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SVG insists Pistons pour same effort into rebounding at both ends

The Pistons were the NBA’s No. 1 offensive rebounding team a season ago. What Stan Van Gundy finds offensive is they somehow were No. 23 in defensive rebounding.

He looks at the size and athleticism of the trio that started up front – Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond – and wonders how that possibly could be.

“It was inexplicable last year to have Josh, Greg and Andre and be 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage,” he said, especially when they emphatically proved they could corral the same missed shots 94 feet away at the other end of the court. “So when you have a chance to score, you’ll go get the ball. That’s a mentality thing. This should be a great defensive rebounding team.”

And he aims for them to be exactly that this season. It requires the focus to block out every time an opponent’s shot goes up and it takes all five players going after the basketball. In Orlando, Van Gundy says, Jameer Nelson – listed at 6-foot-0 but probably at least 2 inches shorter – epitomized the type of rebounding tenacity he wants to see from his guards. He hasn’t seen it yet through the first four days of training camp.

“Our perimeter guys have to get involved,” he said. “In our two scrimmages, our guards haven’t rebounded at all. Brandon (Jennings has) a little bit, but nobody else as a guard has really rebounded the ball at all, so that’s got to improve.”

Van Gundy has two good athletes in shooting guards Jodie Meeks and especially Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The latter, he says, “should be very good. And he’s a tough guy, too, a really tough guy and he plays hard. So anything can be an aberration for two days, but I do think he and Jodie are two guys that run very well and they’re looking at getting out (in transition). We’ve got to get them to the point and convince them that they can do both. They can stay in and rebound the ball, particularly on long rebounds, and still get out.”

The Pistons rebounded a whopping 31.4 percent of their own missed shots a season ago with Drummond leading the NBA in offensive rebounds by a wide margin and Monroe finishing ninth. Smith and Kyle Singler are also strong offensive rebounders and Caldwell-Pope, given his quickness, leaping ability, length and added strength could be a superb rebounder for a guard.

The talent, Van Gundy is convinced, is there to be every bit as adept at rebounding at either end.

“I would think you should be dominant on the defensive board with that lineup, but they weren’t,” he said. “It’s got to get better. I know that. I know that we’ve got big guys who can really rebound the ball. There’s no reason we’re not one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the league.”

It won’t take all that much, really, to move from a bottom-third defensive rebounding team to a top-third bunch. Two rebounds per 100 misses would do it. The Pistons grabbed 73.4 percent of opponent’s misses last season and 75.4 percent would have seen them rank ninth. Even one more rebound per 100 misses would’ve put them right in the middle of the pack.

“He really talks about that a lot, because we were No. 1 offensively. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be top three defensively,” Drummond said. “He’s really making us work hard on the defensive end. When a shot comes off the rim, box out and all five guys go get the ball. It’s just the will to do it. It’s that simple.”

Sometimes, offensive rebounding is a double-edged sword that slices the throats of its best practitioners. Of the top 10 offensive rebounding teams a season ago, only two – Chicago and Cleveland – ranked in the upper half of teams in limiting opponent fast-break points. The Pistons were 23rd in that category, giving up 14.1 transition points a game. Transition defense is No. 1 on Van Gundy’s list of defensive musts. Some coaches – Doc Rivers when he was with Boston, notably – practically prohibit offensive rebounding for fear of giving up easy baskets in transition. But Van Gundy won’t discourage the Pistons from crashing their own board.

“Four and five should be on the glass all the time,” he said, referring to the center and power forward positions. “Our three man (small forward) should pick his spots and our guards should be getting back. Two and a half to the boards and two and a half back, but when we change possession and the other team gets the ball, then we’ve got to have five guys on the sprint. I’m pretty happy over the last few days that we’re starting to get the idea of getting back. Our communication in getting matched up could be better, but the effort is getting there.”

It will continue to be a point of emphasis under Van Gundy, too. A week into his Pistons tenure, it’s pretty clear he’s not one to let loose ends go unattended. Or loose balls.