Some deep reflection from and about Monty Williams
I don't put this catastrophic season all on coach Williams, as he was never given a coherent roster or a clear plan for the future.
But some of it has to go on his shoulders as the head coach of a team that has gotten worse coming off a 17-win season. The bar for success for Williams was set so low this season, as no one expected the Pistons to make the playoffs, but we did expect improvement from what was the second-worst season in franchise history.
That hasn't happened, partly because of some of the baffling choices made by Pistons' leader. From benching Jaden Ivey to his nonsensical rotations, to slow adjustments and his insistence on continuing to do what isn't working, Williams has drawn the ire of fans and national commentators alike.
April 15th will be the first time Monty can sit down and reflect on how it went so wrong and what he can do to fix it. He'll also have a chance to spend time with his family and think about whether he wants to do this again.
He's under contract, of course, but if Williams decided he wanted out, I'm sure some kind of buyout could be arranged, as Tom Gores is used to flushing his money down the toilet and doesn't seem to care.
Gores will also have to think about whether it was a mistake to hire a person who didn't want the job and had to be bribed to take it, and whether Williams is now a sunk cost that he'd be better off absorbing.
But Monty isn't the only person who will have a big think on April 15th.