Over the years, in separate conversations, so many of the Bad Boys – Isiah, Mahorn, Joe D, Salley – have told me that the games were the easy part for them. Daly’s practices were the real test – of their talent, sure, but mostly of their competitiveness. That’s where their minutes – and, by extension, their paychecks – were won and lost.
For an abundance of reasons, Van Gundy can’t bring back all of the elements that made those Bad Boys practices daily tests of manhood. But the essential component – making everyone better by raising the level of competition – will be present when the Pistons gather for training camp as the nights begin to get cooler in southeast Michigan.
If Van Gundy were the type to spend much time looking backward – he isn’t – he’d allow himself a smile at how much has changed in two years. It will be a remarkably different mood, with a remarkably different set of expectations, when this fall rolls around.
http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/adding-boban-and-jeff-nixs-observation-about-impact-pistons-practices
