Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of a controversial coaching hire
Detroit Pistons: The pros of hiring Ime Udoka
Udoka was suspended for a violation of Celtics’ team policy (more on that in a minute) but no action was taken by the league itself, so he is now free to coach wherever he chooses.
The pros of Udoka are pretty obvious, as the 45-year-old already has an impressive resume as a coach that includes time as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets before this one year in Boston.
In his first and only season as head coach of the Celtics, Udoka went 51-31 and led his team to the NBA Finals.
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Maybe more importantly to the Detroit Pistons, his team had the #1 ranked defense in the league, something that Detroit must improve if they are going to turn the corner as a franchise next season.
Udoka is well liked by players around the league, many of whom defended him after his suspension, so it’s possible he’d be a bit more of a draw than Dwane Casey at this point in his career when it comes to free agents.
He’s young enough to grow with this young team and be the coach for the foreseeable future if he were to succeed, so could be a long-term hire for a franchise that has been through its share of coaches over the years.
The potential positives with Udoka are pretty obvious, as he’s an up and coming coach with a track record in the exact area where the Detroit Pistons need to improve.
But there are obvious concerns as well.