Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy moved Tobias Harris to the bench last week and the small forward is embracing his new role, as Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. “One thing I’ve learned throughout my career is, certain decisions as a player, you shut up and put your big-boy pants on and just be ready to play,” Harris said. “That’s the bottom line. Do what you can to help your team. That’s what I tried to do.”
Here’s more from Detroit:
- Reggie Jackson hasn’t looked sharp since returning to the lineup and his play has hurt the Pistons in the standings, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News details. The team is 4-8 with Jackson in the lineup this season.
- Van Gundy’s job remains safe as long as the Pistons get back in the playoffs, Beard contends in the same piece. Beard argues that because Van Gundy is both the team’s president and its coach, it’s unlikely he’ll take the fall for the franchise’s failures this season.
- The Pistons have multiple issues to work out if they are going to remain in the playoff hunt, Beard writes in a separate piece. “Regardless of lineup changes or anything else, we have to play a lot better,” Van Gundy said. “That’s one thing we did, but I’m focused on our defense being better, the pace and energy of our offense. That’s only one piece of it.”