The last time the Detroit Pistons drafted a young, charismatic superstar, he spent six seasons in Detroit that included the following:
- Four different coaches
- The most ill-conceived team/logo rebranding in NBA history
- Losing the only other young All-Star level talent they drafted in that era (Allan Houston) for nothing in free agency
- Never doing better than losing in the first round of the playoffs
Hill was a versatile, productive player with a knack for creating easy shots for teammates and drawing the attention of the defense. The Pistons at that time seemed content to rely on Hill’s individual talents — they never hired a top flight coach to build a system around him and they didn’t make major roster moves that could’ve taken pressure off of Hill to carry the team offensively. By the time he’d hit free agency, the organization had not done enough to convince Hill they could build a contending team around him, so he left.
Now that the Pistons have another potential superstar in Andre Drummond, I’ve worried that the organizational malaise they’ve been in might cause similar frustrations for Drummond as he develops. Consider some similarities:
- Drummond is playing for his fourth coach in three seasons
- He has yet to play on a competitive team
- The other All-Star level talent the Pistons have drafted, Greg Monroe, seems destined to leave in free agency
However, there is a sign of hope here that the Pistons will do things differently with Drummond than they did with Hill: Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy is an elite, respected coach who had his greatest career successes with a star who is very similar to Drummond and an odd Orlando roster that needed a creative coach to manage. There are dozens of factors that will ultimately decide whether Drummond stays with the Pistons long-term or not, but the fact that they invested in Van Gundy is a clear sign that the organization is more committed to giving Drummond the help he needs than they ever seemed to be with Hill.
I wrote about the hope that the Drummond/Van Gundy pairing brings in ESPN’s TrueCities series:
"But the most important element in all of this has always been Drummond. By hiring Van Gundy, the Pistons are sending Drummond a message that they’re going to give him the best tools to ensure his success. That ultimately might not be enough to keep him — though most teams retain their high draft picks through their second contract, there are always many factors players consider in determining the best place to play. But such a large, long-term commitment is an unprecedented step for this franchise.The Pistons of today are not just far removed from their recent run of winning and contending for championships. They are completely unrecognizable. Starting with their surprising run to a championship in 2004, the Pistons have embraced the notion that an individual superstar is not necessary to succeed in the NBA. That mentality worked when they were winning, but has become harder to defend in the years since they’ve fallen from contention.Detroit has been on a rudderless search for the slightest sign of hope in the years since its most recent success ended. Any hope of finding their way back to the top rests with Drummond, but the organization’s commitment to Van Gundy is just as important because it shows they understand the need to surround him with resources.One of the most successful franchises in modern league history enters a season trying to create a new identity. But for the first time in six years, it seems like they’re close to finding it."