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Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey knows young players need more reps
Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey on Sekou Doumbouya, knows young players need reps, laments lack of G League shuttle ability, Tuesday, March 2, 2021.
Detroit Pistons
For the first time the season, the Detroit Pistons will allow fans to purchase tickets at Little Caesars Arena.
Starting Thursday, the Pistons will begin selling up to 750 tickets for homes games, with the next one being against the Toronto Raptors on March 17. Tickets will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m., and can be purchased at Pistons.com/tickets or TicketMaster.com.
The news comes a day after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer eased COVID-19 restrictions in Michigan, as daily cases continue to fall. The new restrictions allow sporting arenas with more than 10,000 seats to host up to 750 fans. The Pistons were previously hosting crowds of 500, consisting solely of friends and family of team employees.
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They are the 17th of 30 NBA teams to open their doors to fans.
Their Pistons’ last home game in front of fans was March 7, 2020, an 111-105 loss to the Utah Jazz where Christian Wood hung 30 points.
The Pistons, who are 6-10 at home and have 20 home games scheduled for the season’s second half, have several guidelines in place at games to keep fans safe. Attendees are required to wear a mask if they’re older than two, and must complete a health screening survey within 24 hours of the game. All payments in the parking lot and for concessions are cashless, and all bags are prohibited.
“In preparation for hosting a limited number of fans during these challenging times, we are grateful to work closely with state and local health professionals, the NBA and Olympia Entertainment in creating a safe and welcoming environment,” Pistons chief business officer Mike Zavodsky said in a statement. “We thank our fans and the community for their continued support during this time as we worked through all necessary steps and benchmarks required for welcoming you back to Little Caesars Arena safely.”
The Pistons (9-25) are in the first year of a rebuild, led by general manager Troy Weaver. They own the league’s second-worst record, but have gotten promising contributions from several rookies and other young players, and free agency signee Jerami Grant is the favorite to be crowned the league’s Most Improved Player.
The Red Wings, who share LCA with the Pistons, have yet to announce their plans regarding fans.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.