Detroit Pistons set interviews, 2 candidates stand out

Detroit Pistons coaching search: Charles Lee

Charles Lee is currently the associate head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Detroit Pistons got permission to interview him and many believe he is the frontrunner.

Like Quinn, Lee is a younger coach (38) and was a fringe NBA player who didn’t have a long career in the league.

He’s been an assistant with Bucknell, as well as with the Atlanta Hawks before landing on the Bucks, where he has been since 2018.

In that time, the Bucks have won a title and have consistently been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They have also successfully used two bigs, though you could argue that Giannis Antetokounmpo is really just a wing in the body of a center.

Since the Detroit Pistons are also trying to “go big,” his experience could be invaluable, especially when it comes to improving the defense, which has to be a priority next season if this team is actually going to be competitive.

Lee has been with Mike Budenholzer, widely considered one of the league’s best coaches, for nine seasons now, so like Quinn, he’s been learning from one of the best in the game. He’s young, smart and comes from a successful, defensive-oriented team that has also been very disciplined.

I am sure there will be more names to come, and some fans of the Detroit Pistons may riot if Ime Udoka is not one of them, but for now, it seems the Pistons are looking at some of the league’s top assistants.