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Report: Monty Williams return to Detroit ‘the likely outcome’

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Report: Monty Williams return to Detroit ‘the likely outcome’


Nothing is official, but a new report from NBA reporter Marc Stein indicates that Monty Williams will return to the Detroit Pistons for his second year as head coach.

Williams has approximately $65 million remaining on the six guaranteed years he signed with Detroit last offseason. The GM who signed him to that deal, potentially under protest, was Troy Weaver, who is no longer with the team.

The owner who pushed so hard to add Williams to replace Dwane Casey, Tom Gores, hired Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations and gave him carte blanche to reshape the front office, sidelines, and roster as he saw fit.

Langdon, who has still not spoken to the media, quickly decided to move on from Weaver. He has also added Michael Blackstone to the front office and added Fred Vinson, one of the NBA’s best shooting coaches, to the assistant coaching staff.

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It’s that last addition that has people thinking Williams will return to the sidelines. The news was broken by Adrian Wojnarowski, who wrote, “Fred Vinson is joining Monty Williams’ Detroit Pistons staff as an assistant coach.”

Stein spoke to a source who sees that as clear evidence Williams will be back. You can’t really blame the interpretation. Stein writes:

“Yet one source with knowledge of Detrot’s thinking told The Stein Line that Friday’s ESPN report about the Pistons hiring Fred Vinson away from New Orleans as an assistant coach is a ‘clear signal’ that Williams will be back for Year 2 of his six-year contract worth nearly $80 million.

The source described it as ‘the likely outcome.’ “

Stein credits his source as someone with “knowledge of Detroti’s thinking,” so it shouldn’t be discounted. But I am struck by how passive the framing seems to be. It’s not that they know Williams will return but that the Pistons wouldn’t add to his staff if they were going to move on.

I’m not sure why a team would be reluctant to add a sorely needed shooting specialist in any scenario. If Williams returns, there is a spot for Vinson on the staff. If Williams is fired, there is a place for Vinson on the staff.

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I can buy that Williams returning is the most likely outcome, but if we’re to believe that it was basically a 50-50 proposition the day Langdon was hired, it still feels to me like it is a tossup.

If they were firm in their commitment to Williams for one more season, I’m unsure why the team hasn’t made it clear through either a news release or by having Langdon’s introductory presser.

I’ve read that Langdon is not particularly keen on speaking to the media, but it feels inevitable that he will have to talk as the organization’s new president. If he wanted to say as little as possible, you’d think that he would have done it right after being hired, where he could hand wave everything away as “being under evaluation’ and not wanting to comment until he had “gathered all the information needed.” He’s been on the job for weeks and gathered plenty of data. There is no way he wouldn’t be expected to address issues at length in a presser — including why Williams and the team failed last season and why he is being given another shot to turn things around.

The clock is ticking, and with the NBA Draft less than two weeks away, Langdon can’t hide from the microphones much longer.





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Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers, Tarik Skubal shutdown Philadelphia lefties in 4-1 victory

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Detroit Tigers, Tarik Skubal shutdown Philadelphia lefties in 4-1 victory


Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez entered Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers with a 1.75 ERA in 15 starts, leading all MLB pitchers.

By the end of Suárez’s 16th start, his ERA jumped to 2.01 (though that was still good enough for first place) because the Tigers scored four runs on five singles in the fifth inning.

The Tigers earned a 4-1 win over the Suárez-led Phillies on Tuesday in the second of three games in the series at Comerica Park. With the victory, the Tigers (37-42) can take the series from the Phillies in Wednesday’s finale.

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For the Tigers, left-hander Tarik Skubal — the frontrunner to win the American League Cy Young Award — delivered seven scoreless innings on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts against the National League’s best team to beat the NL’s best pitcher.

He threw 91 pitches.

Skubal, who retired 13 of his final 14 batters, has a 2.32 ERA in 16 starts, which ranks third in MLB. He trails only Suárez (2.01) and Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (2.18).

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The Tigers scored all four runs in the fifth inning against Suárez, sparked by three singles in a row from Justyn-Henry Malloy, Jake Rogers and Ryan Kreidler at the bottom of the lineup.

Kreidler failed to execute bunts on back-to-back pitches, immediately putting himself in a two-strike hole, but instead of striking out, he put a down-and-away changeup in play. The play was ruled an infield single, but shortstop Trea Turner booted the ground ball from Kreidler to load the bases.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead when Matt Vierling grounded out.

Andy Ibáñez, a right-handed hitter who rakes against left-handed pitchers — with a .375 batting average vs. southpaws — provided some insurance when he attacked Suárez’s down-and-away changeup for a single up the middle, scoring two runs for a 3-0 lead.

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A two-out triple from Riley Greene — his fourth triple this season — extended the Tigers’ lead to 4-0. Greene shot Suárez’s middle-down cutter past first baseman Bryce Harper and into the right-field corner.

Suárez allowed four runs on nine hits with zero walks and four strikeouts across six innings. He thrived on groundball outs in the early innings, but the Tigers found holes in the defense in the fifth to help Skubal win the pitching duel.

Meanwhile, Skubal generated 19 whiffs on 42 swings — a 45.2% whiff rate — with 11 changeups, five fastballs, two sliders and one curveball. His fastball averaged 97.5 mph.

Skubal bounced back from back-to-back below-average road performances in his last two starts, in which he allowed four runs in 6⅓ innings to the Houston Astros and five runs (four earned runs) in four innings to the Atlanta Braves.

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This time, Skubal shut down the Phillies to show himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Finishing what Skubal started

Right-handed reliever Shelby Miller and right-handed reliever Jason Foley completed the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to finish what Skubal started.

Miller retired all three batters in the eighth.

Foley couldn’t keep the shutout intact, as Harper — the first batter in the ninth — blasted an elevated fastball for a solo home run to left field, cutting the Phillies’ deficit to 4-1.

It was Harper’s 20th homer this season.

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But Foley retired the next three batters — Alec Bohm (flyout), Nick Castellanos (groundout) and pinch-hitter Bryson Stott (flyout) — to finish the game in a tidy 2 hours and 4 minutes.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.





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Detroit, MI

City selects first Detroit neighborhoods to house solar fields – WDET 101.9 FM

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City selects first Detroit neighborhoods to house solar fields – WDET 101.9 FM


Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan this week announced the first three communities selected to build solar arrays on vacant land as part of the city’s Solar Neighborhoods project.

The program, part of the city’s plan to reduce neighborhood blight and fight climate change, aims to create 200 acres of solar arrays to generate enough clean energy to power all 127 of the city’s municipal buildings.

Gratiot/Findlay, Van Dyke/Lynch, and State Fair neighborhoods were selected for Phase 1 of the project, which will turn 104 acres of land in the combined areas into solar fields.

Five more neighborhoods are finalists for the expected Phase 2 of the program.

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Neighborhood benefits

Only 21 homes in the area slated for the construction were identified as owner-occupied. Each homeowner accepted at minimum $90,000 and moving assistance to leave the area. Renters in the area will receive the cost of relocating and 18 months of free rent in their new homes.

There are 159 owner-occupied homes in the area adjoining the location of the new fields. Those homeowners will receive $15,000 to $25,000 in energy efficient upgrades to their homes. Upgrade options include:

  • Windows
  • Roof repairs
  • Residential solar panels
  • Energy efficient appliances
  • Air sealing and home insulation
  • Energy efficient hot water heaters and furnaces
  • Smart thermostats
  • Energy efficient lighting
  • Battery backups

The homeowners living in the areas slated for construction who did not want to move were offered the same benefits and agreed to have the fields built around them.

Landlords and vacant landowners will receive fair market value pursuant to Michigan’s condemnation law.



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Detroit, MI

2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Here are the events this week at Detroit Golf Club

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2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Here are the events this week at Detroit Golf Club


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The Rocket Mortgage Classic is returning to the Detroit Golf Club for its sixth iteration. The tournament, featuring 156 golfers, begins Thursday, but there will be events on Tuesday and Wednesday as well.

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Tuesday: First Tee — Greater Detroit Youth Clinic

When: 3 p.m.

Where: Driving range behind the clubhouse.

TV/Streaming: None.

The buzz: “The First Tee – Greater Detroit Youth Golf Clinic presented by PGA TOUR Superstore will provide elementary and middle school-aged youth with an opportunity to learn fundamental golf skills and tips from PGA TOUR Teaching Professionals,” according to a release from Rocket Companies. “This [Watch & Learn] format will allow participants to observe as the pros hit balls and talk through their shots. No equipment is required.”

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Tuesday: Area 313 Celebrity Scramble

When: 5 p.m.

Where: Detroit Golf Club.

TV/Streaming: None.

The buzz: The Area 313 Celebration Scramble pits six four-player teams against each other in a three-hole exhibition match over Nos. 14-16 at Detroit Golf Club.  In addition to the usual golfing celebrities, such as Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo and Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson, the event will feature WWE wrestler “The Miz,” Sam Merrill of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson and former Michigan and NBA star Chris Webber.

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Wednesday: Detroit Community Days and Delta Dental Pro-Am

When: Gates open at 6:45 a.m.

Where: Detroit Golf Club.

TV/Streaming: None.

The buzz: “Returning for the third straight year, Detroit Community Days presented by Jeep® will offer all fans complimentary admission and parking for the Rocket Mortgage Classic’s special events on Tuesday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 26. The brand will showcase its Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee models on site,” according to a release from Rocket Companies. “On Wednesday, June 26, fans can get up close to the action and watch PGA TOUR professionals playing in a relaxed setting throughout the day during the Delta Dental Pro-Am at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.”

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THE BIG NAMES: 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic field is set; here’s who’ll be at Detroit Golf Club

Thursday – Sunday: Rocket Mortgage Classic

Rickie Fowler is the defending champion, and Willie Mack III earned a berth by winning the weekend’s John Shippen Invitational. The final four spots were decided in a qualifying tournament Monday, with Brandon Berry, Nick Bienz, Angelo Giantsopoulous and Danny Guise making the cut.

When: Gates open at 6:45 a.m.

Where: Detroit Golf Club.

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TV: Thursday & Friday — Golf Channel (3-6 p.m.); Saturday/Sunday — Golf Channel (1-3 p.m.), CBS (3-6 p.m.).

Streaming: ESPN+.

Thursday: First Round play starts on 1st and 10th tees; hospitality food and beverage begins 11 a.m.

Friday: Second Round play starts at 1st and 10th tees; hospitality food and beverage begins 11 a.m.

Saturday: Third Round gates open: 7:15 a.m., play starts on 1st tee; hospitality food and beverage begins 11 a.m.

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Sunday: Final Round gates open: 7:15 a.m., play starts on 1st tee; hospitality food and beverage begins 11 a.m.; trophy presentation on 18th green following the conclusion of play. 



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