Monty Williams admits to 1 big mistake in coaching Pistons

Jan 10, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams against the Orlando Magic at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With his team sitting at 3-36 this NBA season, you could argue that Monty Williams has made a lot of mistakes coaching the Detroit Pistons. But there is at least one that Williams is willing to own up to.

After a competitive loss on Friday night to the Houston Rockets, Williams admitted to one big mistake that he has made this season — not playing sophomore guard Jaden Ivey enough as a lead ballhandler.

“I have to eat it,” said Williams of his Ivey mistake, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “I wish I did it earlier.”

Williams also said that there was a big Pistons organizational meeting earlier in the week and that the topic of Ivey’s usage was brought up to him during that meeting.

The 21-year-old Ivey, Detroit’s No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is one of the most talented all-around players on the roster and made an All-Rookie team last season under former Pistons coach Dwane Casey. But Ivey has been underutilized this season by Williams, who has regularly chosen to go with older, lower-ceiling options such as Killian Hayes, Isaiah Livers, and even longtime veteran Alec Burks instead.

For Ivey, who posted an impressive 18-7-8 line against Houston on Friday, we had already heard over a month ago that his low usage was becoming a point of contention within the franchise. With Cade Cunningham currently nursing a knee injury and the Pistons not having anything else left to play for this season other than development, Williams has finally run out of reasons not to play Ivey.