The Pistons Clear Message

Coming off one of the worst seasons in recent NBA history. With a restless and increasingly apathetic fan base. The Pistons needed to send a clear and decisive message.

And send it they did. Despite the relative weakness of both this years draft and free agent class. They aggressively attacked the draft board. Adding multiple lottery picks in the process. Following that up by quickly addressing a need in free agency and getting their guy…

Checks notes…. Nope that’s what the Washington Wizards did. Drafting Alex Sarr AND Bub Carrington in the lottery. Then scooping up Jonas Valančiūnas as a free agent.

Or they could address their need for floor spacing by adding the best shooter in the draft. Then follow that up by sending a message to their locker room by not offering max extensions to their two eligible rookies….

Wrong again Bob…. That is what the Houston Rockets did. Drafting Reed Sheppard and holding off on max rookie extensions for both Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün.

Nope the Pistons drafted Ron Holland. A high upside player who struggles to… wait for it… shoot the basketball. Then quickly agreed to a 5 year 226 million dollar extension with Cade Cunningham. They did not take any wild free agency swings. Using their league high cap space on short term veteran gambles in Tim Hardaway Jr and Tobias Harris.

Let me be clear. It is entirely possible that this was the most prudent decision with the hand they were dealt. Let me also be clear. As the title suggests. The article is not interested in prudence. It is focused on messaging. The Pistons have sent a pretty clear and loud message that I am not sure I agree with.

The message being— it’s not the players fault. It’s not ownership’s fault. While a little more nuanced— it’s not even management’s fault.

It’s ALL Monty Williams’ fault.

If you peruse this site’s archives you will see I might not be the most honest narrator in this discussion. I was high on the Pistons hiring of Monty Williams. It seemed like many were overlooking the veritable minefields both the New Orleans and Phoenix franchises were before his arrival.

He won (sometimes big) in very difficult situations. By all accounts he was well respected by star players in the league. This is important in a cold weather Midwest market like Detroit. I viewed his record salary as a tax to purchase that type of marquee player cache.

Sports is unforgiving however. The results were downright brutal and historically bad. It appears that my initial assessment was way off. That being said, was it “pay the guy 60 million dollars to go away off?” I’m still not convinced.

Let’s go down the list of suspects in our little “blame game.” Ownership is easy to eliminate. It’s never their fault. You could actually argue eating Williams’ salary is a type of “accountability” rarely seen at this level. However if you are waiting for Tom Gores or Arm Tellem to hold a press conference replete with hard questions and mea culpas. You’re going to be waiting a while.

How about General Manager Troy Weaver? I mean he did lose his job before Williams. Certainly he bore some responsibility? If you read between the lines though. I’m not sure that’s how it all went down. The Pistons could have easily just fired Waever at any point during the season long swoon. They could have done it after an underwhelming trade deadline. They could have done it BEFORE they hired Trajan Langdon in a position above him. They did not.

Weaver “parted ways” with the franchise on the eve of June. A little over three weeks later he had already secured a new position with the aforementioned Washington Wizards. Weaver is legend in all levels of Beltway basketball going back to his time establishing the famed DC Assault AAU program. While moving back to DC is definitely a demotion. I can’t help but wonder if the delay in regime change was facilitated to help him find a soft landing spot.

Perhaps the biggest point of evidence to absolve Weaver of blame. Were the Pistons very own words announcing his departure.

“As much as we have struggled lately, we will look back and see Troy as an important person in the remaking of the Pistons. He took the pain of rebuilding head on and he did the hard work to get us the flexibility we have today. He also assembled a great core of young men with tremendous skill and character to give us a path to the future. Make no mistake, I have real appreciation for who Troy is as a person and what he has meant to the organization. I wish him the very best as he pursues his ventures.”

Yes, there is a lot PR sanitization going on in that paragraph. However just parse some of the words for a moment. “An important person in remaking the Pistons” or has “given us a path towards the future?” That seems like a bit much if you really blamed the guy for one of the worst seasons in NBA history.

If you don’t think the Pistons can be direct and to the point in regards to firing an employee. There’s this

“Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”

That is what Monty Williams got (along with 60 million) Direct, unemotional and straight to the point. Perhaps that is just the way it should be. However the difference is rather stark and telling.

Returning to Weaver’s expansive farewell statement. I also found this portion in the middle to be revealing.

He also assembled a great core of young men with tremendous skill and character to give us a path to the future.

Here is where we need Detroit’s own Keegan-Michael Key’s “Luther the Anger Translator” character. After reading this segment he would scream out.

“It’s not the player’s fault!! It’s not the player’s fault!!

If you don’t believe Luther’s assessment. Just look at what the Pistons have done with the 14 win roster. With a team president in Arn Tellem. Arguably one of the most skilled player agents in league history. Not one Piston player has shown up in any type of substantive trade rumor.

Tellem knows full well. The rumors do not have to be plausible or based in reality. They are used to motivate and create markets were none exist. A “Jalen Duren is generating interest leak” or “Ausar Thompson would like to play with his brother nugget”. Nothing just radio silence.

They quickly and without drama extended Cade Cunningham. They drafted Ron Holland who continues to fit the prototype of 2020’s Piston. A highly regarded prep phenom who struggles to shoot. As mentioned above they used their copious cap space to replace Joe Harris and Bojan Bogdanović with Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. They are saying both in their actions and in plain English. Despite the results, they like their front office “process” and this core of players.

Perhaps the final indignity shown towards Monty Williams was in the choice of replacement. JB Bickerstaff (pictured at top of article) could be a fine head coach. Personally I think he did a good job with the litany of injuries the Cavs suffered last season. That being said, how much different is his resume from Williams.

You could argue the resume is actually worse. This is Bickersaff’s fourth head coaching opportunity. I’m old enough to remember when Joe Dumars resuscitated the Pistons with rather unknown assistant named Rick Carlisle. Perhaps Detroit could have found their Carlisle in Micah Nori or Sam Cassell. They did not go that route. Bickerstaff is a second generation NBA lifer. He will keep the car on road (hopefully) and not make waves.

If playoff contention was remotely on the radar. This could be seen a prudent (there’s that word again) move. The bottom line is the Pistons’ young core needs to begin to show real tangible progress— this year.

Using Monty Williams as scapegoat could work at the moment. However what happens if JJ Reddick flames out quickly and the Lakers want an experienced head coach. Let me give you hint, they won’t be hiring Phil Jackson. If, and I know it’s a big if. If Monty Williams resurrects his career with another franchise. And the Pistons continue to flounder. The Pistons offseason of status quo on the personnel front will look like malpractice.

I certainly hope I am wrong. However when you are paying somebody 60 million dollars NOT to work for you. That is an upside down way pushing all your chips to the center of table. You better be right, or the losses could be catastrophic and possibly compound the embarrassment of a 14 win regular season. That is a sobering and troubling thought.