The Detroit Pistons finished with the worst record in the NBA at 14-68. It was a disastrous year for Detroit as head coach Monty Williams couldn't find success in his first year in the Motor City.
At one point in the season, the Pistons lost 28 games in a row. As such, questions have swirled about whether or not Williams will return as the head coach of the Pistons. However, those talks got a big update, per Marc Stein in his latest Substack.
“The Pistons have not yet announced, with formality, that Monty Williams will be back next season as Detroit's head coach. New Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, in fact, has yet to hold his introductory news conference after it emerged he was getting the job in late May. Yet one source with knowledge of Detroit's thinking told The Stein Line that Friday's ESPN report about the Pistons hiring Fred Vinson away from New Orleans as an assistant coach is a “clear signal” that Williams will be back for Year 2 of his six-year contract worth nearly $80 million. The source described it as “the likely outcome.”‘
That should clear things up for now, although anything can happen.
Monty Williams' time in Detroit might be running out already
The Pistons hiring Fred Vinson away from the New Orleans Pelicans seems to be the hint that Williams is staying, as Stein mentions. With Trajan Langdon coming in as the Pistons President, it seemed he could make a change in the coaching front, but nothing has been decided just yet. Here's what Stein wrote shortly after Langdon was hired: “Detroit has already parted ways with GM Troy Weaver, who declined an offer to stay on in a scouting capacity, and one source with knowledge of the Pistons' thinking says Langdon will immediately begin an evaluation phase that includes an assessment of Williams' status.”
The Pistons also parted ways with general manager Troy Weaver, so Langdon hasn't been afraid to make some changes in just a short time in charge.
While Stein reports that the Pistons will most likely keep Monty Williams for another season, there might be some issues as they advance if things don't change. Sure, he signed a six-year deal just last year, but losing 28 games in a row is certainly not encouraging for a young team.
Williams spent four seasons with the Phoenix Suns before coming to Detroit, but there are some big question marks in the future. With a new president in town for Detroit, a change could be made after next season if they finish with a bad record once again.
The Pistons have a lot of work to do in free agency and have the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. ClutchPoints' NBA Insider Brett Siegel had Detroit selecting G League Ignite's Matas Buzelis in his 3.0 mock draft, and it will be interesting to see how things turn out over the next few weeks.
The Pistons have a bright young roster full of talented players, they just need to figure out a way to make things work. The pressure might be on for Monty Willia,s but the longevity of NBA coaches in today's game isn't much, so the clock appears to be ticking in Detroit.
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