Nobody expected that.
Not the fans, the coaching staff, the front office or the owners. The Detroit Pistons are 2-26 in the fourth year of a complete rebuild. They have lost 25 straight games, one shy of tying the NBA single-season record and three shy of tying the longest streak over two seasons. Detroit shouldn't be a world champion. People would have understood if this young squad hadn't fought its way to the postseason. However, everyone expected progress. So far the Pistons have declined.
After a brutal 119-111 loss Thursday night to the undermanned Utah Jazz — a defeat that ended with a packed Little Caesars Arena chanting, “Sell the team!” — Detroit owner Tom Gores spoke on Friday night select media outlets, including The Athletic, on the eve as the Pistons potentially tied the record for most consecutive losses in a season.
Via video call, Gores answered questions on a range of topics, including the current state of the franchise, possible upcoming changes, his expectations for this season and more. Gores wanted to talk to fans — through beat reporters — and admit that things aren't going well.
“I think (the fans) deserve an answer,” Gores said.
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Below you can read both the media's questions and Gores' responses, edited for clarity and length.
What expectations did everyone have for this group when you spoke to the leadership team and coaching staff before the season?
We wanted to compete every day, have a chance at the play-ins and playoffs. We wanted our players to grow. That would have been a success for us. We discussed that. We knew we still had a lot to do. Those were the expectations: compete, grow and be close to the playoffs. That's how you grow the most. Make no mistake, these were the expectations.
Have you seriously considered changes to the front office and/or coaching staff from the start?
I think what's probably not apparent right now is that we've cleaned up a lot of things with our player contracts over the last two years. One thing that has bothered me – and I think it's important for the fans to hear this, and I even talked about this with the players recently – is that despite all the defeats, we still have a very bright future. #1: We have an amazing group of young players with great character and talent. This group of players – and I know them individually, I saw them the other day – we're in a great position with our young talent. I think seven or eight players are under 22. They are young. No. 2: We have positioned ourselves so that the contracts are flexible. You know, we had all these contracts that really prevented us from having a specific vision and we couldn't be flexible. We also have a lot of flexibility and you know that I am willing to do whatever it takes to make this organization successful.
As fuzzy as that vision feels, for me it's the same vision of a bright future that I had at the start of the season. I still have that and I understand that the fans are rightly upset and we have to win. I can tell you, when you put all of that together with the talent, I can tell you that these players have tremendous heart and great character. Enormously. Her strength in the midst of all these losses and even in direct conversation with them was incredible. We have an incredible number of young players. We have adapted to be flexible and nimble so that we don't get stuck in this problem. We have a problem. We lost far too many games. However, we are not stuck in it. We are nimble. We can recover from this. We have a tremendous amount of cap space.
We still have an incredible city behind us and I know some of them are mad at me. I get it. I get it. I don't blame them. Still, it's a great city with enthusiastic, caring fans. We are connected to the community. All the dots are ready to be connected, but we're just not winning. The losses are probably making us all forget the foundation we have. I had a lot of time to think about how we were going to get out of this, and one day I realized, as if I was a little boy in Flint, that we actually have these things. You can't ignore the fact that we have these young, talented and strong-character young players. That's there. I don't think anyone will doubt that. And we are set up with this flexible structure.
I was very optimistic at the start of the season about what this team could do and felt like they had a bright future. I still feel that way. But do we need to change some things? Absolutely. We can't sit around and say we shouldn't do it. We have to change some things. We sit around and think a lot. It's Troy (Weaver), it's Monty (Williams) and it's me. What change could take place to make us better? We have to be careful. … We've taken a lot of steps to prepare for the future and we need to be careful and make sure we don't get it wrong.
For me, the vision is still feasible. It's not a dream. We have the vision and the flexibility.
Pistons coach Monty Williams directs players during a game this season in New Orleans. (Stephen Lew/USA Today)
Given that there won't be any changes right now, what gives you confidence in the front office, Troy and the coaching staff that what you've seen over the last five to six months makes you believe that the group is doing things can change?
First, I didn't say there wouldn't be a change. We need change. We're not doing well. In terms of what we're aiming for in terms of acquiring this group of players and flexibility, I think there's still a lot of work to be done. We need to assess what isn't working. I'm with Monty now and I'm talking about rotations. I don't normally do that. Monty is so good and knows what he's doing that he's even open to talking about it. We have to change something. I can't tell you what it is exactly. We dive in pretty hard. We're probably two weeks ahead of you. Our disappointment catches up with us too. We expected much more. We have to be honest and recognize that there are things that didn't work out with the composition of the team. Sure, we should have won a few more games, but how many of them? Three or four? Who knows what that number is. We are not positioned the way we need to be positioned. … I expect change. I don't think there should even be a narrative here that there is no change. Change is coming. I'm just saying that in terms of Monty, Troy and all those things…they'll be in place, but I'm full of it. They will tell you that too. There is a lot of responsibility that needs to be taken on. There may be staff increases and the like. What is certain is that change is coming. We're not right at the moment. We need to add and delete. We're already there. We will make changes. We will do them. We don't know exactly what they will be yet.
You mentioned responsibility, and we all know the NBA is a results-oriented company. When it comes to responsibility at all levels, who do you think is most to blame for the series of successes?
On some level it has to be me. I was very optimistic at the start of the season. Maybe I missed something. If you want to put it on anyone, it's on me and Troy. We made these decisions. What you don't see right now, what the fans don't see, is the cleanup of everything. During my time with the Pistons, we have the most flexible time. As far as the way we don't perform and so on, I think it has to stay with Troy and me. That's where it starts. … We underestimated something. We have seven or eight players who are 22 years old and younger. This is the composition of our squad. Maybe we need more game veterans. Something. If you shoulder it, it can't be Monty's fault. Monty has been here for over 20 games. You could say, “Hey, maybe he could have done this rotation, that rotation” (and) it gets you a few more wins. Monty judges himself every day. People love the idea of sending a message to blame someone and I have never done that in my leadership position. Not at Platinum, not anywhere. … We need to think about why we are disappointed and why we misjudged it. I think part of moving forward in life is being honest with yourself. We are honest with ourselves. We don't sit around and think that the future will be bright by itself. I would say it's about Troy and me. These decisions were made by both of us.
As I said, look at the current state of our contracts and the freedoms we have. At this minute, in the most difficult time, we as an organization have the ability to be flexible. That's something people will see. In the meantime, I'm still optimistic about the future, but things aren't going well. We can't sit around and I say this to my own people: “It's raining outside.” We can't pretend it's sunny. It's not sunny. Get out the umbrella. We have things to do.' I'm in touch with it. We have to go into more and more detail, be honest with ourselves, and maybe we have misjudged some things. It's my turn first, me and Troy. We held hand in hand through these steps. We know we still have more work to do.
If we don't lead with responsibility and our own accountability, how can we lead an organization? I don't want to blame anyone. I would like to go into more detail about this. Troy is currently analyzing and evaluating each lineup and what is happening. We know what is good. Where do we need the additions to get this team on the right track?
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Is there a timeline for the changes you want to make?
I think it must be in the near future. We must have urgency. It's not going well. I apologize to the fans. It's not going well. It is our job to create urgency. I don't think there's any timeline other than figuring out how to right the ship as quickly as possible. The ship is not sinking, but we have to right the ship. Something isn't quite right. We have to be honest enough with ourselves and not get stuck in a strategy. The worst leaders don't know how to adapt. We must navigate and adapt. Whatever strategy we had, it doesn't quite work. We were very unlucky – a difficult schedule, injuries, a young team. No excuses. Without all this bad luck, we might win five more games. Who knows? But we are not prepared to be a championship team right now. We need our young crew to grow.
What does success look like for the rest of the season?
We need to get some wins. I would say that's important. Overall, we need to ensure that our young players, the core of the future, grow and feel encouraged. The fans… I would be happy if the fans supported them. Blame me. Support her. If we continue to grow this core, we will have this success. We have the flexibility to surround them with what they need to be successful. They have to leave that to us. At this point, a few wins will boost their confidence. These are great men. I want to protect her. I say that honestly. These are good men. Meeting the players, their strength to get through this… Thanks to their parents, thanks to everyone who was around them and made them as strong as they are.
Firstly, in order to be successful in the future, we must ensure that our young, talented players are protected. I ask the fans to support her and shout at me. We need to surround them with things that will help them succeed. We don't have to do anything stupid either. Let's not panic here. We have a good core, a good foundation, young players and flexibility. We need to not panic, but still have urgency. This is our balance. We need to thread the needle to create urgency and create change because we are not yet where we need to be. But we have to be careful not to wreck the ship here.
Isaiah Stewart (right) and Cade Cunningham, two of several Pistons who are 22 or younger. (Bill Streicher/USA Today)
You mentioned the urgency and desire not to make panic moves, but if there are no significant moves for Troy and the front office between today and the trade deadline, does that hinder your view beyond this season?
We have to regroup at the end of the season. We're doing it now. 'What happened?' I expect a change. I expect Troy to make a change. Staying exactly the same… I don't think anyone can seriously say that change isn't needed. I expect Troy to find ways to change the composition of our team and find ways to be more successful. I expect him to find ways, and he knows that. If we don't do anything to improve, I will be disappointed. This is nothing new for Troy. He knows it.
From the outside, the impression is that there are many voices within the organization going in different directions. Does there have to be a unity mentality in the building and no different agendas?
The voice, like I said, is Troy and me. We have a lot of people who are good investors and advisors. We focused on rebuilding. We have sorted everything out in terms of contracts and the inclusion of young players. It's really Troy and me. There are people who might want to go in a different direction, but the voice of the whole thing is Troy and me. We are responsible for where we are.
There are voices everywhere. There are voices from the press, within our own organization. But the direction is clear. It's up to Troy and I to make those decisions. At the top is the aligned view. I also understand that the vision needs to be adjusted, and I think Troy does too. As in any company and in any situation, you can hear and listen to everyone, but this is just advice. Then make a decision. Troy and I make decisions.”
How does it feel when fans shout “Sell the team!”?
They can say whatever they want, but this is ridiculous. Aside from winning – and we should win more games – we do a lot in the community. Players, the organization, we do a lot in the community. Aside from winning, we made a huge difference in the community. That means a lot to me. I understand that this will only mean a lot to people if we win, but the undercurrent of what has happened and what has happened to our community over the years is there. We do multibillion-dollar things outside of (basketball). I understand fans are upset, but it's a ridiculous thought.
(Top photo by Tom Gores: Kirthmon F. Dozier / Detroit Free Press via USA Today)