The Detroit Pistons seem to be in no hurry to find their next head coach, as it is a decision they need to get right.
They are into their second round of interviews and some frontrunners have emerged including Charles Lee, Kevin Ollie and Jarron Collins.
Lee is currently the associate head coach of the Bucks, Ollie is involved with Overtime Elite and Collins is on the staff of the New Orleans Pelicans. Collins would be an interesting choice after winning three titles with Golden State and having a hand in some very good defenses.
There were some glaring omissions in their search, including Ime Udoka, who ended up accepting the head job with the Houston Rockets. Udoka was reported as an early candidate for the Detroit Pistons but never had an interview.
Another big name has come onto the market in Nick Nurse, but would the Pistons even consider him?
Detroit Pistons coach: Is Nick Nurse a candidate?
Any coach that has won a title will always get another job, so it won’t be long before someone hires Nick Nurse if and when he is ready to get back into coaching.
Nurse replaced Dwane Casey in Toronto just after Casey had won Coach of the Year, the team acquired Kawhi Leonard and promptly won a title in 2019 with Nurse at the helm.
Many credit Leonard with that title more than Nurse, but he did have a 237-170 record with the Raptors overall to go along with that title. He’s known for being an innovator on offense and clearly knows what it takes to get a team to the ultimate goal.
But there were rumblings that his coaching style had worn out its welcome with some of the bench players who felt they weren’t getting enough minutes, as Nurse is known for riding his starters.
The Raptors also missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and it seemed like everyone, including Nurse, was burned out by the end of this one.
He has not been mentioned as a possibility for the Detroit Pistons, and he may not be, as Dwane Casey is still part of the front office and may not want to relive Nick Nurse coming in and taking his old job.
Nurse may be the most qualified coach on the market, but the fit with the Detroit Pistons may not be there from either a roster standpoint or the front office.