wasn't sure whether to make a new thread or which old thread to bump but here we are.
James Edwards from The Athletic recently put out a great (paid) article around the team meeting the pistons had after their loss against washington and their obvious turnaround since then:
https://theathletic.com/3160374/2022/03/02/a-team-meeting-empowerment-and-culture-how-pistons-coach-dwane-casey-is-steering-detroit-in-the-right-direction/“Coach Casey does a great job of getting us to see the process, the growth,” Bey said. “Once we see growth, we naturally believe. That’s just human nature. When you see growth and improvement, you come together more. We’ve seen improvements. It helps our morale. He does a great job of getting us to focus on the small things, the little things. He’s been there. He’s had the best record in the league, (been) the Coach of the Year.”
Players say that they have a sense of empowerment under Casey’s watch. He’s there to teach, but it’s not a dictatorship. Players have the ability to speak up, give input and, most importantly, be themselves.
“He never makes us young guys feel bad about asking a question if there’s something we don’t know or understand.” (Stewart)
i know a lot of people (myself, definitely included) think coaching is all about x's and o's but this article reminded me that being a head coach is as much about managing personalities, fostering culture, etc.
i think all things considered we're lucky to have casey lead us through the rebuild. imagine - however frustrated you feel watching games and seeing all the losses imagine how frustrated the team is? the fact that casey can go through all that and still have a positive attitude and try to foster a good culture means he must be up for a nobel prize in patience. he's obviously not a perfect coach but i think we should appreciate what he brings to our young team.
