The Pistons got off to a dismal 5-23 start to the season, before cutting Josh Smith loose led to a surprising reversal of fortune.
Detroit strung together seven straight wins and nine of 10 overall once Smith was gone, and in the Eastern Conference, that meant that the team was right back within reach of a spot in the postseason.
But then the injury to Brandon Jennings happened, a ruptured Achilles that ended his season. That would appear to leave the Pistons in a bit of a bind in terms of their playoff chances, but the team remains just two games out, and a single trade, if properly executed, may be able to bring in enough talent to keep that dream alive.
Detroit has bigger goals as a franchise, however, and Stan Van Gundy won’t do anything to derail his long-term plans just to obtain some measure of short-term success in the immediate future.
From Keith Langlois of Pistons.com:
From Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News:
That is the smart decision.
An immediate return to the playoffs would give the fan base a boost, especially considering that the Pistons are in the midst of a postseason drought that’s currently gone on for six straight seasons.
But one playoff berth in a watered-down conference (followed by a lopsided first round loss) won’t truly provide long-term change. Using the assets that are currently in place to build the team properly is the way to go, and Van Gundy wisely realizes that.
