It became rather clear early in the 2022-23 NBA season that Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey was fighting an uphill climb with the downtrodden organization.
When Detroit opted to sit former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham for the remainder of the season just 12 games in, the tank was pretty much on.
Despite boasting a talented young roster, it has led to Detroit heading into its final two regular-season games with an NBA-worst 16-64 record. It will also now likely lead to Casey’s removal from the bench after five seasons.
“Various Pistons staffers are preparing for Casey to no longer hold his head coaching post next season with the potential for Casey to step into a front office advisory role similar to Alvin Gentry’s path in Sacramento.”
Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports on Dwane Casey’s job status with the Detroit Pistons
It was just this past Wednesday night that Casey’s post-game press conference following a loss to the Brooklyn Nets was delayed because of a one-on-one meeting with Pistons owner Tom Gores.
The two are said to share a great relationship, leading to a strong possibility that Casey will remain with the Pistons’ organization in some form.
Casey has posted a 120-262 record since joining the Pistons ahead of the 2018-19 season. That came after a brilliant seven-year run in which the respected head coach led the Toronto Raptors to six consecutive NBA Playoff appearances.
Related: Sportsnaut’s 2023 NBA mock draft
With Dwane Case likely out, Detroit Pistons job is intriguing
As we noted above, Detroit boasts a talented young roster. In addition to 2022 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, that list includes stud young guard Jaden Ivey. He’s averaging 16.1 points and 5.2 assists as a rookie. Big men Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Jalen Duren are also seen as potential building blocks moving forward.
Though, this season has been defined by bottom feeders doing their best to be in position to land generational talent Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s seen as the best draft prospect since someone by the name of LeBron James entered the Association back in 2003.
As of right now, the Detroit Pistons are tied with the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs as the three teams boasting the best chance (14%) to land the No. 1 pick.
This makes Detroit’s likely head coaching opening intriguing for multiple candidates. According to the aforementioned report from Fischer, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee is considered a top-end candidate to replace Dwane Casey in Detroit. He’s been a high-profile option for several openings over the past couple cycles.
Detroit has earned all of two playoff appearances since the end of the 2008-09 season. While it has some building blocks in place, making the right decision on the bench is going to be key moving forward.