The Detroit Pistons were finally in the news for a positive reason after hiring coach Monty Williams.
Tom Gores opened the vault and made Williams the highest-paid coach in NBA history, hoping that the two-time Coach of the Year can turn the Pistons around the same way that he did the Suns, who he took from 19 wins to 34 in his first season and made the NBA Finals in his second year.
One of the first things Williams is going to have to figure out in Detroit is how to use his plethora of big men, as the Pistons have Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III, all of whom want to get big minutes next season.
Williams had a very public falling out with Suns’ center Deandre Ayton and some talking heads even blamed Ayton for Williams being fired.
Williams’ coaching style should lend itself to a couple of the Pistons’ bigs, but it’s easy to see him butting heads with the other two for the same reason he and Ayton didn’t always get along.
Detroit Pistons: Monty Williams’ offense and defense
Williams famously runs what he calls the point-five offense, which means players need to either dribble, pass or shoot within .5 seconds of touching the ball.
This was one of the issues he had with Ayton, who wanted to be featured more in the post and often held the ball too long when he did get it there.
Williams also stresses defense, and if you can’t defend, you won’t be out there. Just ask Ayton, who sat for big stretches against Denver in the playoffs this season when he was basically a traffic cone in front of Nikola Jokic.
So, quick decisions on offense and maximum effort on defense (including the defensive boards). It’s pretty easy to see which bigs will fit right in with this.
Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren under Monty Williams
The two centers who seem like obvious fits in Monty Williams’ system and coaching style are Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren.
Coach Williams is going to love Beef Stew, who always gives max effort on defense and is the kind of versatile big man he has leaned on in the past. If Stewart can hit 35 percent of his 3-point shots, I could see him being the big who gets the most minutes next season.
Williams should also be able to get more out of Stewart as a passer, an area where he did improve some last season. Stewart is going to thrive in a system that has him catch the ball and either shoot immediately or keep it moving, and Williams is going to love his defensive versatility and tenacity.
The biggest surprise about Jalen Duren last season was how far along his passing was. He is not a big man who likes to hold the ball in the middle, and was very good at finding cutters and kicking out to open shooters. He averaged over an assist per game as the youngest player in the league and showed the ability to make quick decisions with the ball.
Duren needs to make huge improvements on defense (and should under coach Williams) but the effort is definitely there, especially on the defensive glass. He has the athleticism to be a top defender, which is something Pistons’ fans should really be excited about with coach Williams on board.
Detroit Pistons: James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III under Monty Williams
While Stewart and Duren should thrive under Monty Williams, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III might be doomed to the bench or the trade block, as neither really fit what he wants to do.
Both Wiseman and Bagley III are more traditional centers who like to work in the post and often take a LONG time to do it. I can’t tell you how many times I screamed “PASS THE BALL” watching these two last season.
They both can be black holes from which the ball does not return, something that Williams won’t tolerate.
Another thing he won’t tolerate is lack of effort on defense. Neither Wiseman nor Bagley III are good defenders, which is criminal considering how big and athletic they are. Both guys could be elite rim protectors, but so far neither of them have even averaged a block per game for their career.
Defensive rebounding is also a big part of closing out possessions and neither of these players are very good at it. While you’ll see Wiseman and MBIII going all out on the offensive boards when there is a chance to get an easy bucket, the effort on the defensive side isn’t always there.
Wiseman averaged just 5.8 defensive rebounds per game last season and MBIII just 4.2 per game.
It’s possible that getting a coach like Williams is exactly what these two need to light a fire under them, but it’s also possible that their shortcomings will lead them to the bench or to other teams.