Tom Gores acknowledges past mistakes, embraces patience with Detroit Pistons' rebuild

Tom Gores addressed the media before the Detroit Pistons tipped off their home slate against the Chicago Bulls Saturday night. Here's what he had to say.

Gores acknowledges past roster-building mistakes

It hasn’t been represented in the win column yet, but the Pistons have made significant progress in the last four years. Troy Weaver inherited a roster hamstrung by Blake Griffin’s mammoth five-year, $171 million contract  — which the team eventually bought him out of with more than a year remaining on it.

The Pistons had more than $45 million in dead money on their books in 2021-22, nearly $30 million of it being from Griffin. After several seasons of maneuvering, the team is now positioned to have at least $50 million in cap space next season. Gores acknowledged, without mentioning names, that the team made mistakes in its pursuit to win games immediately. Now, he says the future is wide open.

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“Troy’s put us in a position where we have a lot of room,” he said. “If you guys remember the disaster we had in our cap space just three or four years ago, we were stuck. Now not only do we have a foundation, we have freedom. We have space in free agency. I like where we’re at, but it’s basketball. We don’t know how it’s going to go, but I like where we’re at.

“I probably wanted to win too early,” he continued later. “I love Detroit. There’s a part of me that wants to just satisfy the fans, to get to a winning culture. You just gotta do it with players, and we had, three or four years ago or whenever that was, when we decided to rebuild and not hang onto some of the past. I’m not sure I’d do it different. Sometimes in order to do it right, you have to do it wrong.”

He’s impressed with what he’s seen so far

Gores led the charge to bring Monty Williams to Detroit, and offered him a historic contract to get the deal done. The early results of the hire have been good. The Pistons look like an improved team defensively, holding the Miami Heat to 103 points and the Charlotte Hornets to 99. Players have spoken highly of the culture Williams has built.

There’s still a lot of basketball to be played, but Gores is happy that there’s been progress this early in the season.

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“I expected what we’ve been seeing these last couple of games between Monty and our team,” Gores said. “I’m not sure I expected it so fast. I think he’s made a difference really fast. We’re organized, and then defensively we’re really good.

“(Monty) knows how to have discipline, but then he knows how to have compassion. He knows how to be difficult in a certain way but can still pat somebody on the back. He really threads the needle, to me. He’s an experienced coach, but at the same time he’s modern and current in listening. To me, he really threads the needle. I have a lot of confidence.”

He’s embracing patience after several failed rebuilds

When asked about his expectations for the season, Gores deferred. The team hasn’t lived up to expectations — both internal and external — since he bought the team in 2011. But he’s confident in the foundation the team has built, with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and others leading the charge.

Gores acknowledged that the team needs to show growth this season. But ultimately, he’s letting the front office do its job. Even if the process is slower than some would like.

“It’s a very strong foundation,” he said. “They want to win as bad as anymore. Patience with progress. We need to make progress this year, absolutely, and I think we’re set to make progress.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

MUST LISTEN: Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem joined 'The Pistons Pulse'  podcast this week to address the state of the team and its future. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tom Gores embracing patience with Detroit Pistons' rebuild