Tom Gores

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores called Andre Drummond "a maximum player."

(AP File Photo)

NEW YORK -- Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores sat courtside for the team's season finale here, and made some interesting points. He declared Andre Drummond a "maximum player," which would seem to tip the team's hand going into a busy summer. He said he would be personally involved in trying to keep Greg Monroe. And when asked about Stan Van Gundy, he said he feels better about the hire now than when he made it 11 months ago.

So after as bizarre a season as there has been in Pistons history, does the owner have a playoff mandate for next season?

He smiled coyly. He caught himself in that trap once before.

"Whatever it is, Stan and I will agree on it," Gores said. "But I think we're ready. I feel it. I feel it. I feel like it's our time. Even though our record doesn't reflect it, I feel like we made a lot of progress this year, I really do."

The record is 32-50.

That doesn't look much different at all.

But it was once 5-23, which included a double-digit losing streak, before the Pistons released a $13.5 million-a-year player and immediately won seven in a row. They lost 13 of their first 15 games at home, and also tied a franchise record with a seven-game road winning streak.

They beat both NBA Finals contestants from last season on shots in the final seconds by two different point guards, Brandon Jennings at San Antonio and Reggie Jackson vs. Miami.

But they lost Jennings to injury. They had a second double-digit losing streak after becoming the NBA's best story from late December through January. And their playoff hopes fizzled for the sixth consecutive year.

"You know our goal, we want to win a championship and we want to take this thing forward," Gores said. "We're being very serious about this. We've probably got to bring some new guys in. But after our 5-23 start, I think we did OK."

Van Gundy wasn't always as forgiving of his team or himself.

He has acknowledged that his biggest disappointment, as a defensive-minded coach, is that the team didn't play better defense. Inconsistent perimeter shooting surprised him, but inconsistent defense was a disappointment.

"What I like about what Stan did this year was he took responsibility himself," Gores said. "He's his biggest critic. From a basketball standpoint, Stan knows exactly what he's doing, and I'm not sure he has to make a lot of adjustments. He really just has to keep doing what he does."

The Pistons have several key orders of business but have some control over most of them. They have the option on Caron Butler's contract. They can match any offer Reggie Jackson receives as a restricted free agent. They don't control Cartier Martin's player option, but Martin said after Wednesday's 112-90 season-finale win over the New York Knicks that he will take some time before making his decision.

Two key pieces of business over which the Pistons don't have total control are Monroe's unrestricted free agency and whether Drummond is keen to commit to Detroit for the first nine years of his career.

Van Gundy said he and Monroe, out of respect for the season, did not discuss the business side after the player signed a one-year qualifying offer and played for $5.479 million this year, less than half his market value, which allowed to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Today, they sit down for their postseason meeting.

"I'm sure we'll talk about it," Van Gundy said. "But my guess is the answer I'll get, and I'm sure it's a very honest one based on the way I've seen Greg act, is that he hasn't given a ton of thought to it right now. So that'd probably be a discussion for later on down the road, because Greg has stayed pretty focused."

Gores empowered Van Gundy with the dual role of head coach and president of basketball operations, and the owner likes the single voice where fractured relationships preceded it.

They have acted in accord, so perhaps Gores' effusive endorsement of Drummond tips off what Van Gundy is thinking about the Pistons' 21-year-old center.

The Pistons can extend Drummond's rookie contract with a maximum offer that would kick in after next season if they reach terms by Oct. 31. The Pistons could play it cool and let Drummond test the market in 2016 restricted free agency instead, then match any offer, but they played it that way with Monroe and are likely to lose him for nothing because they didn't ante up two years ago.

They are not likely to take that chance with Drummond.

"Andre's a maximum guy," Gores said. "He's a maximum guy. He's not only a great player, he's a great person."

Drummond has no financial incentive to delay taking the Pistons' offer now that the NBA salary-cap explosion will take effect in 2016-17, the first year his extension would take effect. The Pistons could extend him for four years beyond next season, or make him their designated player and extend him for five years -- through the ninth year of his career.

Drummond knows the deadline, knows the offer that is likely to come, and could say yes, he would sign a maximum contract through 2020 or 2021.

He has not said so.

"I'm just here to play basketball. I'll let all of that deal with itself," Drummond said after the finale.

Gores said he hopes to keep Monroe too, calling him a "real pro," and saying he believed the player could continue to build upon his foundation with Detroit.

More likely, Monroe will look elsewhere, and the Pistons will go into the draft looking for youthful help, then into the free-agent market in search of a player like Atlanta's Paul Millsap or Golden State's Draymond Green, the former Michigan State star who has spoken openly about his interest in the Pistons.

In the visitors' locker room at Madison Square Garden, people said their good-byes. Some of these players won't be here next year.

As for the others, Gores made it clear he will be involved. He is more comfortable as an owner now, he said, both on the team level and the NBA Board of Governors level, and was right there in the locker room, chatting up the stars and role players alike.

"I have a connection with these players," Gores said. "I made a decision a long time ago to be personal with the players. I'm not afraid of that. Of course, at the same time, we want the best thing for the players. Will I get involved and try to let them know how Detroit will be a great home for them? Absolutely."

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