It was nearly two years ago when Stan Van Gundy was named Pistons coach and president of basketball operations.
It would have been fitting if he donned a hard hat and pickax during his introductory news conference, foreshadowing the amount of work that would be needed to help turn the franchise around.
He had a centerpiece in Andre Drummond and a budding defensive ace in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but the roster would need more retooling.
Pick, pick, pick.
Van Gundy began by waiving Josh Smith and swallowing his $54 million contract. Smith will continue to receive $5.