Indianapolis — It’s not just the players who have to be ready in case of a last-minute personnel change.
Pistons assistant coach Rex Kalamian stepped in as acting head coach for Thursday night’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers because coach Dwane Casey missed the game for personal reasons. The team made the announcement about 90 minutes before tipoff and noted that Casey’s absence was not related to COVID issues.
It marks Kalamian’s first time going into the game in the first chair as the coach, after stints as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings before joining Casey’s staff with the Pistons this season.