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Detroit Pistons: What to hate about the 2017-18 season

By Jack Ozark

Stan Van Gundy of the Detroit Pistons reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Stan Van Gundy of the Detroit Pistons reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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With the Detroit Pistons’ playoff chances dwindling, let’s look at some of the negatives that have come from the 2017-2018 season.

Last week I did my best to find some positives from the Detroit Pistons’ season. It was not easy. This season has been a wreck and still is a wreck. So today is an easier topic, I get to talk about what I have absolutely hated about this season.

1. Reggie falls again

Reggie Jackson was balling this season. The team around him was good, and he was running the team very well. Then the worst thing happened, he ended up injured again. And what I hate isn’t the fact the Jackson went down, it’s that the team didn’t respond well to it.

Players get injured every season. Nobody really expected Jackson to play every game, but nobody wanted him out this long. What was the worst about this was what Stan Van Gundy did after, basically nothing.

The Pistons brought Langston Galloway in as Reggie Jackson insurance. Instead, he’s been stockpiling DNPs for most of the season, making that quite the waste of a roster spot altogether. Ish Smith was a good backup to Jackson, and that’s all. Smith has no range, allowing teams to not worry about him if he’s off the ball. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid NBA player and can definitely be a backup, but too much Smith is problematic.

The best worst part about this is Dwight Buycks. Buycks has played solid all year, and since Jackson went down he earned himself a contract for the entire season. And that’s part of the problem. The team still went out and grabbed Jameer Nelson at the trade deadline and tried to have him take Buycks’ spot. When really, Buycks probably should be the starter right now. Also, taking Buycks on so early really handcuffed Van Gundy in terms of roster spots which would have been valuable around the deadline.

I think the point guard situation is the biggest reason why the Pistons will be home for the playoffs. So if you’re mad this cluster is a good thing to be mad at.

2. Stan Van Gundy still remains

Stan Van Gundy is not doing a good job right now. The last few games in this slump for the Pistons have been horrible. It really doesn’t look like this team even trusts him anymore. And I think he should be gone before the season ends, so the team can at least rally for the end of the year.

It makes sense that he stuck around even when the team was slumping earlier, but now the team basically has no chance at the playoffs, and with that, he has no reason to be around still.

This team needs a refresh, and prepping for that refresh with the end of the Van Gundy era would be nice for the team and for fans. He did what he needed to do, he gave the team some stability again, now it’s time for them to move on and actually get better.

(Also just not having a draft pick kind of stinks and I don’t want somebody in charge that loves 30-year olds and hates playing rookies anymore.)

3. The Detroit Pistons will forever pay Josh Smith

The Pistons are still paying this man. THE PISTONS ARE STILL PAYING JOSH SMITH. At the time sure it looked nice, it got him off the team. Today, he’s eating up over $5 million in cap space and I don’t like that.

Next: What to Love about Pistons this season

I really don’t have anything else to say about this. Just every time I look at the cap situation and I still see his name on the books I shed a single tear. This is definitely what I hate about this team most.

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