Pistons have no choice but to try to reach playoffs

The Detroit Pistons are broken. Eight straight losses will do that to a team. But where do they go from here?

They proved early on that they have a good core, with a hot 14-6 start to the season. Since then? A rancid 8-20 record, dropping them to 22-26 on the year.

Tanking the rest of the year, only to move down a spot or two in the draft isn't an ideal scenario. That's why a playoff push to sneak past a fringe Eastern Conference playoff team should be the ideal move.

How do they overcome their problems and get back into the playoff picture?

Move movable contracts

The Pistons have already made a few players available for trade, and with the Feb. 8 deadline approaching, now is the time to pull the trigger to fix some gaping holes. No Piston should be off limits. Some, however, should be a little easier to deal than others.

When the Pistons acquired Avery Bradley in July, they believed the acquired a franchise 3-and-D centerpiece to plug next to Andre Drummond. Instead, the opposite has happened, as the team's been significantly worse with Bradley the floor.

Since the hot start, Bradley has played 20 of the Pistons' 28 games (important to note the Pistons are 3-17 with Bradley in the lineup since Dec. 1), missing eight games with a groin injury. Check the disastrous dropoff since the Pistons cooled down:

The Pistons renounced their qualifying offer rights to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to make it clear Bradley was part of their future plans. With Bradley in the final year of his deal and looking for a major contract, it wouldn't make sense to heavily invest in someone providing no benefit on either side of the floor. It's reasonable to assume that pushing him out of Detroit is the ideal solution.

Stanley Johnson is another name mentioned in trade discussions. It makes sense for the Pistons to try to get some value for the 21-year-old as he simply hasn't been productive in three seasons, especially after such drastic regression from a rookie season that led people to believe he was the future at small forward.

Johnson's jump shot is beyond broken. At no point has he given Detroit hope that he'll become a respectable 3-point shooter. He's hoisting a career-high 3.5 three's per game but only connecting at a 27.9 percent clip. Aiming for some perimeter help from a rebuilding team should be the ideal trade scenario.

As the deadline approaches, it'll be easier to swing a deal on these two, considering their affordable contracts. However, it may also be an opportunity to see if they can attach Reggie Jackson - and his two expensive years remaining - to any trade. There was plenty of optimism about Jackson after he helped the Pistons to a playoff appearance in 2016, but he's been one of the least reliable starting point guards since, and it'll be difficult to find a taker for his brutal contract.

Increased workloads

Only two Detroit players have created consistent roles throughout the year: Tobias Harris and Drummond. Other than them, no one with starter minutes has given the Pistons what they needed to flourish.

A few bench players have carved out some nice roles in spot minutes, so it's likely time to reward them with increased minutes to push their limitations. A few key reserves have produced positive minutes, making others like Bradley and Jackson less useful.

One name that constantly stands out is Luke Kennard. The rookie shooting guard has been outstanding by maintaining a positive net rating (plus-2.9) and shooting 43 percent from three. The questions about his defense have been answered, as his defensive rating of 101.2 is one of the team's best.

Langston Galloway has also earned a few more looks per game, as he's become a pest on defense after receiving a nice offseason salary bump. The team is 12 points better on the defensive end when Galloway is on the floor, and despite having flaws on offense, he's been able to shore up the issues Bradley was brought in to fix.

Galloway and Kennard are young (26 and 21, respectively) and have performed admirably, even during the reeling franchise's rough stretches, so it may be time to give them an opportunity to make a difference.

Is Stan the man?

If any man could take Drummond to the next level, it was supposed to be Stan Van Gundy. Or, at least, that's what many thought. In a difficult internal battle between coach and player, who's at fault?

Prior to joining Detroit, Van Gundy-coached teams never finished below .500. He won 59 games three times in five seasons and was expected to change the culture in Detroit. And after two seasons, it looked to be on track.

Van Gundy's first year in Detroit ended as expected, as the franchise struggled to recover from atrocious signings in years prior. Van Gundy was hired to fix that and seemed well on his way by netting the Pistons a 44-win season with a young and supposed up-and-coming roster in 2015-16.

Last season took a turn for the worse, though. The team was inconsistent and Drummond's progression turned into a mean regression. Even this season, where he's seen a statistical boost, his defensive play is still well below average and the team is drastically worse when he's on the floor.

Visions of a four-out system hasn't panned out as imagined. Trying to force Drummond to be like Dwight Howard in Orlando hasn't worked. Van Gundy's shooters can't always shoot and the defensive intensity is rarely there - especially with the lack of rim protection.

Certain coaches don't have the vision for modern day basketball. Van Gundy, however, was one of the catalysts in developing the NBA-wide system that succeeds today. His success using an active defensive center while rotating around the arc with four shooters accelerated the player's infatuation with shooting threes.

If the Pistons feel Van Gundy isn't the man for the job, it's hard to imagine them finding a replacement who could turn Drummond into something he isn't. If there's a flaw in the Piston's system, it's that they've allowed Van Gundy to be the president of basketball operations, giving him too much power in a dual role that few, if any, have succeeded. It might be time for him to step down from there to focus on what he's best at: winning basketball games.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)