Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Jan. 14, 2015

Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7), shown here guarding New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10), said he may have to become more aggressive at starts of games.

(Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

AUBURN HILLS -- Brandon Jennings is accustomed to arriving at the arena hours before games. He would like it if his Detroit Pistons teammates simply started showing up on time.

The Pistons got off to another lackluster start in Wednesday's 105-94 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, prompting head coach Stan Van Gundy to suggest lineup changes could be ahead.

Jennings, meantime, has made it a personal priority to get teammates involved early in games, then becomes more aggressive when the starting unit returns in the third quarter -- and, invariably, plays better.

Jennings said he might have to take on more of that load from the start.

"I think I have to be more aggressive now, because I'm trying to get my teammates going, trying to get them a rhythm going," he said. "But I have to be more aggressive. That means on both ends of the floor, not just on offense. That means picking my guy up full (court), just getting some easy buckets, getting into the lane more, just trying to make plays."

After an opponent scores, Van Gundy calls a play from the sideline.

But if the Pistons get a stop, they operate off set principles and attempt to exploit transition mismatches rather than take the time for a play call from the sideline.

That's when Jennings said he might alter his approach.

"When we've got fast breaks, or anything like that, just try to get up the floor fast, like try to find some way to just get us going, because right now we're like just static," he said. "Everybody's not moving. We're not even doing anything."

Quick starts on game day have become a way of life for Jennings, who makes it a point to be the first Piston to the arena on game nights.

He prefers to arrive 3 1/2 hours before tipoff, usually with only assistant coach Charles Klask there to rebound for him. When the Pistons are on the road, the first bus to the arena leaves the hotel too late for Jennings' liking, so he takes a taxi.

"I just have to be there," he said. "Like, I just have to be the first one there. Comfort level. Even if I don't shoot it good the first time out there, I'll come back and shoot again. I just have to get a feel."

PISTONS NOTES

Taking lessons from SVG: New Orleans coach Monty Williams said watching the Pistons is one of his more pleasurable NBA pastimes, and expressed admiration for how the team has improved in recent weeks under Van Gundy. "The style of play that they've adopted the last three weeks has been remarkable," Williams said. "Coach has done a good job focusing on ball movement and they've always been a good rebounding team. I watch them a lot. Stan's one of those guys you learn from. I've learned a lot just watching their games, how he's made the adjustment from playing one way to playing another way."

It wasn't pleasant news: Gigi Datome and Spencer Dinwiddie were assigned to the Pistons' NBA Development League affiliate in Grand Rapids in time to join the team at the D-League Showcase today through Sunday in Santa Cruz, Calif. Dinwiddie has been up and down multiple times, but the trip to the minors is a first for Datome, who is highly regarded in his native Italy but has played sparingly in one-plus seasons with the Pistons, including just 12 minutes of a single game this year. Nevertheless, Van Gundy said Datome was not thrilled with the assignment. "You know what? Not really," he said, when asked if Datome was excited for a chance to play. "There's sort of a ... he's leaving the NBA, he's a little older, he's not a 21-year-old guy. So no, not really. But hopefully, when he gets down there to Calfornia, and gets practicing, and gets ready to play, and is getting ready for a game that he knows he's going to get a chance to play in, hopefully he will get enthused about it."

Pistons brass headed to Santa Cruz: General manager Jeff Bower and assistant general manager Jeff Nix, who oversees professional scouting, will be in Santa Cruz for the D-League Showcase, both to watch Dinwiddie and Datome and to scout other D-League players.

Sticking with the short roster: The Pistons still have little interest in signing a player to fill their open 15th roster spot because they have so little practice time, Van Gundy said. There may be a time later this month when the right mix of practices and games materializes, and the Pistons probably will add a player, perhaps on a 10-day contract, "if there's somebody out there people haven't already picked up that we can bring in."

Getting to be a habit: The Pistons have lost their last five meetings with New Orleans.

Milestone reached: Anthony Tolliver scored his 2,000th career point.

Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Jan. 14, 2015 27 Gallery: Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Jan. 14, 2015

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