great player, that will open up shots. They can walk Barry Bonds and they can double-team Randy Moss, I don’t know why it’s a problem in our league that we’re afraid of star players being double-teamed. Star players will find a way to make their teammates better.

Q: Do you think Mehmet Okur is going to become a capable starter in Utah?

Larry Brown: There’s no doubt in my mind he can be a starter in the league. He’s in the greatest system playing for as good of a coach as there is. And he’s a very versatile player and he’s still a young kid. He started basketball very late. He loves to play. He’s got real good skills. I think the only problem he had in Detroit is he had some pretty good players ahead of him. But he made us a lot better and knowing he’s going to get consistent minutes and is going to be a big part of their team is the best thing that could happen to him.