With Pistons coach and President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy now having a year under his belt with the club, Owner Tom Gores "feels better about his franchise and the team" heading into this season, according to Terry Foster of the DETROIT NEWS. Gores: “I think (Van Gundy) really began to reset the culture of the Pistons and what I’ve seen, I am really comfortable with it." Gores repeated his goal of seeing that "this group of young players develops into a title-winning bunch." He said, "I’ve always said it is patience with progress and I think we are making progress." Foster notes the Pistons "have sunk a lot of money into renovating" The Palace of Auburn Hills, and "more upgrades are coming." But that "doesn’t mean the Pistons won’t move downtown in the future." Gores said, "We’ve talked about this for a long time. I think you’ve got to respect the home you are in. Whatever home you are living in, you’ve got to make it the best possible. I really believe that. So I don’t rule out downtown, but for now this is our home" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/29).
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE: In Detroit, Jeff Seidel writes the Pistons over the past few years "have been stuck in the land of irrelevance, losing far more than they have won." But Gores and his staff "have done a masterful job of giving the Pistons an identity again," including through a spot featuring Basketball HOFer and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, which has linked the Pistons "to the spirit of Detroit." Seidel: "Have the fans bought it? Not totally." There were "plenty of empty seats" last night in the upper reaches of the arena for the home opener against the Jazz (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/29).
