The Detroit Pistons knew that the 2023-24 season may be a struggle despite hiring former NBA Head Coach of the Year Monty Williams. Sure enough, the Pistons endured a down season amid their rebuild. In a shocking turn of events, though, the Pistons have reportedly dismissed Williams after just one season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Williams still has five years and over $65 million left on his contract, according to Wojnarowski.
Williams signed a six-year contract to join Detroit ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. The move made sense as Detroit wanted a veteran leader to guide the team's young roster. Signing Williams provided hope for the future.
Detroit finished the 2023-24 regular season with the worst record in the NBA, recording just 14 victories along the way. It was an abysmal performance. Still, the firing was seemingly not expected. According to Wojnarowski, the decision to move on from Williams was made at the Pistons ownership level.
Monty Williams out after just one season
Williams has been a coach in the NBA for a long time. He made his assistant coaching debut in 2005 with the Portland Trail Blazers. Williams would later make his NBA head coaching debut with the New Orleans Hornets (now New Orleans Pelicans) in 2010. After five years in New Orleans, Williams spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers before landing the Phoenix Suns head coaching job in 2019.
He won an NBA Head Coach of the Year Award and led the team to the NBA Finals while in Phoenix. Williams displayed the ability to coach at a high level. He dealt with some drama in Phoenix, though. There were rumors about tension with specific players.
Williams' final season with the Suns came in 2022-23 before he accepted the position with the Pistons. The expectation was that Williams would stay in Detroit for the long-term, but that will not be the case now.
Pistons' surprising decision
Wojnarowski reports that Williams was initially going to sit out the 2023-24 season because his wife was dealing with cancer. He ultimately accepted the massive offer from Detroit. The Pistons wanted Williams without question and the lucrative contract would only help Williams and his family during such a difficult time.
The Pistons have made changes to their front office since hiring Monty Williams. As a result, Detroit likely received some new opinions on the team's head coaching position. In the end, the Pistons ownership reportedly made the call to go in a different direction.
Detroit is still in a challenging position. Their roster features some potential but the Pistons need leadership. Finding the right head coach will be of the utmost importance.
It will be interesting to see if they pursue another veteran with a proven track record or if they attempt to hire a younger head coach. Either way, whoever they hire should be someone who they will commit to for the long-term future.
Building a contender requires establishing a core that feels comfortable alongside one another. That means a head coach and the players need time to develop chemistry.
The Pistons will have questions to answer during the offseason.
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