11 consecutive defeats!Pistons 78.5 million in vain? Monty made the playoffs only once without Paul's help
The Pistons suffered an 113-142 loss to the Raptors on the road, suffering an 11-game losing streak and currently having a 2-12 winning record at the bottom of the league. In the offseason, the Pistons threw out a six-year, $78.5 million contract to sign Monty Williams as the new head coach, and the team is eager to improve. But so far, the Pistons have shown no signs of improvement, and their offensive and defensive efficiency is at the bottom.
This season, the Pistons welcomed back a healthy Cunningham, and they also acquired all-around warrior Osar Thompson in the draft, and their book strength has improved from last season. The Pistons were counting on Monty's comeback to make the young team improve quickly, but the Pistons didn't show the expected improvement.
Cunningham averaged 20+ points per game and showed the potential to be a ball-handling big core, but his offense was inefficient and he had too many turnovers.
The Pistons have plenty of inside, but Duren has been injured recently and can't play, and the Pistons still want to save Marvin Bagley and Wiseman on the bench, but both of them are muddy and can't hold up the wall, but Bagley is slightly better.
The biggest problem with the Pistons' roster now is which player to pair Cunningham with as a backcourt partner, Monty trusted Kylian Hayes before, but Hayes didn't play well. Last season's potential star Ivey didn't get reused, and the Pistons had some talent overflowing. Also, neither Ivey nor Hayes are ideal partners for Cunningham.
Bojan Bogdanovic has yet to play this season and has been out of action due to a right calf strain. As the Pistons' starter and lead scorer last season, Bojan's injury had a big impact on the Pistons.
After the Pistons' 11-game losing streak, Monty was under tremendous pressure, after all, he signed his contract for a record amount in NBA history, only to be broken by Popovich. This season, Monty's annual salary is the second highest in the league.
But in fact, there have been a lot of doubts surrounding Monty. From coaching the Pelicans to coaching the Suns, almost all of Monty's success as head coach has been related to Chris Paul. Monty brought the Pelicans into the playoffs in his first season in charge, but after Paul's departure, the Pelicans won only 21, 27 and 34 wins for three consecutive years, and it was not until the 2014-15 season that they returned to the playoffs under the leadership of Holiday and Anthony Davis.
Monty coached the Suns and led the team to a 34-39 record in his first season, and the Suns only rose after Paul joined.
When Monty didn't have Paul under him, he led the team to five seasons and only made the playoffs in one season.
Can Monty really lead the Pistons out of the slump? Monty signed a six-year contract, and no matter how bad the Pistons' record is in the short term, the Pistons are unlikely to consider changing coaches