Maurice Cheeks Fired! Detroit Pistons Roster Changes To Follow? Ex-Memphis Coach Lionel Hollins To Take Over?
The Detroit Pistons have fired their head coach Maurice Cheeks. The decision was officially announced by the team. One successful coach looms in the horizon, and is rumored to be on the team’s radar.
The official announcement was made by Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars. From Pistons.com:
“This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change. We have great respect for Maurice and appreciate his hard work.”
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores also states:
“Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change. We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress. The responsibility does not fall squarely on any one individual, but right now this change is a necessary step toward turning this thing around. I still have a lot of hope for this season and I expect our players to step up. I respect and appreciate Maurice Cheeks and thank him for his efforts; we just require a different approach.”
The Pistons will have their assistant coach John Loyer. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
“Pistons assistant John Loyer will be appointed the interim head coach for the rest of the season Detroit has no plans to conduct a search for a longer-term replacement until the spring.
Loyer has a strong reputation on both ends of the floor, elevating himself through the NCAA and NBA ranks as an assistant coach over the past two decades.
Loyer had come to the Pistons as part of Lawrence Frank's staff in 2011, and stayed through the coaching change that led to the hiring of Cheeks. Loyer had been an assistant with Frank on the Nets for two seasons. Before the Nets, Loyer had been on Cheeks' staffs with Portland and Philadelphia. Loyer spent nine years on Bob Huggins' staff at the University of Cincinnati.”
However, according to some tweets around the league, the Pistons want to take a shot at Lionel Hollins. Hollins led the Memphis Grizzlies to the Western Conference Semifinals last year, and has yet to sign with any team. He has coached multiple big men before with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
Coaching sources say Lionel Hollins is a prime target for DET and timing of Cheeks ouster due in part to fact Hollins currently unattached
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 9, 2014
Doesn't mean Hollins is lock to take job, if offered, but Cheeks was first NBA coach fired this season, so DET searching unopposed right now — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 9, 2014
There are also messages of thanks:
I will like to thank Mo Cheeks for everything, thank you for helping me become a better person & player. I'm still learning
— BRANDON JENNINGS (@BrandonJennings) February 9, 2014
Will Dumars make any roster changes? They did admit that it is not the fault of one man and the observation that their line-up is flawed to begin with it seems accurate.
The Pistons will be on the NBA radar in the next few weeks.