Coming into the 2014 offseason, the Detroit Pistons missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season and were coming off their second straight 29-53 season.
They suffered from lack of common sense in the front office, terrible coaching, and minimal effort from players. Pistons' billionaire owner Tom Gores wanted to find someone who could coach at a high level, but pieces together from the front office as well.
Then on May 14, 2014, Tom Gores made what he called "his most important decision during his tenure with the Detroit Pistons." What was it? Hiring Stan Van Gundy as the team's head coach and President of Basketball Operations.
"Stan is a proven winner in our league," Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. If anything, that's an understatement. Van Gundy went 371-208 with a winning percentage of 64% in seven-plus seasons as head coach of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He never missed the playoffs, and knows how to build a winning team.
Pistons' fans were thrilled with the hire, and they should be. Van Gundy is the guy who has what it takes to turn things around in Detroit.
Adding Shooters
Only the 19-63 Philadelphia 76ers shot a worse percentage than the Pistons from the three-point line last season. Josh Smith was a majority of the problem, shooting a woeful 26% on a ridiculous 3.4 attempts per game.
Van Gundy's offensive system needs shooters to be successful and the Pistons really only have two consistent shooters on their roster. Van Gundy, who relied heavily on three point shooting while coaching in Orlando, knew he would have to go out and get shooters in the draft and costless agency.
With the 38th pick in the 2014 draft - the Pistons only pick - the Pistons selected Spencer Dinwiddie out of the University of Colorado. The 6' 6" combo guard shot nearly 44% from beyond the arc as a freshman and nearly 42% in 17 games last season before tearing his ACL. Dinwiddie, who would have been a first round pick had he not injured his knee, likely won't play much next season to recover, but will give the Pistons a solid offensive weapon when he's healthy.
Then, Van Gundy was definitely not shy in costless agency.
First, Van Gundy signed Jodie Meeks to a three-year deal worth $19 million. Meeks was arguably the best shooter on the market, having shot 40% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. Meeks, who averaged 16.4 points with the Lakers last season, will compete with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the starting shooting guard spot.
Second, he signed Cartier Martin to a 1-year deal with undisclosed terms. Martin shot 39% from three last season with the Hawks and Bulls, and averaged 5.6 points. He won't play more than 20 minutes per game, but will space the floor and knock down shots when he's in the game.
Then, Van Gundy signed DJ Augustin to a 2-year contract worth $6 million. In 61 games with the Bulls last season, Augustin averaged 14.9 points and 5 assists while shooting 41% from three. While likely to take a sixth man role, Augustin could compete with Brandon Jennings for the starting point guard role.
Last but not least, the Pistons signed Caron Butler to a 2-year, $9 million dollar contract. Butler, who will be the oldest Piston at 34, averaged 10.5 points with the Bucks and Thunder while shooting 39% from three. The Pistons are expecting Butler to be a leader for the team and he is capable of that. “He’s been one of the most respected guys in this league, both on and off the court,” Stan Van Gundy said. “I think we add a great veteran presence.”
Van Gundy loves to spread the floor shooters. He’s ensured he'll have no shortage of shooters, which looked impossible months ago. Also, when big men like Greg Monroe, Josh Smith, or Andre Drummond are in the post and want to pass out, they won’t have to worry about having to fight for an offensive rebound.
The Greg Monroe/Josh Smith Dilemma
Now that shooting will no longer be an issue, it’s time to wonder what will happen with Greg Monroe.
Big men like Monroe who can score in the post, rebound well, and pass at a high level don’t grow on trees. That makes it even more intriguing that Monroe has yet to receive an offer from a team beside Detroit.
Last season, Monroe’s usage rate dipped to 25% to 21.9%, meaning he wasn’t used as much in the offense. As his usage rate dropped, so did his production.
Monroe is best at the center position, but the Pistons have future all-star Andre Drummond already there. Josh Smith is a power forward, not a small forward (the position he was forced to play last season), but Monroe is a power forward, too. This leaves the Pistons in a tough situation.
Van Gundy views Monroe and Drummond as an ideal pairing and doesn’t want to play Smith at small forward where he’s trigger happy.
There are three options at this point:
1. Trade Smith and re-sign Monroe (unlikely), creating a Butler, Monroe, Drummond starting 3-4-5 core.
2. Keep Smith and re-sign Monroe (possible), creating a Butler, Monroe, Drummond starting 3-4-5 core with Smith coming off the bench.
3. Keep Smith and let Monroe sign elsewhere (most likely). This will create a Butler, Smith, Drummond 3-4-5 starting core.
Choice #1 looks like the smartest, but not many teams want to take Smith’s hefty $14 million per year contract.
Option #2 is the best option, if Smith is willing to come off the bench and take a lesser role. A three man rotation of Smith, Monroe, and Drummond – like what the Bulls did with Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer – would be very good if used effectively.
Option #3 is the most likely, but it involves giving up Greg Monroe which Van Gundy doesn’t want to do. However, he’ll most likely need to. Smith is a better defender than Monroe and is a much more complete player. At the same time, Monroe has more upside and could become an all-star someday. Stan Van Gundy is probably banging his head up against the wall thinking about this.
Conclusion
Van Gundy didn’t make a splash in costless agency, but he built a solid team with a bunch good players – like the 2003-2004 Champion Pistons.
“This time around, he’ll put a deep group of three-point snipers around another dominant young big man with plenty of potential in Drummond, teach him to pass effectively out of double-teams and use the inside-out strategy to demoralize opponents,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Ben Leibowitz.
Van Gundy led the Magic to the 2009 Finals with a core of Dwight Howard (Andre Drummond), Rashard Lewis (Jonas Jerebko), Hedo Turkoglu (Caron Butler), Jameer Nelson (DJ Augustin), Courtney Lee (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), and JJ Redick (Jodie Meeks).
Throw in Brandon Jennings' as the quick, playmaking point guard, possibly Josh Smith as a shot blocker and inside scoring threat, and Greg Monroe, a low post scoring threat and gifted passer, it’s scary to think what Stan Van Gundy will be able to do with the team in the Motor City.
Expect the Pistons to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009. It's time for a new era in the Motor City.