What’s Next For Detroit?

Gauging whether or not the Pistons can salvage their season after firing Maurice Cheeks.

The Pistons won two games in a row last weekend, beating Denver and Brooklyn in two quality home wins.

To mark the occasion, they fired Maurice Cheeks. They also forgot to tell the players:

Wait what

— BRANDON JENNINGS (@BrandonJennings) February 9, 2014

Is it true?

— Charlie Villanueva (@CV31) February 9, 2014

Look, this whole thing stinks. The Pistons haven’t been good this year, and they shouldn’t be this bad, not when you add J-Smooth and (yes) Brandon Jennings to a roster that already included two of the best young bigs in the game. There in laid the problem however, because the trio of Smith, Monroe, and Drummond, as talented as they are individually, don’t work together.

So the pieces didn’t fit, leaving Cheeks looking for ways to work around it. They experimented with Smith off the bench, but that lasted one game, plus it’s hard to justify your best player coming off the bench. Now, despite signing a four year, $54 million dollar contract in the summer, the trade rumor train has come out, and while there is likely little substance to these rumors, this sort of thing is more of a signal that the sports world has recognized this isn’t working like it was supposed to.

Detroit’s problems seem more of how the roster was compiled rather than the coach. Own Tom Gores didn’t see it that way, and 50 games into the season Cheeks became the first head coach fired this season. Frankly, I don’t like it. 50 games isn’t enough time to assess the job a coach has done. Some of the worst coaches in the history of the league lasted longer than Cheeks. This move looks more like Tom Gores making an ill-advised move at the wrong time.

After a brief rumor that Lionel Hollins was in position to take over, Detroit promoted assistant John Loyer to be the interim head coach. Loyer is not a household name, but comes with years of experience as at the pro and college level. Before Detroit, Loyer had worked as an assistant at New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Portland. He spent ten seasons as an assistant at the University of Cincinnati, and took the fall for Bob Huggins when the a storm of allegations hit the basketball program (in which 19 of the 22 violations were dropped). Following the fallout at Cincinnati, he spent one season coaching Junior College ball at Wabash Valley College, and one the Junior College National Championship.

Loyer has certainly paid his dues around the league, and will have thirty games to get the interim tag removed. They are 1-1 since he took over, with a quality win over the Spurs followed by a disappointing loss to the Cavaliers. The stakes will be high immediately following the All-Star break, with back to back games home and away against Charlotte, the team they are chasing for the 8th seed, followed up with games against Atlanta, Dallas, Golden State, San Antonino, and Houston. How Detroit fares in the next seven games could make or break their season. Even if Detroit were to make the playoffs, I think it will take a huge playoff run to secure Loyer the job.

If things go south before the trade deadline (as in, being swept by Charlotte) I could see Detroit as active at the deadline. Monroe’s name, along with Smith’s, has been floated around in possible trade scenarios. Its doubtful he’s moved, particularly when all the chatter from the Pistons is he isn’t being moved, but all scenarios should be considered, especially with a interim head coach leading the team.

Ultimately, it is hard to gauge the Pistons. They are a team that has the talent to make the playoffs, but has shown little resemblance of such. They have plenty of flaws in their roster, yet sit only a half game out of the playoffs. If Loyer can figure out some way to get their roster to fit together, the playoffs could be in reach.