Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 season

3. A new head coach

With all due respect to Stan Van Gundy, Casey will be the team’s best coach since the late Flip Saunders. He steadily developed the Toronto Raptors into an Eastern Conference power. After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, the team went to five straight playoffs. The Pistons have the chance to be Casey’s next successful coaching run.

Casey was one of the offseason’s most coveted free agent coaches. He chose the Pistons for a reason. He believes in the future of this team around Griffin, Drummond and the young core. The team he coached developed DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry into one of the NBA’s best backcourt duos. Stanley Johnson has the ability to be a more defensively-oriented version of DeRozan. Casey can help develop his slashing and ball-handling abilities.

There is also work to be done with Reggie Jackson. Lowry arrived in Toronto during Casey’s second season, and he went from sixth man to the team’s best two-way player. Jackson isn’t on the same level as Lowry, but his game can be taken to another level under Casey’s tutelage. Pick-and-rolls with Jackson and Drummond or Jackson and Griffin will be in a much higher volume. Jackson works well around the rim, and Casey’s system will help generate that.