Auburn Hills — The coach called it “a year of misery.” And his boss has chosen to take that as a positive — or make it one, rather.
So in the aftermath of this exasperating Pistons season there’s that, at least. The organizational “synergy” that owner Tom Gores promised when he hired Stan Van Gundy as president and head coach three years ago remains intact.
But if that’s merely a default position — or a defense mechanism — or if it’s a real strength, as Van Gundy insisted Friday, we’re about to find out. Because less than 48 hours after his team capped a losing season — a 37-45 finish that felt like a step-back airball on the heels of last year’s playoff breakthrough — the man with two hats was doubling down, rather than hedging his bet.