Stan Van Gundy: Pistons look 'firmly committed to being mediocre'

pistontr · Post #1 » by **pistontr** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:09 pm

I think this deserves a topic.
Jennings said we have no leader. Do you feel that way?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9MFJQZtdiw[/youtube]

Joe Berry · Post #2 » by **Joe Berry** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:19 pm

Mediocre and a playoff team is good enough for me, thats a huge improvement from the last 6 seasons. Still you have to love SVG, he just tells you how it is - just being honest, he basically called out the whole team for the lack of effort. Nothing wrong with that, and yes we don't have a Tim Duncan type of leader on the team who the young guys can look up to and follow his lead, but who does?
This team is heading in the right direction, you can't expect to go from lottery team to contender overnight.

Kilo · Post #3 » by **Kilo** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:20 pm

Look in the mirror Stan - you built this team. Paid Reggie 80M and will pay Dre 120M. Dre is too laid back a dude - he's just happy to be part of a team -doesn't have the drive/desire to dominate. When he was asked in the pre-draft interviews why he played basketball his answer was "it was a good way to make friends". He has no drive.

One change Stan should make right now - Start Johnson at SF and Mook at the 4. The team has too many passive players - no alpha dog leaders. Ersan has never seen an open shot he's not willing to pass out of, KCP is an introvert mute.

It's really all Dre though. When he misses free throws he starts getting down on himself rather than getting pissed off at the other team and making them pay. He should have launched an errant pass as the face of Junior Bickerstaff. Instead the whole team - including Stan - accepts the hack-a-Dre as victims and wants to play "woe is us, woe is the game" and hopes Adam Silver takes pity.

Stan will call out the effort - but he will change nothing. Why not start Stanley at the 3 and Mook at the 4? Or Tolliver over Ersan?

DBC10 · Post #4 » by **DBC10** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:30 pm

We really don't have a leader. RJ isn't really one since he lays eggs like last night's performance and is just the team's scorer.
KCP is a defensive leader but not an overall leader. Never will be.
Morris even said to Dre, that it all starts with him, so Marcus is another non-leader.
Ersan...is a Turkish delight
Dre is a giant goofball and can often come off as a manchild

If Stanley actually started off really well to start the season, maybe it could have been him, but he's still too young.

MotownMadness · Post #5 » by **MotownMadness** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:35 pm

He aint lying

russkopp · Post #6 » by **russkopp** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:30 pm

Kilo wrote:Look in the mirror Stan - you built this team. Paid Reggie 80M and will pay Dre 120M. Dre is too laid back a dude - he's just happy to be part of a team -doesn't have the drive/desire to dominate. When he was asked in the pre-draft interviews why he played basketball his answer was "it was a good way to make friends". He has no drive.

One change Stan should make right now - Start Johnson at SF and Mook at the 4. The team has too many passive players - no alpha dog leaders. Ersan has never seen an open shot he's not willing to pass out of, KCP is an introvert mute.

It's really all Dre though. When he misses free throws he starts getting down on himself rather than getting pissed off at the other team and making them pay. He should have launched an errant pass as the face of Junior Bickerstaff. Instead the whole team - including Stan - accepts the hack-a-Dre as victims and wants to play "woe is us, woe is the game" and hopes Adam Silver takes pity.

Stan will call out the effort - but he will change nothing. Why not start Stanley at the 3 and Mook at the 4? Or Tolliver over Ersan?

Couldn't agree more. Reggie doesn't know how to lead or feels Dre should be leading. Problem is Dre doesn't love basketball.

If you had to place him between Ben Wallace (I'll do everything in my power to win and get better) and Larry Sanders (I made millions and I think I like photography so I'll just quit). He's way closer to Larry Sanders. Haha

El Chivo · Post #7 » by **El Chivo** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:49 pm

I'm quite sure he's gonna trade for a veteran

bballnmike · Post #8 » by **bballnmike** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:53 pm

The team is young and inconsistent. When they're on, they're capable of beating anyone in the league. But until they can play more consistently and someone really steps up as a leader (or a veteran leader(s) is traded for), these bad losses will continue to happen. That inconsistency leads to some great wins and some horrible losses, aka mediocre.

Canadafan · Post #9 » by **Canadafan** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:42 pm

El Chivo wrote:I'm quite sure he's gonna trade for a veteran

Who? I love trades lol. Any ideas?

whitehops · Post #10 » by **whitehops** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:56 pm

it is a little concerning that the team struggles with consistency, especially on back-to-backs. there aren't any back to backs in the playoffs but it still is concerning for that time of year where the teams that play the most consistently often do better.

Kilo · Post #11 » by **Kilo** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:34 pm

Can we get Butler back? Reggie Bullock for Butler would work straight up, both signed through next season. Though not really Butler would help all that much - team needs a vocal intense ass kicker type not another wily "by example" bench vet like Blake, Tolliver and Anthony.

hoophabit · Post #12 » by **hoophabit** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:45 pm

I like Jennings being so blunt in his comments, and his call for the PGs to take that lead. I like that he said it's on Reggie and me. Reggie did have a bad game, but that's no excuse as he had a poor game because of poor effort. Of course, he wasn't the only one. The failure to control penetration reminds of recent bad old days.

SVG is just being very tactful. Blunt would have been to say they were lazy and unprofessional. 72 pts in the first half!? No excuse for lack of effort. They appear guilty of complacency. Too many bad losses after good wins in back to backs. This team has shown itself capable of beating anyone on a given night. The team is figuring out its identity. I'm not ready to abandon hope of them doing better as the season progresses.

We haven't had a team with the real potential to be good in a while. I'm finding it hard to feel too low about the team, even though watching them pull a stunt like last night is painful. It's nearing the end of January and the Pistons are above .500, even though they've given away a few games like this last one. It's great having the big issue be how they'll answer the question; 'just how good do you want to be?' I haven't even been thinking much about who we might draft next summer. :lol:

El Chivo · Post #13 » by **El Chivo** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:06 pm

hoophabit wrote:I like Jennings being so blunt in his comments, and his call for the PGs to take that lead. I like that he said it's on Reggie and me. Reggie did have a bad game, but that's no excuse as he had a poor game because of poor effort. Of course, he wasn't the only one. The failure to control penetration reminds of recent bad old days.

SVG is just being very tactful. Blunt would have been to say they were lazy and unprofessional. 72 pts in the first half!? No excuse for lack of effort. They appear guilty of complacency. Too many bad losses after good wins in back to backs. This team has shown itself capable of beating anyone on a given night. The team is figuring out its identity. I'm not ready to abandon hope of them doing better as the season progresses.

We haven't had a team with the real potential to be good in a while. I'm finding it hard to feel too low about the team, even though watching them pull a stunt like last night is painful. It's nearing the end of January and the Pistons are above .500, even though they've given away a few games like this last one. It's great having the big issue be how they'll answer the question; 'just how good do you want to be?' I haven't even been thinking much about who we might draft next summer.

I agree, but we're committing ourselves to this nucleous. are they going to work their asses out in order to become contender? or are they going to be happy to be a 50% team and run for ASG appearences?

this is a big if, cause there's little room for find better players than the players we do have now.

Pugz · Post #14 » by **Pugz** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:33 pm

its clear this team needs a leader or two. reggie and andre are the team's stars but they arent leaders. jennings has said the same thing and hes right. we need guys who want to be the vocal leaders to keep guys in check on the court and hold them accountable for their short comings. it cant just be the coach.

Loneshot · Post #15 » by **Loneshot** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:34 pm

As a Lakers fan first, i say that this season, the Pistons are my favorite team to watch and my darkhorse to win it all. But they are inconsistent in their effort, but i'm willing to give them until next season to really have an identity and find a team leader. This is pretty much a new team.

But damn, Stan's words had to sting. As well as Kilo's first post lol

MrBigShot · Post #16 » by **MrBigShot** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:36 pm

Reggie has to be the leader. Stanley's got the mentality of an alpha dog but he's still just a rookie, and Dre seems too laid back while also letting things get to his head when he struggles. Reggie has to lead and be consistent night in and night out...no time for games like last night.

Spider156 · Post #17 » by **Spider156** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:51 pm

This team is really young...

What do you expect? What type of person do you think Drummond will be when he's 30 years old. You think he won't be a leader? I'm pretty sure he'll grow up to be a bigger man and command that he wants a championship. These things take time. Our best leader is a rookie. That's the problem. It's why we need to go after Horford hard. He's the veteran we need on this team, not Anderson. Even Ibaka could bring veteran leadership here. It's simple really. SVG will make a signing or trade for a leader sooner or later. He won't pin it on the players if he knows they can't execute teamwork the winners way. Also, let the kids get to the Playoffs first. When you taste victory, you'll want to get farther and farther. They're all a bunch of kids without Playoffs experience. It makes sense!

Spider156 · Post #18 » by **Spider156** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:55 pm

SVG needs to give his players a break. They're playing really hard for him and are sitting at #6. That's very good compared to where we were last season. Sooner or later a player will get annoyed. Considering SVG is the president of basketball operations. Things might heat up.

ComboGuardCity · Post #19 » by **ComboGuardCity** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:15 pm

Spider156 wrote:SVG needs to give his players a break. They're playing really hard for him and are sitting at #6. That's very good compared to where we were last season. Sooner or later a player will get annoyed. Considering SVG is the president of basketball operations. Things might heat up.

He has a point. It was clear Andre was playing for 20/20 and not playing hard to come back. The game was out of reach.

bballnmike · Post #20 » by **bballnmike** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:44 pm

Spider156 wrote:SVG needs to give his players a break. They're playing really hard for him and are sitting at #6. That's very good compared to where we were last season. Sooner or later a player will get annoyed. Considering SVG is the president of basketball operations. Things might heat up.

They had a break the whole first half when they gave up 72 points lol. I'm sure he understands that every team has off nights, but games/halves like last night are becoming too common. I think he's sees what they're capable of and wants them to want to be more than mediocre.