The Detroit Pistons, during the Stan Van Gundy era, have desperately been missing that piece that can take the team over the top. The team hasn’t drafted high enough to be in the running for the top talent entering into the league each season, and it’s been unable to bring in top talent in free agency or the trade deadline. What’s that saying about insanity again?
Today we found out that the Detroit Pistons are were trying to complete a trade for Orlando Magic swing man Evan Fournier, a deal that ultimately fell through.
The deal may or may not have included Pistons’ rookie Luke Kennard, though it sounds like he was thrown in.
This is trade discussion is a perfect illustration of what the organization is trying to do–Win now.
How does the organization intend to win now? Evidently by any means necessary, including by trading away promising assets such as Kennard who has a team friendly deal for the next three and a half seasons.
This takes me back to the article I wrote a few weeks ago, which you can find here.
The premise of the article, which you should go back and read before continuing any further if you haven’t already, is that the Pistons are not talented enough to win the title with their current roster, but also do not have the financial flexibility or appeal for that matter, to bring free agents into Detroit. Moreover, the team is too good to be in the running for a top prospect, but again, not good enough to be serious contenders.
The only way to get out of that hole is to tank, get lucky in the draft, develop your roster and hope someone makes a big jump, or make deals that may sacrifice a few wins this season, but position the team better in draft picks or cap space in the future.
Unfortunately, Van Gundy and his administration are clearly not in the market for doing any of those things.
I like Fournier a lot and he would be fun to see in Detroit. But does he make the Pistons good enough to be a contender? I don’t think so.
Even worse, the Pistons would have to sacrifice their promising rookie who is on an affordable contract who I think can develop into a better version of Fournier.
This is one of the things you have to worry about when your coach also runs the organization, that is, balancing winning now and the future.
If there is one area Van Gundy has struggled, it’s positioning this team to win it all, and I’m not sure that is going to change, especially with reports surfacing like this.
I don’t know what to say Pistons fans. I do think Van Gundy is a good coach, but I’m not so sold on his ability to construct a roster.
With Van Gundy apparently unwilling to alter his strategy, I don’t see the Pistons ever developing into a true contender under him, barring a completely lopsided trade for a superstar–you know, something that rarely happens.
Next: Where are the Detroit Pistons going?
With the way the organization is going, I think my advice to Pistons fans is to get used to the level of play the team is playing at, because it appears things will be this way for awhile.