Comparing today’s Detroit Pistons to Van Gundy’s best team
As Stan Van Gundy continues to develop the Pistons into his ideal type of a team — a dominant big man surrounded by three-point sharpshooters — Pistons fans wonder, “When will this team be able to contend for a championship again?”
Van Gundy took the Magic to the Finals in the 2008-2009 season in his second year with the team. Although Orlando couldn’t capture the league title, they shocked the basketball world as a three seed, beating the defending champion Boston Celtics and a LeBron James (who was MVP that year) led Cleveland Cavaliers squad until a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. And they accomplished all of that while their starting point guard Jameer Nelson only appeared in five playoff games with a shoulder injury.
Yes, Van Gundy inherited a better team in the Magic than he did in taking the Pistons coaching job, so naturally it may take longer for Detroit to be in the championship hunt.
But how close are the Pistons to resembling the Magic team that was so close to winning it all in 2009?
The Magic starting lineup of Nelson, Courtney Lee, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard wasn’t an outstanding group of players, but was a solid, veteran core surrounded by a budding superstar in Howard.
Howard was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and his contributions lead the team to finish first in the league in defensive rating. Howard had a monster offensive season outside of averaging nearly three blocks a game, averaging 20.6 points per game and 13.8 rebounds per game, good enough to earn All-NBA First Team honors.
The players around him were able to either create their own shot or could knock down shots from the perimeter with ease. The team made 23 three-pointers in a game, a then NBA record. Five players averaged in double figures in scoring, and the bench was very solid on both sides of the ball.
Rashard Lewis earned his salary as the highest paid player on the team, averaging nearly 18 PPG in the regular season and 19 PPG in the playoffs while being a team leader at 29 years old.
The Magic also finished first in the league in advanced stats like three-point attempt rating and defensive effective field goal percentage, proving their prowess in what Van Gundy teams are known to do well — make threes and play stifling defense.
The Pistons right now are on their way to becoming respectable at those attributes, but still have some work to do to have a dependable second unit, nearly-automatic three point marksmen, and an overwhelming defensive presence.
First off, the Pistons have Andre Drummond, who may be able to match what the Magic had in Howard someday. Last year Drummond averaged 13.8 PPG and 13.5 RPG. He may tack up more points on the scoreboard with Greg Monroe gone, but still averaged a block behind Howard. He is Detroit’s superstar.
As a team, last year’s Pistons were not nearly as good as the 2008-2009 Magic defensively, falling in the middle of the pack in the majority of the defensive statistics and were 11th in three-point attempt rating. Detroit was 19th in defensive rating and only had one powering defensive presence in Drummond.
The bench wasn’t cohesive either, as it started to fall apart due to various injuries and trades. And the Pistons are still much younger than the experienced Magic squad, and will need more time to develop team chemistry and trust. Coming into the current season, players seem ready to gel together and excited to play in Detroit.
And the additions of Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson, and Ersan Ilyasova will help on both the defensive side of the ball and behind the arc.
It’s impossible to look into a crystal ball and to predict exactly when Pistons fans can expect a solid playoff team. And honestly, the Pistons aren’t close to being that Magic team that made it to the Finals, but the potential is there. The athletes will get better with age and with better understanding of what they’re being taught by Van Gundy and his staff.
Drummond is only one year younger than Howard was in his first Finals appearance. The Pistons will most likely not be strong enough to make a deep playoff run in two seasons, and if the Howard and Drummond comparison carries over to team success, the Pistons would reach the finals in two to three seasons. Howard reached the championship in his fifth season in the league, and Drummond will be at that point in the season after this upcoming one.
At this point, it’s difficult to accurately predict where any team will be seasons ahead, especially when draft picks, free agents, and trades can drastically change a team for better or for worse. And it does sound crazy to say that the Pistons could reach the finals in two years or so when they haven’t made the playoffs recently. But the Magic made it to the final round after only two previous attempts in the two immediate postseasons before. Why can’t the Pistons do that as well if they make it to the playoffs this year?
Not many expected the 2008-2009 Magic to make the Finals. Right now, the Pistons chances of duplicating the Magic’s history seems like a longshot. But from his past history, Van Gundy has a knack for pulling off what seems impossible.
Next: Five Detroit Pistons games to watch in 2015-16