The Pistons were once sitting pretty near the top of the Eastern Conference, but they now find themselves at 14-13 after a brutal seven-game losing skid. They have lost the last three games at home, the most recent of which was a 103-84 blowout defeat to a Denver Nuggets team without Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap.
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has a simple answer for how the team can snap out of their current funk, and it involves their four best players – Tobias Harris, Andre Drummond, Avery Bradley and Reggie Jackson – all playing better.
Per Rod Beard of the Detroit News:
“The answer for us, in large part is Tobias, Andre, Avery and Reggie Jackson , those four guys, those are our four best players. Those guys have to play better.”
Harris had a shocking game against the Nuggets, as he finished with a season-low two points on 0-of-7 shooting in 30 minutes. The other three weren't much better, as they went just 7-of-24 combined from the field.
Harris has cooled off a bit since his hot start to the season. He's averaging just 15.7 points on 43 percent shooting through seven games in December. Avery Bradley has seen a steeper decline, as he's putting up just 12 points per game on 34 percent shooting this month after averaging 18 points and 47 percent from the field in November.
As a team with no true star who is able to carry them offensively on a night-to-night basis, the Pistons need their best players to all contribute for them to win. They need to start doing it again soon as Van Gundy suggests or they risk falling into an even deeper hole.
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