Young Pistons fall short, but their future is bright
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Detroit Pistons‘ season didn’t end on Sunday night because of a lack of heart or toughness. Stan Van Gundy’s young group is loaded with those defining qualities, as was evident again in a 100-98 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Pistons’ problem on Sunday was the same one they have had throughout the series. They don’t have enough high-level talent or playoff experience to knock off the East’s best team. As sad as the Pistons were to see their season end, the mood both in the locker room and at the podium was one of optimism for the future, not regrets about the past week.
“We took their best punches and we kept swinging back,” Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson said. “The only thing that hurts is we just didn’t get a win and we’re not the team advancing. But I think we were tough. I think we fought. I’m proud of the way we fought all series. I’m proud of the way we played all season, ups and downs, adversity … there’s not a group of guys that I would have wanted to be in the locker room with [more]. It’s just a special group. That’s what hurts so much — that we can’t keep advancing. Not only for myself, but just for the other 14 [players]. Especially the coaches and how hard we worked.”
Van Gundy never doubted that his team would rise to the challenge of the closeout game. He spoke highly of his team’s attitude all week. He said he was “proud” of his group after it was over. Aside from a third-quarter meltdown in Game 2, every game was tight and competitive. Each one came down to a handful of plays that the Cavs made and the Pistons didn’t. It’s an experience his group should be able to learn from in the future.
“It’s not like the regular season,” Pistons big man Andre Drummond said. “If you drop the ball a few times or mess up a couple possessions in the regular season it might not catch up to you, but in the playoffs you got to play a picture-perfect game. And the example is the series we just played. The games that we lost, we’ve been right there each and every time and something would happen, we’d turn the ball over or we’d miss an assignment, they’d hit a big shot, and it’s like a domino effect from there. We know we got to do a better job of maturing as a team and really building together. I have no doubt that we’ll be right back.”
The Pistons’ core appears to be in place. Owner Tom Gores said after the game he had “no hesitation” in paying Drummond big money. If Drummond signs a max extension over the summer, the Pistons would have a young nucleus of Drummond, Jackson, Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Stanley Johnson locked up for the foreseeable future. It’s a formidable squad brimming with confidence and belief in itself.
“As a team, we matured as a whole,” Drummond said. “It wasn’t just me … the team that we have, I wouldn’t trade them for anybody. It’s not all about me, it’s about the team. Those guys have really helped me down from the beginning. They know what I’ve been through these past four years. Sometimes it’s frustrating not being out there with them, but you got to keep your head up and try to cheer those guys on. Because without these guys, you wouldn’t be here.”
In order to take the next step in their development, the Pistons have to learn from the mistakes they made at crucial times during the series. They have to grow as a group and find motivation from within the sting of a playoff loss. The Pistons have to aspire to what the Cavs have become: a championship-caliber team with the superstar power and cold-bloodedness to grind teams until the end.
“Honestly, it pisses you off,” Jackson said. “To hear it’s not your time. Not your moment.”
Odds are the Pistons are going to improve if they stay together and stay healthy. What remains to be seen is just how much of a leap they’ll be able to take from this experience to the next. Glimpses of promise appeared at times in this series. Now it’s imperative this group makes those glimpses more consistent.
“Teams get a small window, so you got to capitalize on it,” Jackson said. “We don’t know how big ours is, but I think we have a chance to be a special team coming back next season. So we have to grasp the moment, the opportunity, and make the most of it because you never know. You really never know what tomorrow brings, and you never know what your opportunities are. We had a great one this year, of course we want to progress. That’s what it probably looks like, obviously, from the outside looking in to the rest of the world, is [that] we’re young, we got a chance to progress, but you can’t take it for granted. Health isn’t guaranteed, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so you got to make the most of each moment and chase success and greatness.”
