For those who thought the Detroit Pistons might land JJ Redick as their next head coach, that ship has sailed. But, there are plenty of names being tossed around in conjunction with who will be crowned the next Detroit Pistons head coach.
Who Will Be the Next Detroit Pistons Head Coach?
Let’s talk JJ Redick first. I know the Los Angeles Lakers know what they’re doing, so if they’re convinced he’s the guy, he’s probably the guy. But, I do find it shocking that someone with no head coaching experience will now be coaching one of the greatest franchises in the history of basketball. Redick has never coached in the NBA, but he has played 15 seasons with six different franchises from 2006 to 2021. He’s only 39, so pretty young. I personally think it’s a risk for the Lakers to hire Redick, but risks can pay off, so perhaps that’s what will happen in this case.
Now, onto the Detroit Pistons. James Borrego is one name that’s being tossed around, with Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill saying the team is strongly considering him. He’s making the round in interviews with other teams that need a head coach, much like the other names on this list. Borrego is close to the new Pistons president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, and seeing that Langdon has hired several of his buddies, this hire would make sense. Langdon has already brought on former New Orleans Pelicans assistant and shooting pro Fred Vinson, so another Pelicans hire would make sense. I don’t like us taking on all these Pelicans guys, but it is what it is.
Sam Cassell is another name in the mix. I like this one. He’s an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, who obviously just won the 2024 NBA championship. If we could get Cassell to the Motor City, that would be a steal.
Another great hire, in my opinion, would be Micah Nori of the Timberwolves. He helped turn the Wolves around in a few short years and make them true NBA champion contenders. Nori is a well-respected assistant coach with plenty of positives. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, listed Nori as one of the Pistons’ potential head coach replacements. Edwards discussed Nori’s strong connections with Detroit, such as working in the Motor City an assistant on Dwayne Casey’s staff from 2018-2021 before heading to the Timberwolves.
One more possibility for the next Detroit Pistons head coach is a familiar name: Sean Sweeney He spent three seasons as an assistant on former Pistons coach Dwane Casey’s staff. He also has plenty of experience serving as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. Sweeney is currently an assistant with the Bucks on Jason Kidd’s staff and is reportedly very good at defense.
Really, most of these guys would make great picks for the next Detroit Pistons head coach. Just, please don’t pick anyone from the Pelicans’ stuff. Just keep this new batch of coaches coming from successful teams. I’m worried that our new president of basketball operations is all about “friends and family” at this point.