Stan Van Gundy’s Identity Crisis In Detroit

Now in the midst of his third season in the Motor City, Stan Van Gundy is in unfamiliar territory with his Detroit Pistons.

In his days in charge of the Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy was seen as setting the trend for what is now common place throughout the NBA. His Magic teams were perennially among the league leaders in three-point shooting, both in volume and accuracy. This strategy, combined with having superstar Dwight Howard down low, propelled the Magic to the Finals in 2009.

So it was met with much anticipation and excitement when Van Gundy agreed to terms with the Pistons in 2014. The caveat this time was that he was in charge of the franchise both on and off the court. Named the teams’ president of basketball operations as well as being the head coach, this didn’t just bring additional dollars for Van Gundy; it brought additional responsibility.

With the new title under his belt, Van Gundy was given total autonomy to shape the team as he saw fit. And as can be seen, the current team is unrecognizable from the one he inherited when appointed. Now in his third season in Detroit, it’d be reasonable to expect that the Pistons would be resembling the kind of team he envisioned.

But thus far this season, things haven’t gone as planned.