Improved team defense for the Pistons – the key to taking the great leap forward they have in mind – starts with individuals adopting the mindset that they won’t get beat one on one.
Stan Van Gundy has seen consistent evidence of that from two of his starters and recent evidence from a third.
“(Reggie Jackson) has really worked hard at it. I think that he and Tobias (Harris) both, to me, noticeably different mentality, at least through the first week of camp,” Van Gundy said. “A noticeably different mentality in terms of their defense. The other guys are playing real hard, too, but those are two guys I’ve noticed a real difference. (Saturday) I noticed a real difference in Andre’s (Drummond) mentality defensively. Getting back earlier, making his calls earlier, more active defensively.”
The two most consistent defenders last season were Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris. If all five starters develop the same focus at the other end, the Pistons figure to be well on their way to Van Gundy’s goal of building a top-10 defensive team.
Jackson, in his first season as a full-time NBA starter a year ago, dealt with shouldering not only major minutes for the first time in his career but carrying the offense with high-volume – and physically demanding – pick and rolls. But Van Gundy sees in his team a thirst for competition and an understanding that defense is now their ticket to postseason success.
“I think all these guys are a little bit more committed, a little more sense of urgency,” he said. “We went into last year not really knowing what we had and they were all trying to prove themselves. Now I think they look around, they have a genuine belief they have a chance to be good and that a greater defensive commitment is what it’s going to take.”
Nothing would make a greater difference than getting Jackson and Drummond, the latter especially, playing on another level at that end, he added.
“The point guard sets the tone and the center – nobody would make a bigger difference taking a step defensively than Andre. If Andre took a step up defensively, that would be the biggest thing that could happen to us.”