New Orleans Pelicans: Boom or bust? Stan Van Gundy’s player development

New Orleans Pelicans: Stan Van Gundy’s history of player development in Detroit

Detroit Pistons (2014-2018)

Stan Van Gundy’s time in Detroit wasn’t nearly as successful as his other two stops.

On one hand, this wasn’t really his fault, as he never had much talent to work with in Detroit and still got them to the playoffs.

On the other, Van Gundy was the one choosing most of these guys, so he can’t really blame anyone but himself. Van Gundy was woeful at talent evaluation in Detroit, missed on most of his draft picks and then didn’t really develop the guys he did pick.

Van Gundy did help Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in his time in Detroit, showing faith in the young KCP as he developed into a player who is now a contributor on a title team, but he was never very good in Detroit.

Same with Spencer Dinwiddie, who languished on the Pistons’ bench and was eventually traded for nothing before becoming an All-Star for the Nets.

Most of the young guys Van Gundy had in Detroit were flat-out horrible. Stanley Johnson has gotten worse every year he’s been in the league. Luke Kennard has barely played and looks like a 45-year-old man with bad knees already and Henry Ellenson (who?) is no longer in the NBA.

Those were just the top picks the Pistons had.

Van Gundy also failed to develop role players Darrun Hillard and Michael Gbinije and completely misevaluated Boban Marjanovic, who he gave a fat contract but never played.

This recent history is troubling, as the Pelicans are a lot closer to those Pistons’ teams in talent and age than they are to the Heat or Magic teams that Stan Van Gundy led.

SVG’s history of player development is positive when it comes to role players but mostly non-existent otherwise.

One of his primary duties will be teaching the young New Orleans Pelicans how to play. Let’s hope he’s up to the task.