We usually stick to just the Detroit Lions stuff around here, but there's another team in town that's really struggling with a rebuild and that's the Detroit Pistons. There's some connectivity here though. The Pistons could learn from the Lions. 

The Pistons are a lot like what the Lions once were. They're a team that's coming off some really bad seasons. So bad that it caused a giant shift in the front office and coaching staff. There's a lot of questions about what new Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon will do and how new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will fair. 

Here's a few things that those guys can take from the Lions rebuild that will help the team finally get out of this hole. 

Establish a culture

The Pistons just haven't had one in a very long time. They were once the "Bad Boys" and then they were the "Going To Work" guys You don't have to have a catchy name, but the team still needs to rally around an idea and  an identity then commit everything to that idea and identity.

The Lions first move was to establish what kind of team they wanted to be and then they built the team exclusively in that image. They only get players that fit exactly what their culture is and it's worked for a long time. 

Get rid of pieces that don't fit

The Lions have not been shy about letting a player or a coach go if they feel that they're not fitting or it's not working out. Anthony Lynn and Aubrey Pleasant didn't work and the Lions moved on. The same went for players like D'Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams. It didn't work out for their vision and they let them go, even though there was some good play there. 

That could mean moving on from Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren or basically anyone not named Cade Cunningham. If they don't fit, don't hold onto them just because the team used a draft pick on them. Move on and get your guys. 

Become overcomers

This has been such a big part of the Lions rebuild. They went through adversity and learned how to overcome it. that could be the adversity of a losing streak or it could be something as simple as learning how to overcome a bad stretch of the game or a bad foul. 

The Pistons have been a team that completely falls apart when bad things happen. There were multiple times last year where the team would take a lead into the fourth quarter and then absolutely fall apart after dealing with a few bad breaks. 

The Lions learned to deal with that stuff when previous Lions teams would let it hamper them. The Pistons need to follow suite on that. 

Stop acting like nothing is wrong here

The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. It's great that you do good stuff in the community, but right now the community kind of hates you becasue all they get from you is bad times. 

One of the big things that helped the Lions is having a great owner in Sheila Hamp. She has been really good at getting involved in the right ways and hiring people that know football to be in big positions. That would be the way to go for the Pistons if Tom Gores would bow out and sell the team. That's not going to happen though.

What Gores could do if he's sticking around is be a part of the franchise in the right way. Don't just go back to California. Stick around here make sure you're hiring the right people. Watch your investment and be there when the team needs you. Stop trying to act like everything is just going to work itself out at some point. Help make sure it does. In the right way though. Don't be Jerry Jones.  

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