Although he called himself a "now person," Pistons owner Tom Gores understands that "now" isn't exactly the best time for his franchise.
"I have to be the impatient owner that wants to deliver a championship here," Gores said during a brief news conference before Wednesday night's opener at the Palace.
Failure isn't in the man's vocabulary. He spoke of making an impact every day, whether he's dancing with the fans outside of his owner's suite in Auburn Hills or at his base of operation in Beverly Hills, Calif. He's pleased with the competitive progress he has seen and the upgrades in young personnel.
He insisted again that the playoffs should be a realistic expectation this season.
"There's no ultimatum that says if you don't make the playoffs, you are gone," Gores said. "We don't work that way. The ultimatum is we have to get better."
Well, if you're going to stink, it's better to be young and stink. At least you're giving people hope that there's a potential upside to the endless losses, mistakes and monotony.
The NHL lockout -- coupled with Michigan State's and Michigan's football struggles, the Tigers' World Series exit in four straight, and the Lions being ... well, the Lions -- presented the Pistons with a tremendous opportunity.
They were the main story Wednesday, the primary focus of attention. The crowd was sparse. But it was nonetheless a great chance for showcasing the minuscule steps forward: Greg Monroe perhaps on the cusp of becoming an All-Star in his third season, Brandon Knight's development at point guard, and rookie center Andre Drummond offering a glimpse of his potential.
The Pistons finally have embraced rebuilding. Ben Wallace is gone. Tayshaun Prince should be.
Let the youngsters run the show. Let them learn from the inevitable ugliness. It's not about now with these guys. It's solely about tomorrow.
And tomorrow could become very interesting with this team, on and off the floor.
There are legitimate rumblings that it's only a question of time (perhaps by year's end?) that the city and the Red Wings will announce the proposed construction of a new downtown arena in the Woodward-Temple area. But that's a feasible investment only if the Pistons join in as a partner, returning to Detroit for the first time since the 1978-79 season, when new owner Bill Davidson bolted from the city for northern Oakland County.
Gores insisted Wednesday that he's in no rush to leave the Palace. He has invested millions into facility upgrades and still believes that it remains one of the state-of-the-art arenas in the country despite approaching its 25th birthday in 2013.
But Gores also sounded like a realist.
"If the future is downtown, and that's what we have to do to grow, I'm not against that," he said.
Gores didn't become a billionaire corporate shark through gushy sentiment. His private equity company, Platinum Equity, bought the entire Palace Sports and Entertainment operation because it saw valuable assets to build upon and make more profitable.
Nobody's still too sure if the Pistons are a long-term part of that equation.
The Pistons aren't the first professional sports team owned through a private equity fund. In Toronto, the Ontario teachers' pension plan remains the primary stakeholder in the NHL's Maple Leafs and the NBA's Raptors. The NBA initially expressed reservations about Platinum Equity's interest in the Pistons because private equity firms, historically, aren't in these endeavors for the long haul. It's about making a big profit within a few years and then "flipping" it to another buyer.
I specifically asked Gores about those concerns.
"You know my commitment to Detroit," he said. "I grew up here. I'm from Flint. I will always treat my partners in this venture fairly, but I'm committed to this long term. I came here for a reason."
Gores' patience will be tested with the Pistons, but he insists that it'll be worth the wait.
Contact Drew Sharp: 313-223-4055 or
dsharp@freepress.com.
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