Four days before the Draft, the Pistons do not have a coach, and they are not going to rush anything. The dismissal of Monty Williams was late, and during his induction press conference, new president Trajan Langdon painted a portrait of his successor.
“Tom (Gores) talked about leadership, and it's incredibly important to find a young guy who can lead this team going forward and is aligned with us. That is to say with Tom, with me and with the management on the way we want to play and the way we want to build this franchise. replies former Pelicans GM. “I think it’s important to have a very good communicator and a good colleague. I'm not just talking about the front office, I'm talking about the performance team, I'm talking about our nutritionist, our mental skills coach. Collaboration must be ongoing across the organization for us to be aligned. It has to be someone who is really very involved in development and who is passionate about this subject. We talk about our young players, our young core, and they're good kids, and they're talented. We need someone who has the patience, but also the desire to develop these young players and not skip ahead. These are some of the qualities we are looking for in the new coach. »
No timetable for a return to the playoffs
For the moment, the names circulating are those of Micah Nori, assistant to the Wolves, Sean Sweeney, assistant to the Mavericks, JB Bickerstaff, cut by the Cavaliers, and James Borrego, the former coach of the Magic and the Hornets. It should be remembered that they have already recruited Fred Vinson, a specialist in “player development”, and on paper, Sweeney (39 years old) seems to fit the desired profile. The other three are over 45 years old, and we cannot say that they are “young coaches”. One thing is certain, management will be patient.
“There is no set timetable for returning to the playoffs. For us it's about creating a foundation for our young players, a foundation for winning, which means creating an environment for winning.” he continues. “You have to do that first before you can win on the field. You have to train and reach a certain level of quality, and this does not only concern the players, but also the staff, the front office and the physical trainers. We must all contribute to the development of our young players. It is essential to create these foundations first and foremost. »
