Tag: monty williams

Pistons fire head coach Monty Williams

The Detroit Pistons announced today that Monty Williams will not return next season as the team’s head coach. The decision comes after a thorough review and analysis of the team’s performance during the 2023-24 campaign.

“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”

“I have great respect for Monty as a coach and as a person and I am certain he will be successful in his future endeavors,” added Gores. “I sincerely wish him and his family the very best.”

The search process for a new head coach will begin immediately.

“We are unwavering in our commitment to bring a championship-caliber team to Detroit,” said Gores. “We will be diligent and swift in our search for a new head coach to lead our exciting young core of players and will continue our vision towards building a best-in-class front office that will help us achieve sustainable success.”

Detroit Pistons hire Monty Williams as their new head coach

The Detroit Pistons have announced Monty Williams as their new head coach.

Williams, who will be formally introduced at a news conference in Detroit next week, has already initiated the transition and begun scheduling player meetings and staff development.

“I couldn’t be more proud to have Monty joining us at this important time to lead us into the next decade of our future,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “He embodies all of the qualities we want in a leader for our Pistons franchise, and most importantly a teacher and mentor for our players. He will have an impact on every aspect of our franchise, on and off the court.

“After spending some time with Monty, it’s clear that he’s found a unique balance between achieving victory at the highest level while at the same time nurturing a culture of growth, development and inspiration,” Gores said. “I’m beyond excited. This is a huge win for us.”

Regarding salary and contract info, here’s the Detroit Free Press:

The Pistons did not announce the terms of Williams’ contract, but the Free Press learned from a team source that it is the richest in NBA history for a coach, worth $78.5 million guaranteed over six seasons. But there is more.

There are team options for a seventh and eighth season, and added incentives that could push the total value of the contract above $100 million. The base salary for the first six years averages out to $12 million per year ($72 million), and there’s additional guaranteed money tied to the seventh season, whether he returns or not, that brings the total guaranteed to $78.5 million. If the Pistons pick up his seventh-year option, his contract will cross $90 million.

Williams agreed to terms after a whirlwind series of discussions with Gores, Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver and other Pistons executives that began over Memorial Day Weekend and culminated on Thursday with a signed agreement.

“A week ago, I was not sure what the future would hold,” Williams said. “But, after talking with Tom and Troy, I was excited hearing their vision for the Pistons going forward. They had a thoughtful plan and I am so appreciative of the emphasis they placed on the personal side of this business. They showed tremendous consideration for me and my family throughout this process.

“They also showed a commitment to success and doing things the right way,” he said. “As we discussed the team and expressed our collective goals, I realized that this would be a great opportunity for me to help a talented young team and build a strong culture here in Detroit. This is obviously a special place with a deep basketball history, and my family and I are looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of this city and organization.”

New Detroit Pistons head coach will reportedly be Monty Williams

Per the Detroit Free Press:

The Detroit Pistons finally found a suitable candidate for their open head coaching position after over two months of looking.

Monty Williams, a former coach of the Phoenix Suns, is anticipated to agree to a deal with the Pistons worth more than $10 million yearly in the coming days, a league source told the Free Press on Wednesday. Williams, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2022, will receive one of the league’s highest salaries thanks to the incentive-rich contract.

According to ESPN, the contract is for six years and $78.5 million, making him the highest-paid NBA coach ever. According to The Athletic, there are incentives that may push the contract’s value to $100 million as well as team options for a seventh and eighth year.

FULL ARTICLE

Phoenix Suns fire head coach Monty Williams

Via the Arizona Republic:

Monty Williams said Friday he doesn’t worry about his job, but can see why one would in today’s NBA.

“From my perspective, you do the best you can and if things don’t turn out the way you want them to, you can sleep and rest because you did the best you could and that’s all you can do, but I’m not closed minded on what I’ve seen in the league,’ Williams said. “A lot of these guys who’ve lost their jobs are good friends of mine.”

A day later, the Suns fired Williams, sources confirmed to The Republic Saturday evening.

This comes after the Suns were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference semifinals after falling to No. 1 seeded Denver by 25 points in Thursday’s Game 6 at Footprint Center…

“Monty has been foundational to our success over the past four seasons,” said Suns president of basketball operations and General Manager James Jones in the news release. “We are filled with gratitude for everything Monty has contributed to the Suns and to the Valley community. While it was difficult for me to make this decision, I look forward to continuing the work to build a championship team.”

Via ESPN.com:

New Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision to dismiss Williams immediately after Thursday night’s Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets and had general manager James Jones called him on Saturday night and deliver the news, sources said.

Williams won an NBA Coach of the Year award and reached the NBA Finals while helping to resurrect the franchise from one of the league’s laughingstocks into the winningest team in the NBA over the past three seasons.

The pressure on Williams increased from the moment Ishbia engineered the trade deadline deal for Kevin Durant in February, shortly after Ishbia’s ownership group was approved by the league’s Board of Governors.

Ishbia had never warmed to Williams as his coach and decided quickly after Thursday night’s season-ending loss that he would fire him, sources said. Jones has long been an advocate and ally to Williams, but was quoted in the team’s news release on Saturday night saying that “it was difficult for me to make this decision.”

Suns coach Monty Williams wins 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year award

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced today.

This is the first NBA Coach of the Year Award for Williams, who joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D’Antoni (2004-05) as head coaches to earn the honor with the Suns.

Williams received 458 points (81 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place with 270 points (17 first-place votes). Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra finished in third place with 72 points (one first-place vote). Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote

Williams guided the Suns to an NBA-leading 64-18 record in the regular season, the most victories and the highest winning percentage (.780) in a season in franchise history. Phoenix had identical 32-9 records at home and on the road. The Suns tied for the third-most road wins and fifth-best road winning percentage (.780) in a season in NBA history.

Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2, 2021. The streak included a 16-0 record in November, tied for the second-most wins in a month without a loss in NBA history, trailing only the Atlanta Hawks’ 17-0 record in January 2015.

The Suns finished first in the NBA in net rating (+7.5), third in defensive rating (106.8) and fifth in offensive rating (114.2), making them the only team to rank in the top five in all three categories. They were 47-0 when leading after the third quarter, the most such wins without a loss in a season in the shot clock era (which began in the 1954-55 season).

Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month twice (October/November and January). He and his staff also earned the spot to coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

This is Williams’ third season as the Suns’ head coach. Last season, he guided Phoenix to a 51-21 record and its first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season, finishing in second place in the voting for the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year Award. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Williams will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of winning the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year Award, gifted in addition to the Red Auerbach Trophy, which he will receive later. The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.

The NBA Coach of the Year Award trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. The legendary head coach guided the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1958-59 – 1965-66.

Suns coach Monty Williams will coach Team LeBron in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.

Phoenix (40-9, .816) defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 tonight to clinch the best record in the Western Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6. As a result, Williams has earned a spot as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. He will be the Suns’ first NBA All-Star Game head coach since Mike D’Antoni in the 2006-07 season.

Under Williams, the Suns have the best record in the NBA this season and are off to their best start in franchise history through the first 49 games of a season. Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2 and has a current 10-game winning streak. Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October/November.

Williams is in his third season as Phoenix’s head coach. Last season, he guided the Suns to a 51-21 record and their first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Each head coach in the NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Williams will coach the All-Star team captained by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

The eligible head coach of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Feb. 6 will coach the All-Star team captained by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is ineligible because he served as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game last season.

We may see Devin Booker play a bit more PG for Suns

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on the Suns backcourt, which features Ricky Rubio at point guard and scoring star Devin Booker at shooting guard:

So, on a team where its net rating went from 3.8 when starting point guard Ricky Rubio was on the floor to a team-worst -6.5 when he was off, you’d surely want to fill in some of those spot minutes with Booker in control, especially with the inept backup point guard play, right?

Nope. The Suns’ top lineup in minutes featuring Booker without Rubio, Elie Okobo, Ty Jerome, Tyler Johnson or Jevon Carter played a total of six minutes. (And let the record show they scored 21 points in those six minutes).

There, of course, was a reason for this. Booker got worn down by those minutes with the burden of the entire offense on him, and preserving Booker over a full season was a priority for [head coach Monty] Williams.

But after year one of locking Point Book away in the basement, Williams wants to bring him back upstairs next season.

“Anything I would like to explore would probably be putting Devin at the point guard position a bit more than I did last year,” he said on a conference call Thursday. “I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s making the right plays consistently.”

After a hot start to the season, the Suns were 26-39 when the league was put on hold in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Booker averaged 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while Rubio put up 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists per outing.

Thunder may hire Monty Williams

Monty Williams may go from Anthony Davis to helping lead Durant, Westbrook

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on the OKC Thunder, who reportedly may hire former Pelicans head coach as their new lead assistant coach:

Thunder may hire Monty Williams

Monty Williams appears destined for Oklahoma City.

The former coach for the New Orleans Pelicans is expected to join Billy Donovan’s staff as the lead assistant, according to multiple reports.

Yahoo Sports reported late Tuesday night that Williams, who was fired last month after five seasons with the Pelicans, has agreed to become Donovan’s top assistant. ESPN.com first reported Tuesday night that Williams likely would end up on the Thunder’s bench.

Williams, 43, has 10 years of coaching experience. Prior to joining the Pelicans, he spent five years as an assistant coach with Portland. Williams also served as a coaching staff intern with San Antonio during the Spurs’ championship 2004-05 season. Thunder general manager Sam Presti was a front office executive with the Spurs at the time.