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    Pistons Rumors: Detroit Interested in Dwane Casey, John Beilein and Ime Udoka

    Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistJune 4, 2018

    Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey points against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Monday, May 7, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
    Tony Dejak/Associated Press

    The Detroit Pistons reportedly want to continue discussing their vacant head coaching position with former Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey, current University of Michigan coach John Beilein and current San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka.

    According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pistons are looking for "further conversations" with the candidates after they each previously met with the front office. The head coaching position is available after Detroit fired Stan Van Gundy following a disappointing 39-43 season, its second in a row missing the playoffs.

    It’s not every day a finalist for the NBA’s Coach of the Year is available on the market, but that is the exact position Casey finds himself in after the Raptors fired him following a 59-23 record. It was the best record of Casey’s seven-year tenure with the team and good enough for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

    His team thrived on both sides of the ball, finishing fifth in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com, and third in offensive rating, per NBA.com, but the LeBron James roadblock proved too much for the Raptors yet again. Casey was fired after the Cleveland Cavaliers swept Toronto in the second round.

    However, competing in the playoffs would be a significant improvement for the Pistons after the last two seasons, and Casey has coached in the postseason the last five years.

    Wojnarowski broke down Detriot's interest in Udoka: "Udoka made strong impressions in interviews in Toronto and Orlando, and it appears to be an inevitability that he will become an NBA head coach within in the next few years."

    Pistons Rumors: Detroit Interested in Dwane Casey, John Beilein and Ime Udoka
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    As for Beilein, he coached at Canisius, Richmond and West Virginia before taking the Michigan job. He has established the Wolverines as a national power, reaching eight NCAA tournaments and two national title games in his 11 seasons.

    While he doesn’t have experience as an NBA head coach, Beilein has known nothing but success for the majority of his tenure at Michigan.