DETROIT — For two straight years, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores introduced new leadership to the franchise following disappointing seasons.
But Gores and the Pistons got this summer to look beyond coach and general manager searches after coach J.B. Bickerstaff and president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon helped usher in an historic turnaround in their first year to win 44 games and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
It gave Gores more breathing room to focus on what he hopes is next — becoming a perennial contender.
“The state of the franchise, we’ve gotta win games but it’s never been better,” Gores told reporters ahead of Sunday’s home-opening win against the Boston Celtics. “Everything’s kind of come together between the players we have, the front office we have, and culture. It’s all really connecting.
“It’s been a decade, really trying to get to where we are today. And it’s taken a lot of patience and a lot of hard times, but it feel great. I feel like we’re set up to be a machine. I feel like we’re set up to be a sustainable winner.”
Gores became the franchise’s sole owner in 2015 and what followed was a revolving door of coaches and two total seasons with a record of .500 or above.
But now the Pistons feel like there is momentum with a strong duo at the top of the organization and an exciting young core of player led by All-NBA Third-team guard Cade Cunningham.
Gores spent the minutes leading up to Detroit’s first home game praising Bickerstaff for his unique ability to connect with his players, Langdon’s adaptability to the NBA landscape and the hunger he sees from the Pistons’ roster that tasted the playoffs last season and wants more.
“The issue with success, sometimes it can breed complacency. And that’s a worry after you’re successful, especially for a young team,” Gores said. “But they didn’t do that. They’re in shape. They’ve been working their butts off.
“The culture is, we’re all accountable and we have to go win. We understand that winning is the point here. So nobody is kind of laying low on what we did last year.”
Gores admitted to being nervous during the drive to Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.
The Pistons are generating excitement from their fans and have 16 games set for national television after having an NBA-low four during the regular season last year.
Success is putting the Pistons in a spot they haven’t been in for quite some time and Gores knows there’s an importance to capitalizing on last season.
“We have to win, right?” Gores said. “The dots are all connecting. I’m happy with where we’re at. At the same time, I’m nervous we have to win.”
Bickerstaff and Langdon haven’t expressed quite the same nervousness in the buildup to the season. There’s a want to get back to the playoffs, but they avoid talking about specific win projections and try to stay process-driven at all times.
Like Gores, they’ve expressed confidence in their young players continuing to grow and becoming that sustainable foundation for playing meaningful basketball on an annual basis.
Gores said seeing how the players reacted to hard times in a contentious playoff series with the New York Knicks made him more comfortable with the character of the team and showed that the leadership had the franchise pointed the right direction.
Outside of winning games, Gores’ main expectation for Bickerstaff and his coaches in their second season is that they continue bringing out the best side of their players.
“(Bickerstaff) literally had weeks before they started to get to know each other. And now he’s got a great feel for every player,” Gores said. “So I think J.B.’s main job is to do what he did last year, which he created tremendous culture. Keep that culture going and then keep pushing on the urgency of getting better.”
These lofty expectations and goals wouldn’t have seemed likely or maybe even possible just one year ago.
But the Pistons are now face-to-face with the opportunity of taking a major stride toward what is the ultimate goal of every owner and franchise, which is to compete for a championship.
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