DETROIT — The Motor City Cruise — the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons — announced on Thursday the hiring of Steve Scalzi as their new head coach. Scalzi will replace Jamelle McMillan at the start of the 2026-27 season, becoming the third head coach in the franchise's history.
Scalzi has worked as an ***** istant coach for the Pistons for the past three seasons. Renowned for his player development skills, he has been instrumental in developing players such as Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson. In July, he also served as head coach for the Pistons during the 2026 NBA Summer League tournament.
Scalzi's role as coach of the Cruise marks his return to the NBA's professional developmental league. He began his career as an ***** istant coach with the then-Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma City Blue), the Oklahoma City Thunder's G League affiliate.
At that time, the Blue were part of the NBA D-League. As one of the franchise's primary player development coaches, Scalzi helped a handful of players receive promotions around the league during the 2013-14 season.
Scalzi's success later led him to join the Thunder's coaching staff in 2014, where he held several roles during his seven-year tenure. His most memorable responsibility was helping develop future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

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