Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Beno Udrih Signs With Lithuanian Team

December 24th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who was waived by the Pistons in October, has signed to play in Lithuania, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Udrih will join Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the oldest and most decorated teams in the EuroLeague.

Udrih, 35, played for eight teams during a 13-year NBA career after being drafted by the Spurs with the 28th pick in 2004. His best seasons came in Sacramento, where he was a double-digit scorer for four straight years from 2007/08 to 2010/11.

He was involved in a controversy in February of 2016 when he agreed to a buyout with the Heat that gave Miami enough cap room to sign Joe Johnson after his buyout from the Nets. Udrih was sidelined because of foot surgery at the time and had no chance to catch on with another team. Miami re-signed him in August of that year, but he failed to earn a roster spot.

The Pistons claimed him off waivers and he spent a full season in Detroit, averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 39 games. The team opted to part with him in mid-October, even though it was already down to the roster limit of 15.

“It was still hard for me because I love the guy, and so does everybody out here,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told Ansar Khan of MLive at the time. “Good guy, knows how to play, really has a good way about him of helping the young guys and talking to them and teaching them. I’ve seen a lot of veterans who try to help young guys, but they come across as condescending a little bit, like, ‘I know more than you.’ Beno never came across like that. He was able to talk to guys.”

Another Setback For Jon Leuer

December 20th, 2017 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The recovery timetable for Pistons big man Jon Leuer continues to be pushed back, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Leuer, who had a joint lubrication injection earlier this month to help heal his injured left ankle, had another setback recently, prompting the club to slow down his rehab process once again, according to head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Pistons Will Shut Down Avery Bradley For A Week

December 19th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Avery Bradley, who has missed the club’s last two games, will remain sidelined for at least a few more contests, the team confirmed today. Speaking to reporters, including Rod Beard of The Detroit News, head coach Stan Van Gundy announced that Bradley will be “shut down for at least a week,” then will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

“It’s going to take some time,” said Van Gundy, who doubles as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations. “But he’ll basically do nothing for the next seven days and see where he is and whether we’re starting him back or not.”

Marcus Thornton Joins Pistons’ G League Team

December 14th, 2017 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Marcus Thornton has signed a G League contract and has been acquired from the available player pool by the Pistons’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, a league source tells Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). The G League’s official transactions log confirms the move.

This Marcus Thornton should not be confused with the Marcus Thornton who was selected 45th overall in the 2015 draft by the Celtics — that former William & Mary guard, who has not appeared in an NBA regular season game, is currently playing for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s G League affiliate.

This Thornton, 30, has played in 483 NBA regular season games since the start of the 2009/10 season, spending time with seven NBA teams over the course of his professional career. Most recently, the LSU alum averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 33 contests for the Wizards in 2016/17. Although he worked out for the Timberwolves in the offseason, he was unable to land an NBA contract.

Thornton is the second former NBA player acquired by the Drive this week — the team also added swingman K.J. McDaniels. It’s not clear what sort of roles the two veterans will have for the Pistons’ G League affiliate, but both players will look to use the opportunity as a springboard back into the NBA.

Van Gundy Vows Changes To Snap Losing Streak

December 13th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is hoping to shake up the team after a seven-game losing streak has brought Detroit back to the middle of the Eastern Conference, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Van Gundy recently replaced Stanley Johnson with Reggie Bullock in the starting lineup, and he indicated more changes are coming tomorrow, although they may not involve personnel. “It won’t be anything like a new offense, but we will shift our priorities a little bit in terms of play-calling — run some things more, run some things less and not run some things,” he said. “Our offensive approach hasn’t been as good as it could be to help these guys. Nothing different defensively; we just have to play it harder and better.”

K.J. McDaniels Joining Pistons' G League Affiliate

December 13th, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran swingman K.J. McDaniels has signed a G League contract and been claimed off waivers by the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons‘ affiliate, tweets Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days. McDaniels, who spent time with the Nets and Rockets in 2016/17 and was in camp this fall with the Raptors, has averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 148 total NBA games.

Leuer Receives Injection For Injured Ankle

December 4th, 2017 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons power forward Jon Leuer had a joint lubrication injection to help heal his injured left ankle, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Leuer, who has already missed 15 games, won’t even be reevaluated for another two weeks. “Two to four weeks after the injection is when they would start to ramp him back up, so you’d have some time after that, too,” coach Stan Van Gundy told Beard and other media members. “You’re looking 3-5 or 4-6 [weeks] or something like that.”

Jon Leuer Expected To Miss 2-4 More Weeks

December 1st, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said today that forward/center Jon Leuer, who has been out with a sprained ankle, is expected to undergo a non-surgical process that will keep him on the shelf for another two to four weeks, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Van Gundy had indicated last week that Leuer’s recovery wasn’t progressing like the Pistons had hoped.

The Benefits Of Stanley Johnson As A Starter

November 30th, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pistons have trotted out Stanley Johnson as a starting small forward and have been pleased with the returns, Rod Beard of the Detroit News. While Johnson has done a fine job chipping in offensively, it’s with his defense that he’s justified the promotion.

Johnson, Beard writes, is learning first-hand the highs and lows of the job. Being in the Pistons starting lineup means that he’ll have less of an obligation to initiate his own offense but will typically line up against opposing teams’ best forwards.

“Playing with the first unit, you have better scorers and options,” Johnson said of the adjustment on that side of the ball. “You have Andre Drummond — that’s the biggest difference between any team and [the Pistons] — and he creates so much attention.”

The Pistons have been pleased with their production off the bench this season, thanks to a deep roster loaded with multiple skill sets. “We thought going into the season that depth would be one of our strengths because we thought that everybody on our roster had a chance to contribute,” head coach Stan Van Gundy told Ansar Khan of MLive. “We still feel that way and it does allow you to do different things in different situations.“

Pistons Notes: Bradley, Drummond, Jackson

November 28th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Avery Bradley, who was dealt to the Pistons in exchange for Marcus Morris over the summer, didn’t want to leave the Celtics, but he understands Boston’s decision to make the move, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays.

“I understand what they did. I have no hard feelings at all. I ended up with a great situation and a great organization so I’m happy and they’re playing well,” Bradley said.

The shooting guard added that the team warned him that a trade was a strong possibility prior to making the transaction.

“There were [conversations] that me and [GM] Danny Ainge had, but when it does happen, it still catches you off guard a little bit destination-wise, where you end up,” Bradley said. “I know it’s part of the business so I respect their decision and I know that Danny is going to make the best decision for the Boston Celtics.”

The Celtics own the best record in the league at 18-4, but the Pistons sit just 3.5 games behind them for the Eastern Conference’s top spot after a pulling out a win on Monday in Beantown.

Here’s more from Detroit:

Bradley will be a free agent after the season, though it’s “obvious” that both he and Pistons have interest in a long-term deal, Ellis adds in the same piece. “It’s been really good for me so far,” Bradley said. “We have a great group of guys, a great coaching staff that’s pushing us every day and I feel like we are going to continue to grow as a group.”
Andre Drummond was seemingly available for the right price at last season’s trade deadline, but after improving his game this offseason, he is no longer on the table in trade talks, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes.
Executive/coach Stan Van Gundy believes the improvement is a result of Drummond putting in the necessary work and playing hard on a nightly basis, Beard passes along in the same piece. “There were never any doubts about his ability and he’s always been a good guy; the concern was whether he was going to play hard on a nightly basis,” Van Gundy said. “That was the question in my mind — and so far this year, it’s been a lot better.”
If the Pistons are going to remain in the conference’s top tier, they’ll need Reggie Jackson to maintain his level of play, Matt Barresi of NBAMath contends. The point guard is shooting a career-high 38.4% from downtown and he’s averaging nearly one more assist per 36-minutes than he did last season.