AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – Stan Van Gundy was given a mission when handed the keys to the Motor City’s once-proud NBA franchise. Win without sacrificing the future, Tom Gores told Van Gundy nearly two years ago when the relatively new owner of the Detroit Pistons hired a respected savant to be his coach and president of the basketball operations. Van Gundy has helped the Pistons earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2009, ending a drought that followed an eight-year run in which they were in the postseason every year, won an NBA title, almost repeated and advanced to six straight Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James likely will end Detroit’s feel-good story pretty quickly. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers may very well sweep the Pistons in the first round, just as they did seven years ago with four lopsided victories. Van Gundy, though, potentially gives Detroit a rare edge against the first-seeded Cavs. The sturdy and seasoned Van Gundy has a ton of experience and Tyronn Lue does not as a head coach, especially in the NBA playoffs. Lue will make his postseason debut as the leader of an NBA team on Sunday in Cleveland in Game 1, which will be Van Gundy’s 88th playoff game.
