The Detroit Pistons had some hope when they hired Stan Van Gundy as their head coach and head of basketball operations.
He has shown that he is capable of handling the demands and responsibilities of such a powerful position. It helps that he has extensive experience in handling a big man, and that was evident in the emergence of Andre Drummond into an All-Star.
Another achievement for SVG is how he managed to secure their point guard for the future in Reggie Jackson. Jackson yearned for his big break while he was on Oklahoma City playing behind Russell Westbrook and SVG's gamble on him has paid dividends.
The work is not done yet, as the Pistons may need to have one more transaction before they cement themselves as Eastern Conference playoff fixtures or even possible contenders.
In an SI feature on the trade deadline, they identified the Pistons as a team on the playoff bubble.
"Detroit, in particular, seems as if it might be itching to deal," SI mentioned. "The Pistons have enough expendable pieces in play to make a change if they so choose, not to mention room for improvement within their standard rotation. They also come to the table with the baggage of six straight lottery seasons. A seventh wouldn't be the end of the world, but Detroit seems eager to stamp its progress with the validation of a playoff berth in year two of the Stan Van Gundy era."
The Pistons are still reeling from the errors made by the Joe Dumars era and it looks like SVG is the right man for the job especially with Drummond. However, SVG the GM should also make some moves and ESPN Insider had suggestions.
"The Pistons lack shot creators up and down the roster and get very little out of isolation," ESPN's Bradford Doolittle said. "While iso-ball isn't Van Gundy's bag, it's still a tool every team needs. Gay would become Detroit's best one-on-one player. He could play the 3 and the 4 -- as does Marcus Morris -- while Stanley Johnson swings between 2 and 3.The idea is to surround the Reggie Jackson-Andre Drummond foundation with length, shooting and versatility."
Rudy Gay has had problems with his shot selection but no one seems to be complaining now. He has also learned how to complement a good center since he is teammates with DeMarcus Cousins.
As the Sacramento Kings are reportedly shopping him, it is time for the Pistons to make a move to add some variety on their offensive attack and offer some veteran resistance (as Stanley Johnson is still a rookie) if ever they meet LeBron James and the Cavs.