The Detroit Pistons have been rolling since Josh Smith hit the road to go to Houston. They’ve been rolling so well that they could actually make a push for the Playoffs.
Honestly they should be a Playoff team anyway but better late than never. And isn’t it funny? The fact that Pistons president of basketball ops and head coach Stan Van Gundy is talking a hell of a lot now that his team are starting to get W’s? Just an observation.
A big storyline for the Pistons the past couple of years is the future of Greg Monroe. The question really was Josh Smith or Greg Monroe? Who’s going to get traded? It was obvious that their games clashed and that always hurt the team. But now that Smith has been traded. Monroe has flourished. But it doesn’t mean that he’ll be a Piston next season.
Stan Van Gundy has made it clear that he won’t be traded according to the Detroit News.
The Pistons coach and president of basketball operations has done the cost analysis, and recognizes a trade is unlikely.
“It’s not gonna happen,” Van Gundy said Wednesday. “I don’t know where Greg’s head will be in the offseason, but we’re still hopeful of Greg Monroe for the long-term. And with him going into free agency, you won’t get a lot, maybe a pick. I’m not gonna walk in that locker room and give up a piece like that and then tell the guys we’re trying to make the playoffs. They deserve the chance to ride this out. You never say never to anything, but I can tell you about 99.9 percent, Greg Monroe’s not going anywhere.“
The Pistons have to lock up Greg Monroe. He’s always a double double threat and that is hard to replace in this league. Him and Andre Drummond are a savage duo who inhale rebounds on a nightly basis.
The Pistons have a chance for Playoff basketball and part of that is thanks to Monroe so it makes sense for him to stay. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he dipped his feet in the free agency waters.
