The Detroit Pistons’ 2016-17 season has failed to meet expectations. While not out of the playoff race, we haven’t seen anything to make us hopeful that things will get turned around. Assuming the standing hold up and the Pistons miss the playoffs, how should Stan Van Gundy evaluate this season?
The Detroit Pistons are just 1.5 games out of the playoffs, but their lack of energy and chemistry that last 10 games makes the prospects of playoffs almost comical.
So, assuming the team misses the playoffs, how should President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach evaluate the season in terms of the long-term context?
Perhaps Van Gundy has seen enough and is ready to blow this roster to pieces. Or, maybe Van Gundy sees this season as an outlier, with the injury to Reggie Jackson and the funky chemistry the team had upon his return, 20 plus games into the season.
Even if the team somehow turns it around and makes the playoffs, I think there has to be change.
Clearly there are some chemistry issues on the team–Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson, Andre Drummond, and Van Gundy have all been linked to locker room issues this season–and it’s bad enough that it is impacting the play on the court.
I realize that there has been a lack of consistent energy and effort at times with key players like Drummond and Jackson, but the curious thing about these issues is most of them involve Van Gundy.
Next: Is this the end of the Reggie Jackson era in Detroit?
I don’t know if Van Gundy has lost the locker room or if the lack of results have just soured everyone this season, but changing things up seems like the only option Van Gundy has at this point.