This NBA offseason saw an unusual amount of head coaching turnover, notes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. Three of the record 13 new head coaches have found homes in the Central Division: Mike Brown for the Cavaliers, Larry Drew for the Bucks, and Maurice Cheeks for the Pistons. Here are some more notes from around the Central Division:
- Tayshaun Prince says he was “shocked” when fellow former Pistons mainstay Chauncey Billups decided to return to Detroit this summer, but he applauds the team for a summer that was “a move in the right direction,” as MLive’s David Mayo observes.
- Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said he spoke with Lionel Hollins about the former Grizzlies coach joining the Detroit staff as an assistant, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. The talks likely took place during the summer, as Hollins remains without a coaching gig.
- Playing time might be limited for rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks would rather keep him in Milwaukee than send him on D-League assignment, tweets Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. The Bucks share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with six other NBA teams, so Antetokounmpo might get lost in the shuffle if sent down.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.