The question becomes Who's Next? The Pistons are notoriously fickle with their coaches. Since Chuck Daly, only Doug Collins (fired mid-season in his 3rd year) and Flip Saunders (fired after his 3rd season) lasted more than 2 seasons as a head coach in Detroit.
The Candidates:
Note: I'm skipping over guys like Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Jeff Van Gundy. I think they'd be great coaches, but they're unlikely to come here or even coach again.
Nate McMillan - reg. season 478-452 (.514 winning%), playoffs 14-20 (.412)
He's the name you'll probably hear the most, at least from fans. He's had the HC job in Seattle (RIP) and Portland, and he's also a former player. He also was an assistant in the Beijing Olympics under Krzyzewski. The Pros - he's got both experience as an NBA coach and as a player, and that would buy him extra cred in the locker room. He's also a defensive-minded coach that can do a lot with players not known for their D. The Cons - his offense is stagnant and not very imaginative. He's only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once, largely due to his offense and lack of in-game adjustments. He's been criticized for playing vets over younger players (only half-warranted), and eventually lost the locker room in Portland. The Verdict - not an especially imaginative hire, but probably the safest one. He could bring the D back to Detroit, but I don't think he could take us to the promised land without some help with the offense.
Stan Van Gundy - reg. season 371-208 (.641), playoffs 48-39 (.552)He's probably the name you'll hear second most, after McMillan. He's got more playoff experience and had more success than McMillan, but both of his coaching stints ended in controversy. He served as an assistant under Pat Riley before becoming the Heat's HC. The Pros - is a good coach offensively and defensively. He's creative and is able to adapt styles to fit the team. Orlando shouldn't have made the 2009 NBA Finals, given the talent they had. The Cons - every single frustration is written in his face, and he tends to overreact and whine during and after games. Shaq described him (aptly) as a "master of panic", meaning that when the going gets tough, SVG does not exude calm confidence. Never played above D-III in college, and he kinda looks like Ron Jeremy. The Verdict - he's less likable than McMillan but he's a better coach. He won't win the Big One until he learns to calm down a little on the sideline.
Skiles you'll hear less, and although he's a good coach, clearly a tier below the first 2 guys. Detroit would be his 4th HC stop, and he played at Michigan State, so he has some local ties. The Pros - he played in the NBA for 10 years and holds the single-game assists record. He's known as a bit of a disciplinarian, emphasizing hustle, defense, grit, and whatever synonyms you can think of for grit. He can extract the maximum production out of limited talent. The Cons - he's failed at managing player egos at every single stop. His style is abrasive and grates at the players. The Verdict - he could probably get the Pistons into the playoffs with their current lineup, but would achieve little more than that and eventually need to be replaced. Pass.
Make no mistake, Budenholzer is the top assistant out there. He's been an assistant coach of the Spurs since the '96-'97 season and the number 1 assistant since 2007. The Pros - he's been going to the Popovich Coaching Clinic for about 16 years, and he knows his stuff. It's been said that Budenholzer knows the playbook better than Pop, and he also has shown an understanding of how to coach in-game. When Pop has to leave due to an ejection, there's no drop off. The Cons - little-to-no pro playing or HC experience. He played professionally in Denmark for a year and coached a couple of their minor league teams. The Verdict - he looks ready for a full-time HC job, a la Thibodeau. I hope the Pistons take him up on it.
To recap, my coaching candidate rankings are 1) Mike Budenholzer, 2) SVG, 3) McMillan, and distantly 4) Scott Skiles. Although guys like Kelvin Sampson and Patrick Ewing have interviewed for the job in the past, I don't see either of them as solid NBA coaches. Same with Brian Shaw. Another assistant that's gotten some buzz is the Bulls' Ron Adams. He might be ok, but he reminds me too much of Kuester.
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