Stan Van Gundy admits that it’s been difficult to strike a balance between the demands of the now and preparing for the future, as he told reporters, including Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The coach/executive acknowledged that the last-place Pistons have quite a ways to go.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be overnight,” Van Gundy said of building his team into a winner. “I’d like it to be. [Owner] Tom [Gores] would like it to be, but I don’t think it’s gonna be an overnight thing.”
Van Gundy had more to say, as we detail amid the latest from the Motor City:
- Van Gundy said Gores is overlooking areas of incremental improvement that will need more time to develop, but he reiterated earlier statements that indicate the close working relationship he has with the owner, as MLive’s David Mayo details. “I’m very much aware of what his thinking is, and I think he’s very much aware of what mine is, and we’re on the same page,” Van Gundy said after a 90-minute conversation with Gores on Monday. “But I don’t really think that somebody in my position could have much closer communication with an owner than I do. I can’t even imagine that. I can’t.”
- Detroit traded for Joel Anthony just last month, but the 32-year-old big man, whose contract is up at season’s end, has already let Van Gundy know that he wants to re-sign with the Pistons this summer, as Anthony tells Shams Charania of RealGM. “I love the idea of being here, staying here moving forward and having a chance to help them turn this franchise around,” Anthony said. “Stan has been very adamant about wanting to change the culture, so to be part of that … I don’t want to say it’s more special than playing on a contending team that could win it all, but it would be very satisfying and gratifying to be part of a situation where you’re able to turn things around.”
- The Pistons have assigned power forward Tony Mitchell to the D-League, the team announced. It’s the first trip to the Grand Rapids Drive this season for Mitchell, who played 11 games on D-League assignment last season. He’s not to be confused with the former Bucks small forward by the same name.