AUBURN HILLS – Jonas Jerebko has been hoping for a fresh start with the Detroit Pistons for three years now.

This season, he might finally get it.

Jerebko is optimistic things will be different for him under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, who so far has liked what he's seen from the 6-foot-10 forward and employs the type of system that seems well-suited to the Pistons' second-round pick (39th overall) in the 2009 draft.

"It's been a rollercoaster," Jerebko said of his first four seasons in Detroit. "Every year has been a new situation for me. I just feel very comfortable with (Van Gundy's) way of playing basketball and his way of wanting to play basketball.

"He stresses basketball being a team game and not being an individual game. You've got to have a team. That's what I'm about, too. I'm excited to play for Stan. I'm excited to play for a good team. We bring some good nucleuses together and we're having fun out there.

"We just looking forward to playing."

Jerebko's NBA career got off to a solid start when he started 73 games as a rookie, averaging 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 48 percent.

But Jerebko suffered huge setback during the preseason opener against Miami in 2010-11, tearing his Achilles tendon and missing the entire year.

When he returned after the lockout in 2011-12 under new coach Lawrence Frank, Jerebko was a regular part of the rotation on most nights but the following season was a different story. He fell into Frank's doghouse early in the season, went more than a month without playing and appeared in 49 games.

Jerebko was hoping for a fresh start last season under yet another new coach – Maurice Cheeks – but again didn't see regular minutes until late in the campaign after John Loyer had replaced Cheeks on the Pistons bench.

He was part of the rotation in the final month and during the last 15 games averaged 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds, scoring in double figures four times.

"I'm coming in with great confidence," Jerebko said. "I finished the season good last year. I've been playing great all summer, shooting the ball great, the body has been feeling good. Practice has been going good.

"So confidence is on top and I'm feeling great. I'm just going to go in and play my game. I've had some up-and-down years but I'm really, really, really looking forward to this year."

Jerebko's outside shooting ability – he's made almost 33 percent of 3-point attempts in his career – could give Van Gundy some flexibility with his lineups.

Although Van Gundy prefers to use a nine-man rotation, he seems willing to change that philosophy to accommodate Jerebko.

"Based on the way Jonas has played in September camp, I think we'll probably go 10 guys," Van Gundy said.

Van Gundy sometimes likes to use four perimeter players to stretch the floor while keeping one big man inside but that's not possible when Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe are in the game together.

Jonas Jerebko was the Pistons' most efficient 3-point shooter last season at 42 percent.

With Jerebko, however, "you can do that a little bit," Van Gundy said.

Although Jerebko was the Pistons' top 3-point shooter a year ago, making 42 percent of 74 attempts, Van Gundy wants to see more than just that from the native of Kinna, Sweden.

"It's good he has the skills to be able to shoot the ball," Van Gundy said. "But there's a difference between being an energy and effort guy who can make shots or just trying to play like a shooter and not bringing the other component.

"He looks like a guy who's committed to being back to being a high-energy guy and bringing that type of game. I've been really happy with him."

When the Pistons were eliminated from playoff contention last spring for the fifth straight year, Jerebko went home to Sweden for about a month before returning to The Palace practice facility in May.

He spent five days a week preparing for upcoming season, taking weekends off to satisfy his passion for golf while trying to get his handicap of seven down by at least a couple of more strokes.

"Nobody has put more time in here this summer than Jonas did," Van Gundy said. "Because of his play with the (Swedish) national team in years past, he's never really been able to devote as much time to his own development and his own game.

"He's gotten stronger. He's in tremendous shape. I think the key to Jonas ... is he has to get back to being the guy he was when he first came in the league – that hungry guy playing with incredible energy trying to make his spot."

Jerebko, who is slated to make $4.5 million in the final season of a four-year, $18-million extension he signed in 2011, said he doesn't feel any pressure with his contract expiring next summer.

But he's obviously aware of what is at stake this season.

"I'd say it's the biggest season of my career," Jerebko said. "I've been working hard all summer trying to get ready for it. My body feels great, my shot feels great, I'm ready to go. It's going to be a big year for me and I'm ready for it. Everything is going to fall into place for me.

"Being in Detroit for so long and not making the playoffs, I feel for the fans, too. I want to make the playoffs and get a playoff run in there and just show them Detroit basketball, what we can do. I know we've got the talent. We just got to get it out on the court."

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