Pistons near hiring Otis Smith as D-League coach
By Dan Feldman
"The Detroit Pistons are in advanced negotiations to hire former Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith to coach their NBA D-League franchise, according to NBA coaching sources."
"One source said Friday that a deal is not done but that the sides are closing in on an agreement."
We avoided the Otis Smith-as-general manager disaster when Stan Van Gundy hired Jeff Bower over his former Magic GM. So, at this point, I’m not going to complain – even though Smith has no coaching experience.
It’s a D-League team. What’s the worst that could happen?
Maybe Smith finds his niche in Grand Rapids with the Drive. Given his front-office experience, Smith could even help the Pistons scout the D-League while coaching.
Smith working directly with players is a big unknown, but Van Gundy clearly wants him around in some capacity. This seems as good as any.