AUBURN HILLS – Aron Baynes was perhaps the Pistons player Stan Van Gundy trusted most to carry out a game plan with maximum focus and effort the past two years. His departure leaves a void. Boban Marjanovic provides 7-foot-4 inches and 290 pounds to fill it.
It might not be quite as neat and clean as Marjanovic being plugged in to Baynes’ role as Andre Drummond’s everyday backup. Van Gundy envisions Marjanovic and Jon Leuer, primarily a power forward, as “a two-headed monster” behind Drummond – Leuer to guard the more mobile centers comfortable shooting from the perimeter, Marjanovic against more conventional big men.