"He's been in purgatory for quite a while" - Stephen A. Smith on why Monty Williams never belonged in Detroit

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In a recent segment of ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith explained why Monty Williams's dismissal from Detroit Pistons' head coaching job was a blessing in disguise, considering the franchise's mediocre appearance.

"He's a class act; he's a very God-fearing man. Monty Williams, no doubt, is on his knees, looking up to the heavenly father and thanking him for this [firing]. Right here and right now," Smith said.

"He's been in purgatory for quite a while being with Detroit. I don't know if he'll ever admit it or not, but there's a clear hesitancy once he took the job. Clearly, it was a lot of money involved, got about 13 million a year, but Detroit has not been an ideal place for quite some time," he added.

SAS believes Monty didn't belong in Detroit

Williams was recently relieved of his duties as the Pistons head coach, a shocking move orchestrated by Trajan Langdon, the new franchise president of basketball operations. He'll remain on the organization's payroll after signing a six-year, $78.5 million contract last year.

Monty was tasked with ushering Motor City to the next level after years of rebuilding. However, the 52-year-old experienced a roller coaster ride in his first year at the coaching helm. The Pistons had a disastrous 2023-24 season, finishing with a league-worst 14-68 record. They also had an embarrassing 28-game losing streak, tied for the longest in the history of the NBA.

"Monty Williams, as far as I am concerned, never belonged in Detroit.," Stephen A. said. "My belief is that he should've stayed in Phoenix, and if you're going to end up at some place, he should be in like L.A. or something like that. But the Detroit situation? No. It was never the right fit for him."

Taking that next step

In hindsight, Williams shouldn't have been the Pistons coach in the first place. After being fired by the Phoenix Suns last year, he intended to take a coaching break to tend to the needs of his wife, who had breast cancer. However, Detroit's offer was way too difficult to turn down.

Although Williams deserves some blame for the Pistons' demise, roster construction and franchise leadership should be held accountable for their disappointing run. Detroit has been in rebuild mode in the past six years with a 94-290 record (0.324% win rate). However, with a young core headlined by Cade Cunningham, the organization hopes to finally get out of it.