One more game and the All-Star break is upon us, which means the trade deadline is closing fast for the Pistons, on the cusp of the playoff field. On with Mailbag ...
Jasper (Auckland, New Zealand): I noticed that Arnie Kander always sits on the floor along the sideline. Is it a personal preference or is it because of limited seats on the bench?
Langlois: Limited seats, Jasper. I've never asked him that directly, but I know Arnie has nothing against a comfortable seat, so it's safe to assume it's simply a matter of space. There are only so many seats made available for teams – the head coach, three assistant coaches, a trainer and the 13 active players. Everybody else – additional assistant coaches, inactive players and perhaps various other medical personnel or trainers – either sits in the second row or makes do on the baseline where you see Kander set up shop.
Evan (@evan4623): Why do the Pistons take no pride in defense?
Langlois: Pretty sure they'd object to phrasing a question about their defense in just that way, Evan. But your gist is legitimate. They have yet to establish the defensive mindset – on a consistent basis, at least – that Stan Van Gundy badly wants them to create as the foundation of their identity. When the Pistons allowed Indiana to shoot 72 percent in the second half to win last week even though the Pistons scored 109 points, Van Gundy said, "virtually everybody in that locker room judges themselves on how they play offense. Everybody cares about their offense and I didn't really see anybody out there who really cared about getting stops." Again, after they lost to Minnesota, he was critical of the defensive intensity and even did something he rarely does – change his master schedule and call a practice on Monday. Defense probably takes even more cohesion and familiarity to get right than offense, where you can have one dominant player or two players who develop a great chemistry with each other and have that sustain you for long stretches. But if one of five players breaks his assignment on defense, the whole chain unravels. Van Gundy has remarked more than once this year that the teams faring well in the Eastern Conference – Toronto, Atlanta, Washington come to mind – are teams that have had key players in place together and operating the same system for more than a season or two. The Pistons are using several newcomers this season in key roles – D.J. Augustin, Jodie Meeks, Anthony Tolliver, Caron Butler make up virtually half of the rotation and John Lucas III just joined up – and some of it is the natural learning curve. I think Van Gundy would say they need to develop more of a collective pride in their defense, but it sure goes well beyond that alone. The encouraging sign for him is that they show it in flashes and over entire games. In fact, they played very good defense in three of their last five games – wins over Miami, Denver and Tuesday night at Charlotte – around the clunkers against Indiana and Minnesota.
Syte (@Young_Dodger_B): How and when will the team determine if they will be buyers or sellers for the trade deadline?
Langlois: My guess: They'll be neither. I suppose a minor trade is possible and if that's the case then I think they're more likely to be buyers than sellers. But they'll be shopping in the thrift aisle. Stan Van Gundy has made it clear that they're interested in deals to help the present but not if it carries any significant risk to their future. He was asked if he considers a second-round pick an asset that would be off the table if it brought in some immediate help. He didn't flat-out reject the notion, but he did say it would depend on when the second-round pick needed to be conveyed. A few years down the road, he suggested – when he expects the Pistons to be better and thus picking somewhere from the mid-40s on down, where history shows picks are true long shots – would be a different story than giving up a pick in this year's draft. I doubt the Pistons would be sellers, though, because other than their young core players and players currently holding mainstay roles, they really don't have players with significant trade value. They're not about to deal Andre Drummond or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Greg Monroe has veto power, not that the Pistons would shop him. Jonas Jerebko is on the fringe of the rotation now, his role largely assumed by Anthony Tolliver, and he might be available if somebody has a need for a versatile frontcourt player. Other than him, there's really not an obvious trade candidate the Pistons have to spare.
Albert (Engadine, Mich.): What would Stan Van Gundy be willing to give up and how much will the standings determine whether he makes a move at the trade deadline?
Langlois: There's only one game left between now and the trade deadline, Albert – tonight's game with the Spurs. Then comes the All-Star break that this year extends out three additional days for the Pistons. Van Gundy said on Tuesday, before the Pistons won impressively in Charlotte, that the results of the final two games probably wouldn't bear much influence on the decision of whether or not to trade. "You're going to be somewhere between a game, a game and a half or four games out, so I don't know that it'll change a whole lot," he said. "If we get a chance for something that'll help us for the rest of the year (and) not hurt us into next year, then we'll make the move. We will not make a move that will make us better for the last 28 games and hurt us into next year. That we will not do."
Harrison (@HarrisonEnglish): What are the chances Greg Monroe re-signs now that Josh Smith has left? Monroe and Drummond clean the glass well.
Langlois: There are no tea leaves to read just yet, Harrison. I remain convinced that Monroe is determined to not pre-determine anything until July 1 rolls around and suitors can make their bids for him. I think it will go beyond the terms of the contract – though, surely, the money will be a big factor – and include a vision for how teams plan to use him and how he fits with the rosters in place. Smith's departure influences his decision to the extent that it has given both sides – Monroe and Van Gundy – the opportunity to see more clearly how Monroe and Drummond mesh. And, perhaps more importantly, how likely it is that the Pistons will be able to invest what it will take to keep those two for the long haul while having enough available in other areas to give the Pistons enough firepower on the perimeter to compete in a league increasingly dependent on strong perimeter play.
Corey (@comanone): Think there is any chance Ray Allen finishes this season in Pistons blue?
Langlois: Next to a zero percent chance that happens, Corey. If Allen returns, it will be a team assured of a playoff berth and probably one likely to get a high seed and with a very good chance at a deep playoff run. He's been linked to Golden State, the Clippers and Cleveland and, with Tuesday's trade of Adreian Payne to Minnesota clearing a roster spot in Atlanta, now to the Hawks, as well. Those are all teams that nobody would be surprised to see in the conference finals or beyond and chasing a ring is undoubtedly high on Allen's priority list. Also, for what it's worth, the Pistons would have to clear a roster spot to even make a pitch to Allen.
Al (Wolverine Lake, Mich.): In your view, what do you think the Pistons will focus on as far as personnel additions in the off-season. I'm not looking for names, but areas of need.
Langlois: That's a really good question and a tough one to answer at this point, Al. When the season ends and Stan Van Gundy transitions back out of coach mode and into his front-office role, there will be a rigorous assessment of team performance from his first season and then they'll start prioritizing off-season goals and needs. They surely, at some point before July 1, will decide what their offer to Greg Monroe will be. They will have to be prepared for a plan of attack if they are able to keep Monroe – what other moves to make – and a similar plan if someone outbids them for Monroe. The draft, of course, comes before free agency. It seems logical that the Pistons will be looking for help first and foremost at small forward or power forward in the draft. They know Andre Drummond will be the starting center and they have both shooting guards (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jodie Meeks) and all three point guards (Brandon Jennings, D.J. Augustin and Spencer Dinwiddie) under contract for next season. Odds are pretty good they'll retain Kyle Singler, a pending restricted free agent, to be a part of the puzzle at small forward. They'll have to make a decision on the team option they hold on Caron Butler. If they feel strongly that they will be able to retain Monroe, then that might tip the scales for the draft to small forward. If they feel less sure of their ability – or, perhaps, their desire – to spend big on Monroe, then power forward probably would take draft precedence. They will also have to weigh their draft priority on what they feel confident about accomplishing in free agency. There is some sentiment to push back the NBA draft a month or so, so that free agency comes first, as it does in the NFL. But that won't help the Pistons this season, for sure. If they are 50-50 about Monroe leading to the draft, then they'll probably just adopt the "best player available" strategy – or "best forward available," at least – on draft night and let free agency play out. The good news is they are going to have enough money to address whatever needs they still have after the draft and Monroe's destiny is determined. The question is if there are going to be enough quality free agents on the market this summer to give them confidence that their money will be converted into the quality of players they'll need to make another jump in performance in Van Gundy's second season.
Ken (Dharamsala, India): Some good things are happening. KCP is playing good defense with some of the quickest feet and best lateral movement I have ever seen. He hits clutch shots in the fourth quarter. Anthony Tolliver is hitting threes and rotating well on defense. Jodie Meeks is showing signs of coming alive. Since many respected basketball minds (including some guy named Langlois) have said this year's crop of free agents is not all that scintillating, maybe the Pistons should hold on to their cap space, make Monroe an offer he can't refuse and reward productive players. I know the Pistons cannot sign Monroe until July, but are they allowed to talk to him and come to a gentleman's agreement?
Langlois: I think the only way the Pistons could virtually assure ending Monroe's free agency before it began would be to offer him the five-year maximum contract. No other team could match that. But it would preclude the Pistons from offering that deal to Andre Drummond a year from now when he hits restricted free agency. (A stipulation of the collective bargaining agreement that came out of the 2011 lockout limits teams to only one maximum contract at the full five-year term. They can acquire such players via other means, but cannot give more than one five-year max deal to its own players.) Van Gundy has all but explicitly said that offer for Drummond is a foregone conclusion. The Pistons and Monroe's agent, David Falk, can talk about their strategies for July 1, but a gentleman's agreement isn't binding. And, therefore, it's relatively meaningless.