Detroit Pistons: 5 reasons Dwane Casey will lead them to the playoffs in 2019

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2. Player’s coach

In the NBA, the relationship between coaches and players is vital to success of the franchise. If there is tension between the coach and players, it’s nearly impossible to win a championship.

The Orlando Magic were a dominant force in the Eastern Conference for several years in the late 2000s. That success evaporated quickly once the relationship between Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard soured. Van Gundy was fired, Howard was traded, and the Magic haven’t made the playoffs since 2012.

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The Pistons don’t have to be concerned with Dwane Casey building relationships with Blake Griffin and the rest of the roster. The consummate “player’s coach,” Casey is held in high regard by his former players.

During the Mavericks championship season in 2010-11, Casey and star forward Dirk Nowitzki had a great relationship. “I’d always go to those guys to complain,” Nowitzki remembers. “I wouldn’t go to Rick [Carlisle]. I’d go to Case and say, ‘Dwane, what are we doing on defense?’ Casey’s influence on Nowitzki allowed him to flourish defensively, and Nowitzki became a catalyst defensively during the Mavericks’ championship season.

Kyle Lowry also excelled under the leadership of Dwane Casey. The four-time All-Star told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “Case is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but he let me be me. He was huge for my growth as a man and an NBA player.”

A coach must have the respect of his players to succeed in the NBA. How many superstar players have been traded because of issues with a head coach? I can’t name one, but there’s a long list of coaches who’ve been fired due to issues with star players.

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