Dwane Casey, the 2017-18 Coach of the Year, is now the man at the helm for the Detroit Pistons. He credits his predecessor, Stan Van Gundy, for making work easier for him through the decent roster and system that he built in Detroit for the past few years.

Dave Feschuk of The Star recently sat down with Casey as the latter talked about his years with the Toronto Raptors and the work waiting for him in Detroit.

“(Predecessor) Stan Van Gundy laid an excellent foundation here as a coach. So it’s not like you’re at the bottom. We’re not at the top. But we’re in the mix,” Casey said. “And that’s a good place to be because you can come in and put your stamp on it.”

Indeed, Stan Van Gundy was able to bring out the best from the organization since he was hired as head coach and president of basketball operations in 2014. Though the Pistons only made it to the playoffs once in the last four years, Van Gundy brought the Pistons back to its feet from being at the very bottom of the standings for several years.

Before Van Gundy signed with the team in 2014, the Pistons won only 140 games out of 410 from 2009 to 2014 and failed to win more than 30 games in that five-year stretch.

The Pistons endured numerous head coach transitions during those painful years. But if you're already down, there's no way but up, as they say. With the brilliant mind of Dwane Casey at the forefront, the Pistons look to build upon their talented roster that includes Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson.