Now that the Pistons have a young and talented core, they will focus their efforts on finding the best GM and head coach. Detroit recently brought in former Grizzlies exec Ed Stefanski to oversee the hiring process for the open positions within the organization.
Ed Stefanski tells ESPN on priority with Pistons: "The big thing right now … is that we need a head coach and a GM. Those will be two items that we will probably do simultaneously.” Stefanski will meet with current GM Jeff Bower and discuss possible role. They have long history
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 24, 2018
That missing piece could be Dwane Casey. According to recent reports, Casey is Detroit’s primary target in their search for Stan Van Gundy’s replacement.
This comes as no surprise; Casey is one of the best coaches currently available. He led the Toronto Raptors to a terrific 2018 season where they had the best record in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep up, getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. Casey was then fired from the Raptors—a team he’s led since 2011.
Despite Toronto’s decision to fire Casey, he still remains a finalist for this season’s NBA Coach of the Year Award.
Casey played an important role in developing Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan—the two are now top players at their respective positions in the league. The Pistons may hope to replicate this development with some young guards on the roster, like Reggie Jackson.
Having won an NBA championship as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, Casey has worked with some of the best bigs the league, including Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler. His defensive game-plans allowed the Dallas front-court to flourish.
Similarly, the Pistons also have strong big-men on their rosters like Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond; those two could benefit tremendously from Casey’s presence.
If Detroit is able to secure Casey as their head coach, Pistons basketball could be on the rise.
Featured Image via: Flickr/Best of Toronto
