‘And then there were three. Regardless of the outcome in the remaining three regular season games, this year’s Pistons team is the worst in history. With a single loss, they will secure the #1 spot for most losses during a season by a Pistons team. Conversely, if they win their remaining three games, they will share the title of the worst team in franchise history. With the season drawing to a close, let’s delve into our end-of-season grade for the team.
Everyone has had a hand in the abysmal performance of this season. This week, I want to grade the owner, the general manager, and the head coach. Each of these individuals arrived in Detroit with a glimmer of hope, promising a brighter future for the Pistons. Today, Pistons fans would throw a party if all three men were to depart the organization and never return. The man who signs the checks is first in line for his grade, Tom Gores.
Tom Gores
Since assuming franchise control in 2015, The Pistons have amassed a record of 254-455 and have only managed to secure a playoff spot twice. There was a wave of optimism and anticipation when Gores took the reins. One of his more notable decisions was relocating the Pistons from Auburn Hills to Downtown Detroit. However, beyond this move, The Tom Gores era has been a profound letdown.
Grade 78 Million Reasons.
Gores gave 78 million dollars to Monty Williams—a guy who had no interest in coaching the Pistons. Williams initially turned down an offer from Gores, but the “love for coaching” returned when more money was involved. When you bring in an unmotivated coach to coach a young team, The results are just what you see. The Pistons would’ve been better off letting a guy like Kevin Ollie be the coach, but Gores overruled Troy Weaver. Now, the only hope for The Pistons would be if Monty Williams would take a buyout in the future.
Grade The “Sell The Team” Response.
During a game against the Utah Jazz, The Pistons faithful began chanting, “Sell the team.” A few days later, Tom Gores made a statement to fans chanting for him to sell the team.
They can say what they want, but that’s ridiculous. Other than winning — and we should win more games — we do a lot in the community. Players, the organization, we do a lot in the community. If you put aside winning, we’ve made a big difference in the community. That means a lot to me. I understand that will only mean a lot to people if we win, but the underworking of what’s happening with our community over all these years is there. We’re doing multibillion-dollar things outside of (basketball). I understand the fans being upset, but it’s a ridiculous thought,”
Tom Gores.
Fans and media in Detroit negatively received the response. Gores was trying to shame the fanbase for worrying about the teams’ performance on the court and overlooking his philanthropy in the community. The statement also gave people the perception that he was the only owner in the NBA doing community work. News flash, Mr. Gores, ALL 29 OWNERS IN THE NBA MAKES SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITIES THEY PLAY BASKETBALL IN. Twenty of those owners contribute to the community and make the right basketball moves to play postseason basketball.
Overall Grade For Tom Gores.
This was not Gore’s best year as the owner of the Pistons. Fans are starting to question whether he really cares about restoring the winning ways of the Pistons. When you don’t do the necessary work to be successful, Your grade will show just that.
Grade: F
Troy Weaver
In 2020, Troy Weaver was brought in to give the Pistons a clear direction. They were not good enough to be contenders and not bad enough to be bottom feeders. Weaver cleaned the house of the veterans and laid the foundation for a new era of Pistons basketball. Say what you want about him; Weaver has done an excellent job laying the foundation down. Outside of the draft, He hasn’t been good with bringing in veterans to change the culture, and with young teams such as Oklahoma City and Orlando thriving, The seat is scorching for Troy.
Grade The Uncontrollable.
Some people (including myself) thought the Pistons could contend for a play-in spot this season. The young players were coming into the season with confidence, the veterans were coming in ready to prove the doubters wrong, and the coaching staff brought great hope. Weaver would acquire Joe Harris from Brooklyn and sign Monte Morris to bring additional depth to the team. Some things are out of Weavers’ control and shouldn’t fall on Troy Weaver.
Grade Weaver’s In-Season Re-Tooling.
Weaver traded Marvin Bagley III to the Wizards for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. These were two guys on expiring deals that would open up minutes for James Wiseman (we thought). On trade deadline day, Weaver finally moved Bogdan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The return included Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, and 2nd round picks, which some saw as underwhelming. During the season, Weaver signed Kevin Knox and flipped him for Simone Fonttechio, a move that was seen as positive. Monte Morris was then dealt to the Timberwolves for Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr, and a 2nd round pick.
The biggest surprise was the release of the 2020 7th overall pick, Killian Hayes. Hayes hadn’t lived up to his potential in Detroit, but he was still an intriguing player. With no legitimate takers for his services, waiving him was the best option.
Overall Grade For Troy Weaver.
Weaver will have a high draft pick and 60+ million in cap space to make a move. The 72-242 record during his tenure is alarming, and it will be interesting to see what happens during the offseason.
Grade: C-
Monty Williams
When Monty Williams was hired, The feeling was a mixed bag. On the positive aspect, Williams was a guy who was well-respected in the league. Williams was also the catalyst for the resurgence in Phoenix. On the negative aspect, Williams had clashed with some of his players in Phoenix, which caused him to get terminated. It was also known that Williams wanted to take some time off and recharge his battery.
Grading The Williams Hype Train.
Monty had to be the coach for Pistons fans if ownership was so persistent in obtaining him. He brought in a competent coaching staff, which included Stephen Silas, Jarret Jack, Mark Bryant, and Jerome Allen. You looked at the success in Phoenix and figured it would carry over to the Pistons. Well, That hasn’t been the case. A lot of his failures don’t fall on him as a coach.
- Cade missed a bunch of games due to injury.
- Bogdanovic missed the first 19 games of the season.
- Monte Morris only played in six games
- Joe Harris only played in sixteen games
- Duren missed time due to injuries
- Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart are out for the season
- Simmone Fontecchio is out for the season
It’s hard to win in the NBA already. Combine that with crucial guys missing time; It’s almost impossible.
Grading The Things He Could Control.
Conversely, Williams has made some questionable decisions as the coach, even if those decisions are legitimate arguments.
- Starting Killian Hayes over Jaden Ivey.
- Not playing James Wiseman.
- Starting Ausar Thompson at Power Forward.
The Pistons seem like they’ve picked up some bad habits. They are one of the most turnover-prone teams in the NBA, averaging 14.6 per game. They rank last in turnover percentage, averaging 13% per 100 plays. Everything that could go wrong has seemed to go wrong during Monty Williams’s first year here.
Overall Grade For Monty Williams.
Phoenix wasn’t immediately good when Monty was hired. It took some time before they put it all together. This season for the Pistons is a learning experience; these guys will use their failures to improve. Despite the optimistic future, any coach who leads their guys to lose 28 straight games and win only 13 games has to be held accountable for it.
Grade: D-
In Conclusion.
There’s only room to get better. Nothing more has to be said. You must look in the mirror and accept your flaws to be the best. I’ll leave it at that.
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