Despite getting a six-year, $78 million contract in the offseason, Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams is reportedly on a seat that is heating up very quickly.
The Detroit Pistons have not had an above .500 record since the 2015-16 season. That is why the organization practically begged former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams to take the job after originally turning it down and then gave him one of the biggest coach contracts in the sport. The hope was that the 2021-22 Coach of the Year could finally turn their fortunes around and bring them back to prominence.
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While the first couple of months in his first season in Detroit were expected to be difficult at times, no one ever expected the Pistons to be this bad. After winning just 17 games last season, this year’s group is on pace to do worse as the 2023-24 edition is in the midst of a historic 20-game losing streak.
The losing skid is tied for the ninth worst ever and is just eight games away from the all-time NBA record set by the 2014-15 and 2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers. This level of futility is uncommon, and it is why Williams is starting to feel some real heat in Detroit despite this being his first season and having a massive long-term contract.
Detroit Pistons could consider buying out Monty Williams’ contract after this season
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Detroit Pistons reporter James L. Edwards III revealed in a morning newsletter that while he does not expect the organization to be bold enough to fire Williams in his first season, he does believe they won’t wait much longer if the team continues its shockingly bad play.
“I definitely don’t think Williams gets fired this year,” Edwards III said. “The owner committed a lot of money to him. Could there be some sort of buyout if things continue in this direction? I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t think it happens this season.”
While he may get the rest of this year to show he can turn this team around and push them in the right direction, that is still not a ringing endorsement for Williams’ chances in Detroit long-term.
The Detroit Pistons currently are the third-worst-scoring team in the league and have a bottom-10 defense. They are also averaging a -10.1 points differential so far this season.