DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons announced Monday the hiring of new head coach Dwane Casey. Local 4 went out to find some fans to gauge their level of excitement.
"I’m about an 8,” Chase Taylor, of Detroit, said.
“I’m about a 7,”’ Kyle Rathsburg said.
Tom Gores and company are hoping that excitement grows as the Casey era in Detroit moves forward. On Monday, the team announced his hiring and new five-year deal. Casey is the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year who took the Toronto Raptors to five consecutive playoff appearances.
“I think he’s going to be good here,” Taylor said. “He’s going to have the (players) show up and work hard like he did with the Raptors players in Toronto.”
“It makes sense," Lake Orion resident Paul Jacob said. "We have a veteran team and he is a veteran coach. He’s got a history of being successful in the playoffs.”
Some said Casey sounds great, but they never thought Stan Van Gundy was the Pistons' problem.
“I think maybe if they get better players, then they don’t have to change coaches as much,” Irene Harris said.
Casey said publically that the Pistons' current roster is ready to win now. Fans certainly hope so, because they’re itching to get back to those Bad Boys glory days.
“We’ll see how he uses (Blake) Griffin and (Andre) Drummond together,” Rathsburg said.