Pistons search for coach, hope to draft Victor Wembanyama

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons, coming offone of the worst seasons in franchise history, are searching for acoach and hoping their new leader has Victor Wembanyama in thelineup.

Detroit closed its fourth straight season — and 12th in 14 years— without a postseason appearance on Sunday with a lopsided loss atChicago.

After finishing an NBA-worst 17-65, Dwane Casey announced he wasstepping down with one year left on his coaching contract to accepta role in the Troy Weaver-led front office.

Casey was hired by the Pistons in 2018, when he was named theNBA Coach of the Year after his seventh season in Toronto. He ledthem to a .500 record in his first season and a playoff berth thatended with a first-round exit.

The team’s latest rebuilding effort crumbled due to moves thatdidn’t pan out, including trading for Blake Griffin, and injuriesthat kept key players such as Cade Cunningham off the court to hurtCasey’s chances of having success.

“We are grateful for his steady hand as head coach during theseimportant development years, and we are excited to have his wisdomand experience in the front office as we enter the next phase,”team owner Tom Gores said. “Dwane joined us as an experienced andsuccessful coach ready to lead a veteran team, but when we madeadjustments as an organization to rebuild around a younger core hefully embraced the decision.”

Detroit desperately hopes its painful season will pave the wayfor Wembanyama to bring his talents to a franchise aiming toeventually add to its three NBA titles.

“It was something our organization had to go through,” Caseysaid last week. “It was painful. It was ugly.”

The Pistons, by only one game, beat their franchise-worst recordfrom the 1979-80 season when Dick Vitale was fired 12 games intothe season. Their miserable season, though, won’t give them a bigadvantage in the draft lottery.

Detroit, San Antonio and Houston each will have a 14% chance ofpicking first — and selecting a 7-foot-3 French phenomenon. WhetherWembanyama or another talented player joins the Pistons, they needan influx of talent.

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overalllast summer, did provide hope for the future with their play.

Ivey, an electric guard, averaged 16-plus points and more thanfive assists to rank among rookie leaders. The 19-year-old Duren,who started the season as the NBA’s youngest player, averaged aboutnine points, nine rebounds and one block a game.

Cunningham, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his secondseason stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.

“Cade going down was a blessing in disguise for Ivey,” Caseysaid last week, referring to the transition to point guard that theformer Purdue star was forced to make.

Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, IsaiahStewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back togive the young team some experienced players in the rotation.

“I’m still excited about what we got here,” Bagley said. “We gotguys that care and are not OK with losing and that in itself is asign of a team that can be great.”