Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon recently did an exclusive interview with The Athletic and provided insights into his team-building philosophy. Along with general talent scouting and patience to let the young core develop, Langdon emphasized his two keys for members of the organization and players: character and resilience.
Langdon’s belief in team culture is obvious throughout the interview. He explains how the team’s historic turnaround last season came about due to a change in team attitude. This was led by coaching changes and bringing in the right veterans. To fans watching at home, this was obvious in how the Pistons competed on defense and how the team reacted to wins and losses alike compared to the season prior.
Detroit Pistons: A Team of Resilience
The Pistons are also an extremely resilient team, and some of that is by design. Of course, the young core of the team was forced into resilience after having one of the worst seasons in NBA history in 2023-24. But Langdon seems to intentionally choose veterans with resilient career journeys to lead the team too.
Take newcomers Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert for example. Langdon talks about their tumultuous career journeys that have led them to Detroit. Robinson’s long-shot journey, from D2 player to G-league star and eventual starter on a Finals team, is well documented for its Cinderella appeal. And LeVert has also fought through injuries and being traded multiple times to become a solid 10-year veteran. The most recent signing Javonte Green also embodies this ideal.
Even last season, the imprints of veteran resilience were obvious on the Pistons. Starter Tobias Harris has gone through his fair share of NBA ups and downs, both on the court and more extensively in fan perception off of it, before returning to the Pistons. The Pistons’ trio of veteran guards (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr and Dennis Schroder) were also all guys who had been cast away by different teams but continued to contribute at the highest level.
Bringing in veterans who have battled through adversity helps the team in multiple ways. Of course, it will provide an edge of mental toughness to the entire team as the younger players see how the older guys operate. But it also gives non-star youngsters a great window into what it takes to stick around in the league even without achieving their highest ceiling.
Isaiah Stewart seems to have already taken this lesson to heart. He’s crafted a niche for himself as one of the foremost defensive backups in the league. Rather than aiming to be the biggest scorer, he’s accepted the role that helps the team win most.
Langdon’s philosophy is particularly apt for a Detroit team. The city embodies toughness and has remained loyal to mediocre sports teams for over a decade, but is now finally being rewarded with turnarounds in all major sports.