Gores decided moving on from Van Gundy was a necessary change in structure and leadershipNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Pistons Owner Tom Gores "made the correct decision" by dismissing President of Basketball Operations and coach Stan Van Gundy with a year left on his contract, but "hopefully in the process, Gores took a long look in the mirror," according to Pat Caputo of the OAKLAND PRESS. Since Gores bought the team in '11, he "sure hasn’t produced wins." Meanwhile, the fan base is "clearly shrinking" (OAKLAND PRESS, 5/8). In Detroit, Brian Manzullo writes there is "no way" fans can "be happy about the state of the Pistons right now." This is the Pistons' "seventh coaching change in 13 years" and they "haven't won a playoff game in a decade" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/9). In Detroit, Rod Beard noted Van Gundy was "willing to cede" some control he had by "giving up the reins of the front office, in a bid to finish out his deal as just the head coach." Van Gundy said, “I was willing to make pretty significant changes but even that wasn’t going to be enough. Tom decided at the end of the day that he needed to change the structure and the leadership” (DETROIT NEWS, 5/9). Also in Detroit, Shawn Windsor writes "despite Van Gundy's missteps, he absolutely improved the roster." He also "changed the dysfunctional culture in the locker room." But he "made too many front office mistakes." In the end, he "leaves with a legacy of what-might-have-been" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/9). In Michigan, Peter Wallner noted Van Gundy's departure also means a "change at some point" for the NBA G League Grand Rapids Drive, which "just completed its fourth season." Drive President Steve Jbara said, "Stan was extremely supportive in laying the groundwork for the team and helping put the basketball infrastructure together" (MLIVE.com, 5/8).
BRIDGING THE GAP? The DETROIT NEWS' Beard notes under Van Gundy, Pistons GM Jeff Bower "ran the day-to-day operations while Van Gundy retained the final veto on personnel moves and focused his attention on coaching." In his comments about Van Gundy on Monday, Gores "didn’t make mention of Bower’s future." But "conventional wisdom" states that "even in a full makeover of the front office, there needs to be some continuity from one regime to the next." That "could be the case with Bower, who has good connections throughout the NBA and was an integral part of their trades and free-agent acquisitions" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/9). The Pistons have reportedly considered former NBAer Brent Barry for a front office position and CBSSN's Adam Schein said, "I love Brent Barry, he's smart, I get it and I respect it, but I don't know. Their situation calls for someone who's done it before." Schein added it "would be nice" if Gores "actually cared and had a clue" ("Time to Schein," CBSSN, 5/8).
