What to do with the Pistons

I've waffled a bit on what to do with this team. I always thought Ish Smith was the wrong guy to back up Reggie (due to Ish's lack of shooting), and that's been validated through the course of the season. But when Reggie went down, I figured it would just be a matter of an awful month or 2 and then we'd get back to the playoffs. When the Pistons struggled after Reggie returned, Reggie being clearly the culprit, and it was pretty evident that there was a lot of disunity on the team, I was all for getting rid of RJ and possibly Drummond as well. Then I read a Zach Lowe piece on the Pistons' struggles, which actually gave me some hope, despite its dismal tone. I had been talked off the ledge.

February was a pretty good month for the Pistons. They went 8-4 in the month, with impressive wins over Toronto, Charlotte, and Portland. The hot streak continued into March, the highlight being a win over Cleveland, and they finally reached .500 after beating the Knicks. Then the wheels fell off. Pathetic loss after pathetic loss, SVG finally shut Reggie Jackson down for the season, something Van Gundy freely admitted he should've done earlier. Almost exactly a month ago, the Pistons were riding high and looking pretty good to make the playoffs as a 6 or 7 seed. Now they're in the lottery, and we're left dealing with the "what now?" question.

So, WHAT NOW?

1. SVG needs to step down as Head Coach.
It became clear to me that Van Gundy can't make the right decisions for the team as a GM if he's coaching them at the same time. He's too competitive, he wants to win NOW, and he doesn't always make the right call in the heat of the moment. He also seems to struggle to reach some of his players. I'd like to see SVG step down and hire a young hotshot out of the college ranks or one of the top assistants in the league. It's time to give someone else a shot.

2. Drummond and Reggie need to GO.
Andre Drummond is not the future of this franchise, unfortunately. He hasn't developed a post game, a FT shot, or anything resembling rim protection in his 5 years with the team. His motor runs hot & cold, and lately it's been more cold. Oh, and he can't play during the last 5 min of any close game because he's too big of a liability at the charity stripe. Drummond is getting paid WAY too much for this. Reggie has a chance of earning his contract, but I'm not optimistic. He relies too much on athleticism for a guy with asthma and tendonitis of the knee. If it weren't for the health concerns, I'd say stick with him and hope for the best, but... these two players and their contracts will prove to be the albatross around the neck of this franchise if they aren't shipped out and SOON.

3. Build around some of the youngsters and tinker.
I think the best move is to make this KCP's team. He's been very inconsistent as a scorer. I think he's at the stage in his career where you can put some low-level pressure on him. Can he be The MAN for a team not trying to make the playoffs for a couple of years? I think so, and I think the effort in trying to fill that role will be great for his game. Give Stanley Johnson freedom to work in the starting SF role, maybe. Henry Ellenson needs some reps, as will whoever we draft this summer. So cut lose some of the dead weight and let the young guys play. Let the new coach figure some things out without the pressure of playoff expectations.

4. Draftpickdraftpicksdraftpicks.
Whenever we make a trade, we need to be getting a 1st round pick in the mix. This year, next year, 3 years in the future... The Pistons need to draft The Next Big Thing. We've tried rebuilding several different ways without doing a total tear-down, and none of them have worked. We need to cut the fat, get picks, and work on the young talent we have. KCP is a guy I'd like to keep around, since 2-way players of his caliber don't grow on trees. But there are no "sacred cows", as Joe D once said, and if KCP can bring us a top 3 pick in trade, do it.

I'm not advocating for a full-Hinkie. Do a full tear-down, tank or whatever you want to call it for a year. Then in the summer of 2018, start rebuilding.

Right now the Pistons are in a horrible no-man's land. They have a lot of salary wrapped up in players that you can't build around. I'm afraid the ceiling for this team is bottom-tier playoff team. SVG needs to hit the reset button and go for the pick. If he doesn't, Detroit basketball is going to be mired in many more years of mediocrity.