Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a two-year extension with the Grand Rapids Drive as the team’s G League affiliate. The team also announced that Rex Walters has been named as a Pistons assistant coach and Rob Werdann as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive. Per team policy, terms of agreements were not disclosed.

“We’re pleased to announce the addition of Rex Walters to our Pistons staff and to name Rob Werdann as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive,” said Stan Van Gundy, president of basketball operations and head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Rex brings great basketball knowledge and experience and does a great job of developing young players. We were very happy with the way he worked with our young Pistons players last season when they were on assignment in Grand Rapids. Rob has a great deal of coaching and scouting experience in the NBA and knows our organization’s culture and philosophy. We believe he will be a great asset to the Drive.”

The Detroit Pistons have traded guard/forward Darrun Hilliard to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, as announced today by General Manager Jeff Bower.

Hilliard appeared in a career-high 39 games (one start) last season with averages of 3.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 9.8 minutes. Drafted by the Pistons with the 38th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hilliard owns career NBA averages of 3.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 10.1 minutes in 77 games (three starts).

Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been suspended for two games without pay for pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, in violation of the law of the State of Michigan, the NBA announced today.

Caldwell-Pope’s suspension will commence with the next NBA regular season game that he is eligible and physically able to play.

The Detroit Pistons unveiled a newly updated primary logo today which the team says brings together the past and future of one of the National Basketball Association’s longest tenured franchises.

The new look will be officially unveiled on the Detroit Pistons podium at tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery.

The Pistons’ new primary logo debuts as a new chapter of the franchise’s history is forming in downtown Detroit. The red, white and blue basketball is symbolic of the Pistons’ brand and this modern version introduces sleek, accurate groove lines, a bold team uniform font and the addition of a chrome outline – providing a nod to the region’s Motor City roots. The updated logo is the result of a six-month design process by the Detroit Pistons’ creative team in collaboration with the NBA and Nike, the official outfitter of the NBA beginning next season.

“The Detroit Pistons new primary logo celebrates the club’s long-standing history in the Detroit sports community, stays true to our brand and reflects a modern design for our future,” said Charlie Metzger, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Detroit Pistons. “As our organization begins a new chapter in downtown Detroit, this new logo links the franchise’s rich championship lineage with our exciting prospects for the future.”

He was tired. His teammates were tired.

So when Stan Van Gundy drew up the play, “an ATO,” out of the timeout with 11 seconds remaining, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope decided to take matters into his own hands.

Caldwell-Pope broke off a screen and took an inbounds pass from Reggie Jackson on the right wing, turned to find himself open and filled up the game-winning triple in the Detroit Pistons’ 125-124 double overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

“I already hit the first two, and I caught the last one in rhythm, so I just got a rhythm shot and just made it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Knocked it down. And I was ready to go.”

It was the third of three triples in the second overtime for the Pistons’ shooting guard, who finished with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 48-plus minutes.

— Michigan Live

“Stan has to become a much better worker and learner,” Pistons president-coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday before Detroit’s game against the Atlanta Hawks (8 p.m., FSD).

“He just does. He’s a great competitor — if you put him on the floor, he’s going to work really, really hard. But he’s got to get better at all the stuff that leads up to going onto the court.”

Van Gundy specifically pointed to practice and off-days, where Johnson, now 20, sometimes puts in less than 100 percent effort compared to his fellow bench counterparts.

“He’s got to be a better practice guy,” Van Gundy said. “He’s got to be a better workout guy. He’s got to be better with all that stuff. Really working to get better. Once he’s out there competing, you don’t have a problem with that. He’ll play as hard as anybody, but he’s got to understand that’s not the whole thing. It’s preparing to play.”

— Michigan Live

Quick Take: In his rookie season (last year) Stanley Johnson played 23.1 minutes per game and averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds, on just 37.5% shooting. This season, Johnson is playing 14.9 minutes per game and getting just 4.0 points on 41.7% FG. More is expected of him. But as mentioned above, he’s not even 21 years old yet. Plenty of time for improvement.