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Pistons Notes: Lineup, Jackson, Van Gundy

December 21st, 2016 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy indicated earlier this week that he might be ready to shake up his lineup, and after the club’s disappointing showing on Monday night against the Bulls, Van Gundy vowed that those changes would happen. While Van Gundy still hasn’t announced which players will be shuffled in and out of Detroit’s lineup, he explained that he wants the first unit to have more a “defensive disposition,” as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details.

Still, even though changes are necessary in Detroit after three consecutive blowout losses, Van Gundy isn’t ready to deviate too significantly from the organizational blueprint, per Langlois.

“A week ago today we felt fine about ourselves. Not great. We knew we needed to get better, but we felt fine. That’s how quickly things change in this league,” Van Gundy said. “All of a sudden we went from a team that was pretty good – ‘Yeah, they’re adjusting to Reggie [Jackson], but they’re starting to come’ – to, ‘Wow, this team is so bad. What’s happened from last year to this year?’ Well, no, it’s what’s happened from last week to this week. We had an 0-3 week with three really bad games. So that’s got to change. And we know it’s got to change.”

Here’s more on the Pistons, as they try to get out of their slump:

Jackson spent the first quarter on Monday passing up shots, which wasn’t part of Detroit’s game plan. Van Gundy wants his point guard attacking more and “playing to his instincts” going forward, writes Aaron McMann of MLive.com.
Here’s Jackson on the changes he needs to make, via Rod Beard of The Detroit News: “I’m just going to be myself, honestly. We ended a seven-year [playoff] drought last year with me being myself. That was a little bit of success and we’d like to have more success, so I’m just going to be myself.”
Asked about his team’s psyche, Van Gundy told reporters, including Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, that he doesn’t have much interest in worrying about fragile egos. “My basic message today was, ‘Do your job,'” Van Gundy said on Tuesday. “I loved what [Gregg] Popovich said after their Chicago game. Does the plumber get a motivational speech in the morning? No. He goes and fixes your sink or toilet and, if he does it right, you pay him and he moves on to the next job, and he either does his job right or he doesn’t get paid.”
In his latest mailbag at Pistons.com, Langlois fields questions on the relationship between Van Gundy, whether the Pistons’ struggles might lead to a trade, and more.

Community Shootaround: Detroit Pistons

December 19th, 2016 at 10:11pm CST by Austin Kent

It’s no secret that things have gone south for the Pistons, and that concerning trend continued Monday night. Having just recently fallen below .500 on the heels of a rough week, the team has acknowledged that things needs to change. In fact, head coach Stan Van Gundy couldn’t have been more clear that something needs to give.

In a post-game scrum after Monday’s blowout loss at the hands of the Bulls, Van Gundy told reporters that he “guarantees he won’t be trotting out the same starting five” the next time out.

This isn’t the first time the Detroit bench boss has been critical of the team in the media, and the players themselves even held a private meeting to try to inspire some sort of positive development. As Dana Garauder wrote in an article last night, the Pistons have multiple options to try and help turn things around.

Should the team consider moving Reggie Jackson to the bench and starting Ish Smith in his place? It’s worth noting that Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois says Jon Leuer, not Smith, is the most likely player to join the starting lineup, though there’s nothing stopping Van Gundy from making more than one change to try to light a fire under his faltering club.

After making the playoffs in 2015/16, the Pistons were regarded as one of the up-and-coming contenders of the Eastern Conference. Fast forward to today and a much-needed players-only meeting has resulted in the team’s staring point guard refusing to put up a field goal attempt in the first quarter, an approach Van Gundy said wasn’t part of the game plan. That’s not a good sign.

“Team meeting my ass,” Van Gundy would go on to add Monday night. “I have nothing to say. [The game] was a disgusting performance. Unprofessional, humiliating, embarrassing.”

Do you think Van Gundy is in the right here? How would you handle the team’s downward spiral?

Stan Van Gundy Ready To Shake Things Up

December 19th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 19, 11:42am: While Van Gundy and the Pistons may shake things up at some point, it doesn’t appear it will happen tonight. The Detroit head coach told reporters today that there will be no lineup changes for Monday’s game, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 18, 9:44pm: A lineup change could be coming as early as Monday for the Pistons, coach Stan Van Gundy told the media after his team was blown out on consecutive nights this weekend. Van Gundy has been exasperated by his team’s inconsistent play and the return of point guard Reggie Jackson from knee tendinitis has only led to more choppy performances. “There’s no question we’ve not been as good,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve played eight games, seven of them against teams below .500, and we’re 3-5. So there’s no question we’re not as good as we were before. That’s just a fact. Now, is that all on him? No. No, we have a lot of guys not playing as well.”

While Van Gundy didn’t elaborate on the potential lineup change, he really has only two viable options:

He could reinsert Ish Smith, who started while Jackson was rehabbing his knee, at point guard. Van Gundy isn’t sure if that’s the answer. “Even before Reggie came back, that starting lineup with Ish was outscored by opponents, too,” he said. “Not by as much, but outscored by opponents. So that has not been as good a lineup. We were surviving basically because our bench was coming in and outplaying people.”
He could move power forward Jon Leuer into the starting five and have either Marcus Morris or Tobias Harris come off the bench. Leuer has arguably been the Pistons’ most consistent player, averaging career highs in points (10.8) and rebounds (6.4). However, Leuer missed the 105-90 loss to the Pacers on Saturday with back spasms.

It’s clear that Van Gundy doesn’t intend to sit back and wait for the team to come around. “We’ve definitely gotta look at some things, lineup and rotation-wise,” he said. “That unit is clearly not working. At least not right now. “

Van Gundy also criticized his team for playing too selfishly in recent outings, with players more concerned about getting shots than getting back on defense. The players held a team meeting after the Indiana game to address that, as well as other issues.

“We’ve got guys upset they’re not touching the ball, and everything else, so they’re not as engaged in the game on the defensive end of the floor,” he said. “There’s all kinds of things that have to go into the game, and the ball has to move. There has to be an unselfish offense, and a committed defense, and the last two nights, there have been neither.”

Detroit is still just one game under .500 and one of many Eastern Conference clubs trying to find a way to go on a hot streak. But heightened expectations for the Pistons, who made the playoffs last season, have led to frustration over their mediocre play through 29 games. What changes should Van Gundy make to get his team going? Take to the comments section and give us your input.

Pistons Hold Team Meeting; Van Gundy Suggests Changes Coming

December 17th, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons held a team meeting after tonight’s home loss to the Pacers, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We put a lot of stuff on the table,” said Marcus Morris, “and everybody cleared their mind of what they needed to say.” The 105-90 defeat was Detroit’s third in its past four games and it dropped the team back under .500 at 14-15. “I did a lot of the talking — we have to make a decision,” Morris added. “Everybody go home tonight and decide what you want to do.” (Twitter link.)
The Pistons are just 3-5 since Reggie Jackson‘s return and coach Stan Van Gundy suggests that changes may be coming to the starting lineup., according to Aaron McMann of MLive. Van Gundy’s assessment of the team right now is that it isn’t in a good place.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/17/16

December 17th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League assignments and recalls for Saturday:

10:01pm:

The Bulls recalled Paul Zipser from Windy City after sending him down earlier in the day, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
The Pistons recalled forward Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from their Grand Rapids affiliate, the team announced in an email. Both have appeared in six games for Detroit this season with limited playing time.
The Wizards recalled guard Sheldon McClellan from the Delaware 87ers, tweets J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. McClellan averaged 10.7 points in six games with the D-League team.

3:17pm:

The Hawks have recalled Mike Scott from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Scott helped lead the Long Island Nets to a pair of victories during his assignment this week, contributing 20.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in a pair of starts for the club.
After being assigned to Santa Cruz for Friday night’s game, Warriors center Damian Jones has been recalled to the NBA, according to an official announcement (Twitter link). Jones nearly posted a double-double for Golden State’s D-League affiliate last night, putting up 17 points, nine boards, and two blocks.

12:09pm:

The Nuggets have recalled shooting guard Malik Beasley from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The 20-year-old was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s D-League affiliate, on December 9 and averaged 18.5 points per game in his two contests with the team.
The Bulls have assigned forward Paul Zipser to the D-League, according to an announcement from the club. Zipser has seen action in just seven NBA games this season, most recently playing nine minutes Friday night.

Pistons Have Assets For Major Trade

December 17th, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Austin Kent

The Pistons have the assets to make a major trade, a testament to the work that head coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Jeff Bower have done over the years, writes Keith Langlois for the team’s official website. The team has been aggressive in the trade market in recent memory, too, having acquired Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris mid-season in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Pistons sophomore Stanley Johnson appears to be working his way back into the rotation, says Rod Beard of The Detroit News. In three contests this week, Johnson has played 26, 14 and 16 minutes. Prior to that span, the last time he had seen more than 10 minutes in a game was on November 23.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/13/16

December 13th, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Kings have recalled a pair of rookies, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Richardson has been the leading scorer for the Reno Bighorns this year, averaging 21.0 PPG in 11 games, while Labissiere has contributed 14.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate.
The Sixers have assigned first-rounder Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the Delaware 87ers, according to a press release from the club. He’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s NBADL squad tonight against the Oklahoma City Blue.
Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije will be heading back to the Grand Rapids Drive for the team’s games on Wednesday and Friday, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed today (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com). Unlike last time, Stanley Johnson won’t be joining them on this assignment.

Pistons Felt Like 'Missing Family Member'

December 13th, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons owner Tom Gores considered his team “the missing family member” in Detroit sports, relays Harvey Araton of The New York Times. The franchise announced last month that it will leave Auburn Hills and return to downtown Detroit for the 2017/18 season.

Pistons Have Resisted Overtures For Stanley Johnson

December 12th, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After a promising rookie season in 2015/16, Stanley Johnson has taken a step back this season, having been sent to the D-League on Saturday for the first time this year. With Johnson’s place in Detroit’s long-term plan no longer certain, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com expects rival executives to become more aggressive in trying to pry him away in a trade. However, sources tell Goodwill that the Pistons have “resisted overtures” for Johnson so far.

As Goodwill notes, even before assigning him to the Grand Rapids Drive for a game over the weekend, Stan Van Gundy had called Johnson out publicly and has suspended him for violating a team rule. It’s certainly possible – likely, in fact – that the Pistons will be patient with 2015’s eighth overall pick, but he does seem to have fallen out of favor a little this season in Detroit.

After averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 73 games last season, the 20-year-old has averaged only 3.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG so far this season, with his minutes per game dipping from 23.1 to just 13.4. With Reggie Bullock having been sidelined due to injuries for most of the season, there was a rotation role available on the wing, but 2015 second-rounder Darrun Hilliard – rather than Johnson – has been getting most of those minutes lately.

Still, Johnson did get a chance to play 26 minutes against the Sixers on Sunday, albeit in a that game was a blowout early — Philadelphia jumping out to a 32-12 lead in the first quarter. Johnson picked up an impressive five steals in that contest after having looked good for Grand Rapids on Saturday, so perhaps the former Arizona Wildcat is starting to turn a corner. In any case, it doesn’t look like he’s on the trade block in Detroit for now.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/16

December 11th, 2016 at 10:45pm CST by Will Joseph

Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affilitate, the team announced via its website. This marks the fourth assignment this season for Bolomboy.
The Pistons recalled forwards Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit announced in a press release. That was Johnson’s first D-League stint and it lasted one day.
The Bulls announced via press release that guard R.J. Hunter was recalled from the Windy City Bulls.
The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from their D-League affiliate, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.