Troy Weaver is about to begin his biggest task yet as Pistons GM: searching for a new head coach. He says it won't be "that difficult" to find what he's looking for.
"We want discipline, development and defense, but the main thing is going to be leadership," Weaver said Wednesday on 97.1 The Ticket.
And how difficult can it be to find the right leader, especially for a young team like the Pistons?
"Not that difficult. I was a coach, I know coaches, I’ve studied coaches," said Weaver, who coached in the college ranks from 1996-2004. "And I’ve been around this team, I know this team better than anyone, I know what this team needs. There’s a lot of fine coaches out there, but we want someone that wants to coach this team.
"And I have a great idea and a great feel for what this team needs, so it won’t be that difficult at all."
That Weaver emphasized someone who wants to coach this team is notable, ahead of one of the most anticipated draft lotteries in recent memory. That is, he wants a coach who's drawn to the players the Pistons have, not the player -- Victor Wembanyama -- they're unlikely to land in the draft. On Tuesday, he scoffed at the idea of waiting on a coach who's waiting on the lottery.
"I wouldn’t hire somebody next week and say, ‘You going to wait 'till the lottery?’" Weaver said. "No, I’m not worried about that at all."
Weaver also pushed back on the notion of needing to sell anyone on the job. The way he sees it, the Pistons' young core, headlined by former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, and bright future should sell itself.
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"Coaches, they know. When you’re worth your salt you know what’s going on," he said. "We know what the selling point is. We got great ownership, we got great leadership, a great city, a great fanbase, we got some young talent here. I’m just looking for the right coach, not a sell job at all."
As for who that coach will be, only time will tell. Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and former Celtics head coach Imu Udoka are all considered strong candidates, as well as Vanderbilt head coach and former Pistons star Jerry Stackhouse. Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright could be the wild card. Whoever he identifies as his targets, Weaver is no rush to make a decision.
"No urgency," he said. "The right coach and the right time is the right time and the right coach. Whenever that is, six weeks from now, one week from now, we just want to land on the right person."
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