AUBURN HILLS – Of all categories Dwane Casey aims to elevate the Pistons to the NBA elite, accumulating technical fouls isn’t one of them. Yet there they are – No. 1 in the league with 15 technical fouls. And all that despite playing fewer games, 14, than any other franchise.

But a big first step toward heading off this trend was taken after Monday’s relatively easy win over Cleveland – the Pistons led by 30 with four minutes left in the third quarter – when the Pistons padded their lead by picking up four technicals in the fourth quarter alone.

“I said to coach Casey, ‘It starts with me,’ ” Blake Griffin said after the game. “I got three bad technicals in the fourth quarter, late in games, early in the season and I think it set a bad precedent.”

Grand gestures represent the bulk of examples when leadership is explained, but the truth is that it’s mostly made up of smaller moments like that. Griffin knows the Pistons follow his lead and once he scored 50 points in Game 3 as the Pistons beat Philadelphia, opponents began double teaming him more consistently and doing whatever necessary to disrupt his ability to score around the rim. With increased touches and heightened attention focused on him, Griffin found himself growing frustrated with the mounting non-calls when he felt free throws had been earned.

But his frustrations became contagious and now, he knows, it needs dialing back. Casey addressed that need again at Tuesday’s practice, encouraged that Griffin’s actions will be an important factor in rectifying the situation.

“Huge – and he’s exactly right,” Casey said. “Even though he didn’t get a technical last night. Blake has been a leader, has done an excellent job of doing the right things. But in the heat of the battle, those things happen. But he’s set the tone with the team with that.”

Casey suspects that part of the problem is that the NBA has become so perimeter oriented with coaches increasingly implementing offensive strategies to increase opportunities for 3-point shots that officials have become unaccustomed to officiating post jostling.

“In the old days it was a little bit more clear and easier to call, but there’s less and less post-up teams now that officials may get out of rhythm of officiating it,” he said.

The Pistons are tied with Phoenix for most personal fouls called against them at 24.8 a game, though they also rank No. 8 for personal fouls called against their opponent at 23.9. Pistons opponents have taken 27.0 free throws a game, No. 3 in the NBA and less than a full free throw behind the lead. The Pistons rank 10th in the NBA in free throws at 24.7 a game.

Ish Smith has contributed to their lead in technical fouls, picking up three this season. He says that’s two more than he’d accumulated in his career prior to that. He’s not running from his responsibility to nip it in the bud, either.

“I’ve got to be personally better and hopefully the team will follow,” he said.

Smith picked up five personal fouls in just 16 minutes against Cleveland and wasn’t part of the wave of technicals issued, but acknowledged that the new rules regarding “freedom of movement” – especially in defending pick and rolls – has proven a trying adjustment.

“We’ve got to adjust on that, too – especially me,” he said. “In the past, we could be a little more physical. I think guys get a little frustrated. We’ve just got to control our emotions. You look at the fouls – the fouls were equal last night. We won the game last night.”

No excuse for frustrations, in other words, no reason to enable a comeback by giving away free points.

“We talked about it this morning,” Casey said. “We lead the league in technicals and we haven’t established ourselves well enough to get those. We’ve got to be under control.”