Former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Monty Williams says this Pistons legend was one of the first to reach out

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 6/14/23

New Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.

Yes, the Pistons have some nice, young pieces to work with — namely in guards Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. With that said, Ivey is only going to be a second-year player and Cunningham missed most of his second season due to injury. They're unproven, to say the least.

Detroit is also coming off an abysmal 17-65 season and has only won a total of 80 games over the past four seasons. The Pistons are in the dumps right now — there's no doubt about it — but they have to believe that Williams is the coach who can bring them back out of the NBA basement to recapture the glory days of the late 80s and early 2000s.

Speaking of the glory days, it has to mean something that Pistons legend Chauncey Billups — currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers — is on board with Williams.

"Chauncey was one of the first text messages I got, and that means a lot," Detroit's new head coach said at his introductory press conference. "That should tell you a lot about how the former players feel about the team."

Monty Williams said Derrick Coleman and Chauncey Billups are among the former players who reached out to him. "Chauncey was one of the first text messages I got, and that means a lot. That should tell you a lot about how the former players feel about the team."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) June 13, 2023

Billups was part of Detroit's 2004 NBA championship team that was widely considered one of the best teams in NBA history.

They didn't have a superstar, but the Pistons had excellent chemistry, played great defense, and benefited the leadership of Billups, the heart of Ben Wallace, the versatility of Tayshaun Prince, the mid-range magic of Richard "Rip" Hamilton and the swagger of Rasheed Wallace.

Much like the "Bad Boys" era of Detroit basketball, the '04 championship team embodied the blue collar nature of the city of Detroit as well as the metro-Detroit region.

Perhaps Williams can bring that aura back to the Pistons. Either way, he certainly feels he has the core of that kind of team in his current locker room.

"You can see the talent of this group and you see the size, but what I'm really impressed by is the people," Williams said, via ESPN. "I don't think I've ever seen a press conference for a head coach and all the players show up. That's what I see: a hunger, a desire. They all want it."

More must-reads: