Heading into the All-Star Break, the Detroit Pistons were on a three-game losing streak and out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They needed to make a splash at the upcoming trade deadline to improve their chances on becoming a playoff team.
By the time last Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline had passed, the Pistons had done just that.
Detroit's aggressiveness was surprising to say the least, but the team was lauded for it. Even the great Magic Johnson went out of his way to praise Stan Van Gundy, head coach for the very franchise that faced his Lakers in the 1988 and 1989 NBA Finals:
Fans of my home state Detroit Pistons should be proud of the job Stan Van Gundy is doing as Pres.