From up and comer to champion: 5 POBO candidates for the Pistons
Fans of the Detroit Pistons were curious about who would be held accountable after the worst season in franchise history.
The answer is no one, at least not yet, as the team hasn’t announced any firings, only that Tom Gores would hire a new President of Basketball Operations to oversee everything.
Troy Weaver will stay on as GM (for now), though that could change depending on who is hired, as the person will reportedly have the ability to hire and fire as they see fit.
James Edwards III of The Athletic (Subscription) came up with his own list of possible candidates that includes Jon Horst, John Hammond, Neil Olshey (please no), Bryson Graham and the Pistons’ own Dwane Casey. Personally, I would not consider Olshey after the way his time ended in Portland, nor Dwane Casey, as enough is enough already. Horst and Hammond are interesting and have had recent success and Graham is an up-and-comer from the Pelicans who would be an intriguing choice.
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But I have a list of my own, starting with the least experienced and moving towards more proven candidates.
5 President of Basketball Operations candidates for the Detroit Pistons
Tommy Balcetis
I’m a big fan of going after people who have had success in successful organizations and Balcetis certainly qualifies. He’s currently the assistant GM for the Denver Nuggets.
Balcetis, a Harvard graduate, has been instrumental in the team-building philosophy in Denver and involved in everything from the draft to managing the salary cap.
Balcetis worked his way up from the analytics department and is now “heavily involved in strategy and analysis,” according to reports. He’s under 40 years old, so this would be a bold hire, but one that could be a long-term solution if it works out.
Gores has often gone the other direction, hiring proven veterans with long reputations in the NBA. Balcetis would represent a turn from that strategy, and he could be a fresh voice to add to guys like Troy Weaver and Monty Williams.