Embed from Getty Images Dwane Casey has been the calm the Detroit Pistons have needed as the team is currently going through a rough patch. Showing why he is an NBA coach of the year.
The old saying is everyone is happy when things are going good. Which is why it is interesting that the Pistons players and coaches are happy during a December slump. Players and coaches are not freaking out.
Dwane Casey said he refuses to cuss out a player because it would be counterproductive. Instead Casey has been working one on one with players who have hit an in season slump. That is the mark of a good coach.
While other teams coaches have been seen screaming at players. Casey meets them on the sidelines crouches down in front of them and talks to them followed by a hair ruffle or pat on the shoulder. Part of what has endeared him to his players.
His calming influence has been welcomed from Detroit basketball players since day one of training camp. Despite shooting woes and bad fouls the Pistons are still in good shape to make a bottom seeding in the NBA playoffs.
It is true the Pistons have things they need to clean up. As do many teams. The ace-in-the-hole is indeed Dwane Casey who has successfully maneuvered teams in similar positions the Pistons are in right now.
This is why he was brought to the Motor City. There is little doubt that Casey can not work his magic and get the Pistons back on track.
Sometimes it is coaching and sometimes it is letting players play through slumps. There is no magic potion or formula. It is a player by player need. Casey has a good beat on his team and the players absolutely love the coach.
Fans just need to trust the process. It is better to hit a December slump rather that late February-March slump. It is not about how you start or what happens/happened in the middle. But it is about how you finish. Dwane Casey understands this.
As a Pistons fan, I hope they work it out