Monty Williams brought the hammer down on the Pistons after their 126–107 loss to the Wizards on Monday night.
In a passionate press conference after the game, Williams ripped into his team for having no “fight,” saying that the Pistons, who have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, have some “growing up to do.”
Check out Williams’s intense postgame press conference, courtesy of Bally Sports Detroit on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Monty Williams with some passionate comments about his level of disappointment at the Pistons effort after their loss to the Wizards. #DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/wFS9IERB2l
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) November 28, 2023
A very terse Williams nearly responded to reporter’s questions before they were even finished asking them, setting the tone for the press conference. A Pistons reporter carefully asked Williams if there could be “healthy anger” in this situation, and the coach proceeded to unload on his team.
“It’s just a level of growing up on this team,” Williams said. “Maturity, understanding what gameplay discipline is, all the stuff we talk about all the time. It’s enough talking. That wasn’t fight on the floor. That wasn’t Pistons basketball by any stretch of the imagination.”
Williams finished by saying that the Pistons’ lack of competitiveness is “on him.”
Detroit, who had the same 2–14 record the Wizards had entering the contest, made Washington look like world-beaters on a night where the latter team’s victory snapped a nine-game losing streak. It’s no wonder that Williams was so angry.
Making matters worse for Williams and the Pistons is the upcoming schedule, which features seven straight games against teams with winning records, including tilts against the 76ers and Bucks. Things could get worse before they get better.