Detroit Pistons: 5 takeaways from the 2017-18 NBA season

As the 2017-18 NBA season comes to an end, the Detroit Pistons have a lot to think about heading into the offseason.

When the Detroit Pistons hired Stan Van Gundy four seasons ago to an eventual dual role of head coach and president of basketball operations, there were high hopes in Motor City.

After all, Van Gundy’s legacy has been littered with success, whether it be his role in the development of a young Dwyane Wade for the Miami Heat organization, to leading the young Orlando Magic franchise to a Finals appearance (albeit a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers).

No doubt, Van Gundy had the resume and the acumen to restore the Pistons to their glory days.

Instead? A heaping pile of mediocrity.

Despite moving to a brand new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, this season marked the third out of four years that Van Gandy allowed the Pistons to miss the playoffs by small margins. Although there are many perfectly legitimate reasons to why the next step didn’t occur this season, the truth is that fans and the NBA world alike will judge this Van Gundy era based on wins and losses.

This year, there were enough losses to justify a potential change on the horizon. Here are five takeaways from the Detroit Pistons’ 2017-18 NBA season.