After lengthy anticipation, the Detroit Pistons finally hosted an introductory press conference for their new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon. The Pistons hired Langdon in May to take over the franchise's front office. Detroit opened time for him and owner Tom Gores to address the media Friday afternoon.
The Pistons' plan of a restoration fell short under Troy Weaver as general manager. Detroit was 74-244 under the leadership of Weaver and never sniffed close to the postseason. Last season's 14-68 finish was enough for the front office to part with Weaver and Monty Williams as head coach.
Gores and Langdon shared their excitement about the takeover of the new regime. The Pistons' owner opened up about what their new front office leader provides for the team.
“One of the things we've really missed and I take some responsibility for that, is a leader who can lead everyone,” Gores stated. “Not in pieces, not part of the front office, not just the stadium. They can truly thread together and align people, and that's what I was impressed with Trajan about.”
The media pressed Gores about the front office decision-making going forward. This has been a controversial topic dating back to the tension in the organization during the head coach hire of Williams. Gores reiterated his trust in Langdon as the “CEO” of the Pistons.
“I like good voices, I like to collaborate but I think we needed some day-to-day leadership to thread that together. I'm not sure we've ever really had that,” Gores shared. “We needed help threading it together and I think it's resolved with our president of basketball here, and I am really confident about it.”
Trajan Langdon's offseason vision
Trajan Langdon's resume stacks up well to justify his hiring as the President of Basketball Operations. He has been quite impactful over the past five seasons in building the New Orleans Pelicans into postseason threats. Langdon made it clear what his plan is for this young Detroit team heading into the future.
“I don't think there's a timeframe of when we want to get back to the playoffs. I think for us is creating a foundation for our young players. A foundation of winning, which means creating an environment of winning,” Langdon explained. “You have to do that first before you can actually win between the lines. We can't skip steps in terms of the development of this team.”
The NBA Draft and NBA free agency are quickly approaching, meaning the Pistons need a plan in place for building up their roster. While Langdon was persistent about the patience needed for team development, he also touched on the necessity of adding proven talent to help the young core.
“I think that is one thing that we are looking for with the cap space that we do have is bringing in contracts from other teams and gathering assets as well,” Langdon explained. “Hopefully with those players that come in they can bolster the growth of our youth. If we can kind of interweave those two things, that would be two things that would make our summer successful.”
The Pistons are currently without a head coach after firing Williams this past Wednesday. Langdon noted that Detroit's coaching search will not take a backseat as they look for the perfect leader for the squad. He stated that head coach leadership is an imperative step the front office is taking seriously.
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