The Detroit Pistons are in year two under head coach Stan Van Gundy and after an active trade deadline, acquiring Tobias Harris, Van Gundy’s roster for the future is starting to take shape.
“I won’t even try to run, because it’s kinda pointless.”
– Botch “Hutton’s Great Heat Engine”
Stan Van Gundy has been slowly building a strong, young team in Detroit. In 2016, just like 2015, the Pistons pulled a great move at the trade deadline and acquired another big piece of their puzzle moving forward – Tobias Harris.
It’s important that everyone – players, fans, and the front office – understands that Van Gundy is building something in Detroit, not merely looking to cash in any possible assets to build a roster than can chase Cleveland right now, or, in the miracle scenario, reach the Finals only to get obliterated by the death-dealer that is both Golden State and San Antonio. There is no use in sprinting to the playoffs in a time when a team that does the unfathomable – challenge the sanctity of the 1996 Chicago Bulls – prowls the league in just year two of their dominance, which could last another half-decade if everything breaks their way, and it has so far.
No, it’s kinda pointless to buy high and sell low in the Steph Curry Age. Instead, Van Gundy is building a team that can compete, utilizing his intelligent design. Van Gundy is building his heat engine in the Motor City.
There is going to be a lot of money for every team, very soon. The Pistons have been going about it a different way – winning the trade deadline. In 2015 it was Reggie Jackson. In 2016 it is Tobias Harris. Both of these players figure to be a long-term part of the engine that Van Gundy is building, as is Marcus Morris, at least for now. Morris is on a team-friendly deal at $8 million per year for the remainder of this season and each of the next three. If Morris can focus on basketball instead of a Phoenix “betrayal” and not find himself embroiled in off-court issues, he could fit in quite nicely with Jackson, Harris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and center Andre Drummond.
Harris is the most recent acquisition by Detroit and has played just four games with his new team heading into Friday. The action for Harris has been great. In an important win against the visiting 76ers on Wednesday, Harris was in the starting lineup, working a great pass to set up a Morris basket early, then later in the first quarter, launching an uncontested three-pointer that connected. It’s the kind of simple integration that seems to flow naturally through the Detroit lineups with Harris on the floor that proves so encouraging.
Given the small sample size, the results so far are great. Harris has already rotated into the starting lineup and his per 36 numbers are outstanding – 20.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. The assist numbers aren’t there yet, 1.9 per 36, but his career-best is 2.2 so he’s already seemingly integrated into the Pistons offense. Again, just four games but the Pistons are 2-0 in games he has started and he led all scorers with 22 against Philadelphia.
And that’s going to be one of the biggest things Harris can bring to the Pistons – his shooting ability. He may be new to Detroit, but he is already the team’s leading shooter at 54.5 percent since joining the team. For the season, he is shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
“It’s hard to believe that something so thick is so quick.”
– Botch “Hutton’s Great Heat Engine”
The Pistons won 32 games in 2015, the first year under Van Gundy. Through 58 games in 2016, they are 29-29 and need just four wins over their remaining 24 games to eclipse that number this season. This is a team that just added Harris and is still in the first year with Jackson as a full-time starter.
An absolute anchor of a big man at center in Drummond, providing exceptional thickness and a scoring touch, combines wonderfully with the quick and physically strong interchangeable parts of Harris, Morris, Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson. The backcourt combination of Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in perfectly set up to compliment the bodies amassed in the front court with a quickness of their own.
Bullock, surprisingly, came to life against the Sixers on Wednesday. He scored 11 points in nine minutes off the bench in just the first half. His contributions will be important going forward as Johnson is currently out with a shoulder injury and Anthony Tolliver is out with a knee injury.
Johnson and Tolliver are expected to return in the not-so-distant future over the next couple of weeks, but the addition of Harris has muted much of the potential impact of losing a player like Johnson, and gives Bullock the chance to get more run than he has the entire season without the pressure of having to go with the Pistons first team against their opponent’s top line. If Bullock can contribute the way he did on Wednesday, Detroit will be in a great position when they get healthy.
And they will need to play strong down the stretch. The Pistons are putting together a solid team, but they will need all hands on deck if they intend to stay ahead of Washington and catch Charlotte, Chicago and company for a shot at the playoffs.
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