Stan Van Gundy convinced Detroit Pistons can rebound, save season

CLEVELAND — Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy’s words say he is keeping the faith.

But it’s starting to sound like false bravado from a coach with an uncertain future.

After the Pistons’ latest loss — a 112-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night to conclude a winless three-game trip — Van Gundy said he remains confident the ship can be righted over the final 18 games.

“The thing can change and it can change quickly and overnight," Van Gundy said at Quicken Loans Arena. "I’ve seen it, I’ve coached it. The problem is it’s getting late so it’s got to come like now. We got to get some wins and do it now, but do I have confidence that we can get it done? Absolutely.”

It’s hard to see.

The Pistons (29-35) have lost six of seven games since the All-Star break.

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They have scored more than 100 points twice in those seven games.

After winning their first four games with Blake Griffin, the Pistons have lost nine of 11 games.

They are five games behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference's last playoff spot.

Aside from Griffin and Andre Drummond, no one else is playing well.

And that’s supposed to change overnight?

Van Gundy is clinging to what happened in his first season as an NBA head coach.

In 2003-04, the Miami Heat overcame a 25-36 start to reach the second round of the NBA playoffs.

But with the shots clanging and frustrations mounting, it’s tough to see a repeat with the Pistons.

“It’s easy to hang your head in situations like this when you’re losing and you’re not making shots,” Anthony Tolliver said. “I try to continue to be encouraging to people, to keep our heads up and keep fighting. It’s all you can do.

“You can’t control if the ball is going to go in every single night. It’s not like anyone is out there trying to miss. You can control the effort and you can control your attitude so sometimes in the heat of the game.”

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Point guard Ish Smith said the season reminds him of the late-season swoon last year, when the Pistons won only four more games after moving to .500 at 33-33, finishing 37-45.

“It feels like we went through this last year,” Smith said. “You just got to play through it. These are the situations as a man — not even an athlete — you just got to push through it. We all go through hard times in life and we’re just playing basketball. We just got to keep pushing through it.”

Sensing the frayed nerves, Van Gundy’s sideline demeanor has been more positive recently.

Not that it’s helping,

“I know we are better and have better players than what’s happening right now,” Van Gundy said. “That’s the frustrating thing as a coach is I’ve got confidence in those guys and they should be able to play better than they are and that’s what gets you as a coach.

“I got to take the responsibility. I’m obviously not getting us the right shots for the right people and I’m not finding the answers. I’m not leaving it on them.”

Slow progress

Reggie Jackson was on the court playing basketball Monday morning after the team shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena.

His opponent in the game of one-on-one was video coordinator Jordan Brink, who played at Calvin College.

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Jackson struggled getting around Brink so it appears he’s not close to a return from his severely sprained right ankle.

“No knock on Jordan Brink, but that’s not really close to an NBA game,” Van Gundy said. “Jordan’s a good player, but he’s not the same guy that Reggie would have to face and it’s only one-on-one.

“There’s nothing imminent with him. He’s doing his rehab.”

Jackson has missed 31 straight games. It seems unlikely he will return to practice this week.

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Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.

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