Detroit Pistons: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 Media Day

4. SVG optimistic about team’s maturity and commitment to defense

The Detroit Pistons are a young team, with the average age being 26.4 years old. Most of Detroit’s roster is younger than 27. Sometimes youth and enthusiasm are a double-edged sword. Some will overlook the team because they assume they lack maturity, but Detroit’s youth could lead them to make senseless, costly mistakes.

The team discussed what its NBA identity should be — what type of presence or calling card they wanted to the league to know them for.  The overwhelming response was defense. The team seems committed to being a team in the vein of the Detroit Bad Boys than a team vying for all the cheat codes in NBA 2K18.

During a players only meeting in Las Vegas, Anthony Tolliver, the elder statesman of the Pistons at 32, told his teammates what he believed they could accomplish this season if they worked together.

"“I told everybody there, ‘We can be one of the teams that shocks the NBA. There’s always a team that steps up and does something beyond what they look like on paper. There’s no reason why that can’t be us this year. We have to decide what our identity is going to be.’ We talked about how we want to be the best defensive team in the league. “I said, ‘OK, that’s great. But we can’t just be lip service. We have to help each other out on every single possession and lock down individually on defense and do all the things it takes to be a great defensive team.’ “I said, ‘That’s great, because once you have that identity on the defensive end, that camaraderie carries over to the offensive end, so that’ll take care of itself.”"

Van Gundy also discussed the growing maturity he’s seen in his players and their willingness to take on leadership roles.

"“I think we’ve had some guys actually try to take on bigger roles over the summer. Reggie Jackson, has really tried to engage his guys over the summer. Tobias Harris and Ish Smith.”"

SVG also indicated that the mix of players — from returning teammates like Jackson and Andre Drummond to new players such as Luke Kennard and Avery Bradley — increased the competitiveness of the team.

He explained Bradley’s contribution and how the increased focus on defense is going to help the Pistons.

"“We’ve got the makings of a team that can be very, very good,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are smart and tough. That alone will make you pretty good. And then we’ve got a couple of guys with the capability of really being big, big-time defenders. Avery’s been a first-team All-Defense guy and I think Stanley [Johnson] has the capability of rising to that level or pretty darn close to it. I think those guys key our defense.”"

Right now the team’s optimism and commitment to defense is creating excitement in the Motor City.