Central Notes: Van Gundy, Turner, Osman

The Pistons have hit a cold spell and now sit five games out of the final seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite the acquisition of Blake Griffin, Detroit has struggled to maintain consistency. This has called into question head coach Stan Van Gundy’s future with the team, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.

Team owner Tom Gores seemed to give Van Gundy a vote of confidence after the Pistons enjoyed a 99-83 win over the Bulls.

“Stan and I talk every week and we just want to win — that’s it. That’s what we discussed: how we’re going to get this team to win. That’s been really important to us,” Gores said. “We know we’ve disappointed the fans and we haven’t won enough. I can tell you this team works really hard and Stan works hard. He’s been here for four years and has dedicated his whole life.”

While Gores and Van Gundy communicate regularly, a firm decision on the team’s future — and whether or not Van Gundy is part of it — will be discussed after the season, Ansar Khan of MLive.com writes.

“So, at the end of the season, we’ll sit down and talk and then he’s got to make a decision on the best way to go for the organization. I’ve been in this business a long time and I’ve been around this business even longer – my dad (Bill) coached for 40 years,” Van Gundy said. “So probably as much as anyone I know how this works. Tom’s been fantastic. You couldn’t be better as an owner. The way he wants to go about things is perfect, so we’re in 100 percent agreement on the way everything should be handled.”

Check out more Central Division notes below:

• For the second time in a week, Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman felt a “pop” in his groin. On Friday, it forced him out of an eventual loss to the Clippers and details on the severity of the injury are scarce, Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon writes. However, Osman reportedly told the Cavs trainer that he could not run; the team is calling the injury a strained left hip.
• In recent games, Myles Turner has been noticeably more aggressive in trying to score closer to the basket. As NBA.com’s Mark Monteith writes, Pacers veteran Al Jefferson has been working with Turner to help him develop a post game. “Last year he wouldn’t have even thought about a post; he would have gone with a turnaround jumper or fadeaway,” Jefferson said. “You’ve got a 6’4″, 6’4″, 6’6″ guard or wing on you and you’re taking those type of shots, that’s when it becomes a problem for me. He understands that. He’s getting his feet in the paint and getting good shots.”