Is Detroit Pistons Hiring Monty Williams? - Ex-Phoenix Suns Head Coach

The Detroit Pistons have started their search for a new head coach following Dwane Casey’s announcement that he will be taking on a front-office position.

According to reports from The Athletic, the team is considering interviewing high-level assistant coaches and will not be in a rush to make a hire.

The organization is adopting a patient approach with the intention of assessing the available talent pool.

This includes top coaches from teams in the NBA playoffs who might become available.

As expected, the Detroit Pistons have been actively seeking a new head coach and have reportedly interviewed several top assistant coaches, including Charles Lee from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jarron Collins from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Another candidate that has emerged as a front-runner is Kevin Ollie, who is currently coaching with Overtime Elite.

Blaming The Coach

The NBA coaching landscape has seen some recent changes, with Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks and Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns being in the spotlight.

Bucks fired Mike following a first-round loss to the Heat, and Williams received some criticism for his team’s performance in the playoffs.

On the one hand, the Suns put up a valiant effort against the top-ranked Denver Nuggets, led by MVP Nikola Jokic.

However, in an elimination game, they fell behind by nearly 20 points after the first quarter, ultimately contributing to their defeat.

Either way, Monty Williams is the scapegoat for the Phoenix Suns losing in the conference semi-finals.

Williams Fired After 4 Seasons 

The Phoenix Suns made the surprising decision to part ways with head coach Monty Williams on Saturday, just two years after reaching the NBA Finals and a year after he was named the Coach of the Year.

While Williams had an impressive regular season record, winning 63% of his games in his four seasons with the Suns, the team’s lack of success in the playoffs likely played a significant role in his dismissal.

The Suns were eliminated from the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, and in two straight years, they trailed by 30 points at halftime of elimination games played at home.