The last time we saw Don Chaney, he had the worst job in Detroit.
  Chaney had the misfortune of coaching the Pistons as the back-to-back champions were being dismantled piece by piece. The once-proud Bad Boys were going through an ugly transformation.
  It's not an excuse. It's simply a fact. In Chaney's two seasons (1993-1995), the Pistons were a woeful 48-116.
  During that horrid stretch, Dennis Rodman was traded, Mark Aguirre was waived and Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas retired. To make matters worse, Sean Elliott, whom the Pistons got for Rodman and who was supposed to become their new leader, was traded back to the San Antonio Spurs a year later.
  "It was an unbelievable transition period," Chaney said. "I just happened to get caught up in that."
  Chaney returned to The Palace on Thursday night as coach of the New York Knicks, who lost to the Pistons, 99-97.
  Not only did Chaney see people in the stands Thursday, he also saw the Pistons playing their best ball since the glory days.