Why Dwane Casey is the right man for the Detroit Pistons

Amidst a plethora of coaching candidates, the Detroit Pistons chose Dwane Casey to lead their franchise moving forward. Casey is known for being a players’ coach. And that’s just one of the reasons why he’s the right man for the job.

The Detroit Pistons whittled down a one-month coaching search on Monday to Coach of the Year nominee Dwane Casey. An introductory press conference is expected to come next week.

In the meantime, here are three reasons why Casey is the right man for the Pistons.

1. Experience

Say what you will regarding the importance of coaching experience. But just remember: for every Brad Stevens, there is a Jason Kidd.

Casey has served as an assistant or head coach since the 1994-95 NBA season. His stops along the way have included Seattle, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto, and now Detroit.

He was the head coach for both the Timberwolves (two seasons) and the Raptors (seven seasons), amassing a 373-307 record in his combined nine years at the helm.

In 2011, Casey won a championship with the Mavericks as an assistant. Cleveland Cavaliers’ small forward LeBron James (who was with the Miami Heat back then) credited Casey’s defensive attack for hindering him in the 2011 Finals.

That’s high praise from arguably the greatest player of all time. Casey’s emphasis on defense was reiterated during his tenure in Toronto. It was a gradual process, but the Raptors went from ranking 25th in defensive rating in 2014-15, to fifth in 2017-18.

2. Player development

When Casey arrived in Toronto in 2011, shooting guard DeMar DeRozan was coming off a season where he shot 10 percent from the 3-point line. This year, he shot 31 percent.

Kyle Lowry experienced similar growth as a 3-point shooter under Casey’s watch. Prior to being traded to the Raptors in 2012, Lowry’s career 3-point percentage was 33. In six seasons with Toronto, the point guard shot 38 percent from beyond the arc.

Center Jonas Valanciunas also expanded his offensive arsenal by adding an outside touch. In his first five seasons in the NBA, Valancuinas took a total of four 3-point attempts. He made just one.

In 2017-18, Valancuinas made 30 of a career-high 74 3-point attempts, good enough for 40 percent on the season.

Three players, at three different positions, each vastly improved their outside shooting under Casey. That alone should give Pistons fans some hope moving forward.

3. Rapport

One of Casey’s best attributes appears to be his relationships with his players. As Rod Beard of The Detroit News notes, Casey is “regarded as a players’ coach.”

He maintains his overall composure better than his Detroit predecessor, Stan Van Gundy, who at times allowed emotions to get the best of him. It’s possible that this change in demeanor at head coach is what the Pistons needed.

Shortly after the news of Casey’s hiring broke on Monday, several Pistons extended their welcome to the 61-year-old on Twitter.

Although expected, those tweets of encouragement (particularly from a player like Andre Drummond) should not be taken lightly. It bodes well for the Pistons that both Casey, and his new players, are excited to begin a new chapter.