Monty Williams named coach most likely to be fired

We've said this before, but this offseason does feel different for the Detroit Pistons.

The patience and goodwill extended to the rebuild have dissipated after four years of losing which has culminated in a season that has already at least tied for the worst in team history.

No one should be safe after this kind of season, including the GM who built the roster, the players on it, or the coach drawing up the plays.

Monty Williams is only in the first year of a record-breaking contract, but there is speculation that it could be his last after the Pistons endured a 28-game losing streak with the young players making little progress.

In a recent article, Bleacher Report ranked the coaches most likely to be fired and Monty Williams came first on the list ahead of Chauncey Billups, Doc Rivers, Darvin Ham and Billy Donovan.

But would the Pistons pull the plug after just one season? I have my doubts.

The Detroit Pistons: Firing Monty Williams

I've written about some of the problems with firing Monty Williams. Tom Gores would have to be willing to admit he was wrong to go over his front office's head, own it and eat the rest of Williams' seven-year contract.

There's also the issue of hiring a next head coach. Who is going to choose the person this time? Will there be another three-way battle between Troy Weaver, Arn Tellem and Tom Gores? Will Weaver and co. be ousted too? They weren't able to come to a consensus a year ago, and little has changed since then.

The #FireMonty campaign may be gaining steam on social media, but there are a lot of factors that make it a tough call for owner Tom Gores, not the least of which is the boatload of money Monty is still owed. This is also the guy he wanted and lobbied for, the guy he opened the vault to get, so it won't be easy to send him packing after one season, especially when the Pistons weren't expected to be good this season anyway.

There is a litany of reasons why Monty Williams should be fired, but that doesn't mean he will be. I won't be surprised by anything the Detroit Pistons do, including bringing back the entire front office and coaching staff of the worst team they've ever had.