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PistonPowered round table: Dwane Casey expectations

By Andrew Brewster

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 20: Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors talks to the media during a press conference after Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2017 at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeffery Phelps/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 20: Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors talks to the media during a press conference after Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2017 at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeffery Phelps/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Question 1: Was Dwane Casey your preferred hire?

Detroit Pistons
ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 10: Coach Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 10, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Brew: For me, no. I’m actually still pretty upset about this hire, and I feel like it was an overreaction.

I still maintain and will hold this belief until I die: if Reggie Jackson didn’t get injured last season the Detroit Pistons would’ve made the playoffs. If that had happened, I believe Stan Van Gundy is still coaching this team.

You can, however, fairly point out that Van Gundy’s decisions did not properly prepare his team to deal with a potential loss of Jackson. Langston Galloway was presumably the insurance for such an injury, and this proved to be the wrong move.

Due to this, I was fine with Van Gundy losing his decision-making power in the front office, but I didn’t see any clear upgrades to him from the coaches available.

Dwane Casey gets a lot of credit from me for vastly improving Kyle Lowry’s game, and for keeping his team competitive in the regular season. That being said, the innovation we saw last season was reported to have come from Nick Nurse, not Casey.

With that, it was even reported that it took Casey a few years before he was even willing to make the changes suggested by Nurse. I’m still optimistic about this team, and feel like they should be a playoff team.

But my preference was to keep Van Gundy around for one full season with the Blake Griffin iteration of the team.

Joe: This was not my preferred hire, but the Pistons could’ve done much worse.

We know that Casey will have the team playing together on both ends, they will rebound, avoid turnovers, and be technically sound.

The fact that he is going to spend less time sulking on the sidelines and losing
his mind about effort constantly will almost certainly be a welcome change for Van Gundy as
well.

My top option would’ve been Mike Budenholzer, or one of the San Antonio Spurs’ assistants, but truthfully it would’ve been someone with better schematic chops on the offensive end.

Despite saying the right things so far, Casey has not always followed through on his word before, and if he installs a similarly stagnant offense in Detroit (that he had for the majority of his time in Toronto) this could get ugly fast.

Ku: Casey was not my No. 1 choice, but he was up there.

I’m completely fine with the hire, and I think it was a good one. But I was hoping for Ime Udoka. Heis a young, up-and-coming coach and I would’ve liked to seen the Pistons to go that route.

Also, any experience with Gregg Popovich is always a positive too.

Steven: My preferred hire was 2004 Larry Brown but he is not available.

Of the available coaches this off-season, former Atlanta Hawks coach, Mike Budenholzer, was my preferred hire.  

The legendary 2014 Atlanta Hawks’ offense was like smooth, beautiful basketball jazz, and after watching Stan Van Gundy’s 3-chord punk rock offense for four years, I was ready to actually enjoy watching the Pistons again.

I think a motion offense with two above average passing big men in Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin could’ve been a lot of fun.

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