The Detroit Pistons have arguably not had an iconic coach since Chuck Daly owned the sidelines for Motown’s NBA squad. With his expensive, well-tailored suits, Daly had a special way of connecting with both his high-priced players and the fans. No offense to Larry Brown, Flip Saunders, or the much-maligned John Kuester, but the Pistons need an iconic coach immediately to draw some fire out of these lackluster athletes. That coach is Bill Laimbeer.
If you doubt for a second that Laimbeer wants the job, check out his daughter Keri’s tweets. She frequently comments about the Pistons and retweets her Twitter followers that are pushing for her father to take the reigns of the Pistons.
If his daughter’s tweets are not an indication of his family’s support, consider that he left the Shock on his own terms to pursue an NBA position just three games into the season. He’s an assistant to one of the worst teams in the NBA, that happens to be coached by one of his former rivals – Kurt Rambis. In fact, it is in Minnesota where he has molded a gritty NBA player (Kevin Love) into a competitor and game very similar to his own.
If history is any indication, Laimbeer may not be Dumars’ top choice by design. History would also state that, if the Pistons are sold, the option may not be Dumars’ to make. For any new owner, whether they are Tom Gores or not, they have to way the benefit of having a coach with more NBA experience versus a coach that could potentially draw nostalgic fans to the Palace. Either way, the intrigue of Laimbeer running the Pistons remains a hot topic as the end of the season draws nearer.