The Detroit Pistons officially got their coaching search underway yesterday when it was announced that they had set their first round of interviews.
Two other assistant coaches expected to factor prominently into the Pistons' process, per sources: Toronto's Adrian Griffin and Miami's Chris Quinn. https://t.co/g3d0wCdDML
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 14, 2023
Among the first candidates announced were Adrian Griffin, Chris Quinn, Charles Lee and Kevin Ollie.
Fan reaction to some of the names was predictably unhinged, full of hyperbolic statements and fatalism, which you would expect from a fanbase that has been subjected to so much losing.
Even though some of these fans had never heard these names before a few days ago, they are certain their guy is the right one and that the rest are the worst choices in the history of sports (seriously, someone actually said that to me).
Detroit Pistons’ coach: Which candidates stand out?
Predicting which coaches will be a success is a crapshoot at best, which is why we see the same names bandied about over and over again, as at least you know what you are getting.
Troy Weaver needs to get this one right, and already set some of his criteria as someone who can instill discipline, improve the defense and develop young players.
I would also add my personal criteria, which are that the person is not a re-tread who has already been a coach on 3-4 different teams but is someone who is young enough to relate to and grow with the players.
I would like a coach from a team with a culture of winning, who has spent at least some time coaching in the NBA, preferably on a team with a good defense.
With all of that in mind, two candidates of the ones named stand out.
Detroit Pistons coaching search: Chris Quinn
Chris Quinn is currently an assistant coach with the Miami Heat, where he has been since 2014, so he meets the requirement of coming from a winning culture and organization, as the Heat are one of the NBA’s best franchises.
He’s coached under Erick Spoelstra, widely considered one of the best coaches in the NBA, so Quinn has been learning how to handle a team from a future Hall of Famer.
The Heat must have seen something in Quinn right away, as they were the team that drafted him into the NBA and then took a chance on him as an assistant when he was just 30 years old.
Prior to that, he worked in player development at Northwestern with Chris Collins, so he has been around some successful coaches.
Pat Riley is known to like to find his guys and then stick with them as he has with Spoelstra and many around the organization feel that Quinn is being primed in a similar way to take over at some point.
Quinn has the respect of players like veteran Udonis Haslem, who had this to say:
"“When you listen to Quinny, you’re hearing Spo. It’s the same message.” Haslem added, “He has the knowledge, the experience, the relationship with the players. He has every base covered when you talk about checking the boxes to have the ability to be a successful head coach.”"
When Spoelstra had to miss some time, it was Quinn who he pegged as his temporary replacement over the other assistants on the staff, so clearly he thinks highly of him.
He’s a smart guy who knows the game and has been a part of sustained success in Miami. He’s just 39-years-old, so should be able to relate to and grow with the players. Miami always has a good defense (2nd in points per game allowed this season) and is a disciplined team, so Quinn really does check all of the boxes.
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.