Just as the Detroit Pistons roster is starting to feel whole again as a slew of players returned from COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the team will be missing its head coach for a bit who the team announced has entered the league’s protocol system.
Assistant coach Rex Kalamian will serve as acting head coach while Casey is out, the team announced. Kalamian already filled in for Casey for a handful of games when he was away from the team for a personal matter.
The Casey announcement means a full half of the league’s head coaches have entered into the league’s health and safety protocols system with Memphis Grizzlies head coach and Dallas Mavericks lead man Jason Kidd entering protocols within the past four days.
The Pistons were recently down to just two regular rotation players — Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo — with the other members sidelined with either injury (Kelly Olynyk, Jerami Grant) or COVID protocols (Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph, Trey Lyles, Frank Jackson, Saben Lee, Rodney McGruder).
Those players are back save for Olynyk, Grant and Jackson who are dealing with injuries and Rodney McGruder who is reportedly being traded to the Denver Nuggets for Bol Bol and a second-round pick, though that deal has not been made official.