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The Detroit Pistons have officially found their new head coach, Monty Williams. After he was dismissed from the Pheonix Suns organization, the former Coach of the Year will now head up one of the league’s most intriguing young rosters. With how many open jobs out there, how were the Pistons able to land Williams?
Detroit Pistons Hire Monty Williams
I previously suggested that the Pistons may have to settle for a rookie head coach. This was due to the fact that there were many high-profile jobs out there. The Bucks and 76ers have much more attractive rosters currently and are in a championship window. The Pistons are still in a rebuild albeit hopefully coming out of it. Ultimately, the Pistons threw the bag at Williams in order to attract him to Detroit.
Williams will be getting a six-year $78.5 million contract from the Pistons. To put that into perspective, Gregg Popovich earned $11.5 million in the 2022-23 season. Williams will make $12 million a year as the new coach of the Pistons. While it will cost them, this was the right move for the team. They needed a veteran head coach who had a proven track record of success to try and lead this team back to the playoffs.
Outlook For Next Season
Cade Cunningham will hopefully be back to 100% by the beginning of next season. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren had promising rookie seasons. James Wiseman showed flashes and hopefully with a full offseason can be a big piece for the team. The fifth overall pick will be another asset for the team whoever they get. Veteran Bojan Bogdanović brings experience to the team. There’s a good roster here to compete in the East. While I don’t see a Finals trip next year, they should be competing for a playoff spot.
What’s Realistic For The Detroit Pistons And Monty Williams?
Williams has proven he can take a roster of young players and turn them into a championship contender. The Suns were the laughingstock of the league for years and now are a Western Conference powerhouse. The Detroit Pistons are hoping to see that under Monty Williams. They should be able to jump a couple of the play-in teams from last year and if a couple of players see second-year leaps, this team could be very good.
Ultimately, I think it will take two years for the Detroit Pistons and Monty Williams to mesh. This year I would be on the lookout for the team to make huge strides but only make the play-in a possibly sneak into the playoffs. Beyond that, watch out for this team long-term if they can put it all together. This was a great hire on paper by the Pistons. Now we just have to see if it works on the court.
