Pistons owner 'surprised' about team's incredible turnaround
The story is well-told by now: Since waiving Josh Smith on Dec. 22, the Detroit Pistons have looked like a completely different team. And for the better.
It was a risky move, paying Smith more than $27 million to not play basketball for the franchise anymore, one that spoke to the power new president and head coach Stan Van Gundy wields within the organization. Pitching that kind of bill to an owner on the basis of addition by subtraction couldn't have been easy.
Pistons owner Tom Gores ultimately gave approval, but even he didn't expect the impact to be this profound.
"I'm surprised about that," Fores said Wednesday. "I am surprised about that. It's one of those things that you can't calculate so I am surprised about that. I'm not shocked, because I know Stan is a great coach, but I am a little surprised about that."
He sounds surprised.
The turnaround has been remarkable and, yes, surprising. The Pistons looked like a fringe playoff team before the season and are now exactly that, standing at 17-26 in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. How they got there - they've swung from contenders for the No. 1 pick to a team nobody wants to draw in the first round - is such that they should be a favorite to finish with a playoff spot.
Since cutting ties with Smith - a move that coincided with other changes in style and a return to health for Jodie Meeks, to be fair to Smith - the Pistons have gone 12-3, this after a 5-23 start. Their improvement on both ends of the floor is striking.
| Pistons | Before Dec. 22 | Since Dec. 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 5-23 | 12-3 |
| O-Rtg | 97.6 | 108.6 |
| Rank | 28 | 4 |
| D-Rtg | 105.8 | 99.1 |
| Rank | 24 | 5 |
| Net | -8.2 | 9.5 |
| Rank | 28 | 3 |
It's really more terrifying than surprising, if you're an Eastern Conference team.