According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester will not be returning for the 2011-12 NBA season. Beyond the news of his departure, little is known about this move. It is not yet clear who made the call, whether it was Kuester, Joe Dumars or a mutual agreement between the two.
Fans shouldn't be surprised by the news. After two tough seasons in Detroit, mired by losses and locker room infighting, Kuester's days were clearly numbered. Kuester shouldered a lot of blame for the Piston's poor performance, some of it deserved, some not. Yet after their worst season in over a decade, it is clear that the Pistons need a change across the board, and apparently that change begins today.
In other news, Bucher's sources also suggested that the sale of the Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment should be completed by Wednesday, June 1. This is a bit earlier than expected, and with good reason:
The vote was originally supposed to take place in the middle of June but apparently has been moved up, in part, to give Gores more time to make moves and decisions before the anticipated lockout begins July 1st.
Month of magic? June is looking to be one hell of a month for Pistons fans... (more on this and John Kuester's departure is likely on its way...)