2 black coaches canned.
What say you Vlad?
What say you Vlad?
Out as Pistons coach, Dwane Casey will move to front office.
CHICAGO -- Dwane Casey announced Sunday that he will step down as coach of the Detroit Pistons and will move into a front-office role.Following a 103-81 loss to the Chicago Bulls in Detroit's season finale, Casey walked away after the Pistons stumbled through a 17-65 season.
"Tom is giving me an opportunity to move into the front office," Casey said, referring to Pistons owner Tom Gores. "I'm excited to go to the next phase of my life. Time to spend more time with my family. This team is on the right track. They probably need to hear a new voice. This is my decision."
Casey, 65, has coached the Pistons since 2018, but in five seasons the team went 121-263 (.315 winning percentage). Detroit made the playoffs once during his tenure, in 2018-19, but the team was swept in the first round.
In the years following that postseason appearance, the Pistons overhauled their roster for a dramatic rebuild. They had one of the youngest rosters in the NBA this season, including two first-round picks from the 2022 draft.
Instead of showing progress, they finished with the worst record in the NBA and second-worst mark in franchise history (narrowly surpassing their 17-win season in 1979-80).
"Hopefully my legacy will be the growth of this program from these young guys and getting a foundation," Casey said. "But not through the wins and losses. I don't care who you bring in, if you have a young team, this league is not forgiving on wins and losses. I'm not trying to run away from that."
Before joining Detroit, Casey spent seven seasons as the coach of the Toronto Raptors from 2011 to 2018, accumulating a record of 320-238 (.573) and six playoff appearances and winning Coach of the Year in 2017-18. He also had a two-year stint coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2005 to 2007.
Casey did not say whether he would like to coach again in the future.
"I'm excited about the new adventure," Casey said. "I'm excited to learn from [general manager Troy Weaver] and the front office, to contribute in any way I can and any area I can. We got a lot of work to do."
Stephen Silas won't return as Rockets coach.
The Houston Rockets are declining to pick up the fourth-year option on coach Stephen Silas' contract, ending his three-year run leading the franchise's rebuild, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and Silas are expected to meet Monday morning and formalize the parting, sources said.
The news came shortly after the Rockets beat the Wizards in their regular-season finale, the team's fourth win in its last five games. Silas confirmed he would be meeting with Rockets officials Monday but did not confirm that his time as Houston's coach was over.
"I feel proud," Silas said of his time with the Rockets. "I wanted to be a head coach my whole life. I wanted to be like my dad. Proud of these guys, proud of their hard work, proud of their growth and maturity as they got through the season."
Silas, 49, took over a Rockets team that quickly pivoted into a rebuild after trading franchise superstar James Harden early in Silas' first season as coach. The Rockets finished 22-60 this season and were 59-117 overall during Silas' tenure.
It was a difficult season for Silas. His father, longtime NBA player and coach Paul Silas, died in December.
"Definitely a hard year. Death is hard when your person closest to you, the person who teaches you all about what you're doing on a daily basis, you lose him, it makes it difficult," Silas said. "What made it easier was a group of guys in that locker room who wouldn't quit, just tried hard and wanted to do the right things. And a staff full of people who I could share quiet moments with or lean on."
Silas is expected to become a prominent associate head coach/top assistant candidate for coaching staffs this offseason. He spent 20 years with various NBA teams as an assistant coach and scout before getting the head-coaching job in Houston.
The Rockets will be one of three teams with the best odds (14%) to win the draft lottery and get the No. 1 pick. Houston selected Jabari Smith with the third pick last year and drafted Jalen Green at No. 2 in 2021.
Houston hasn't had the first overall pick since 2002, when the team drafted Yao Ming.
