The Detroit Pistons, a team that has been on the skids for quite some time, finally pulled the trigger and announced Monday that it hired Maurice Cheeks as the new head coach. It's his third chance as a top coach in the NBA.
The announcement came nearly two months after the team dumped head coach Lawrence Frank following a disapointing season. He was expected to take the team to the playoffs this year, but that didn't happen.
“We’re pleased to welcome Maurice Cheeks to the Pistons organization,” Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said in a statement “The leadership and player development qualities he brings as a former player and coach blends nicely with the roster we are building for the future. He’s won an NBA championship, coached in two NBA Finals as an assistant coach and mentored some of the top young players in the NBA.”
Cheeks joins the Pistons after serving four years as an assistant coach with Oklahoma City.
Cheeks, 56, who is a Chicago native, was also head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2001-05 and was the top coach for the Philadelphia 76ers for three-plus years, starting in 2005.
He spent 11 of 15 seasons playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and was a four time All Star.
