<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span class="storytext"> AUBURN HILLS -- Ask Flip Saunders about his goals for this camp and he immediately starts talking about conditioning, about getting the team in much better shape than it was in at the start of last season.</p> Ask about his defense and he will talk about how the team has to trap more and apply more pressure at the perimeter in order to create more turnovers and easy transition baskets at the other end.</p> Ask about his second unit and he will talk about the infusion of youth and how the best way to take advantage of its strengths and minimize its weaknesses might be to take off the reins and let the players play more off their instincts and athleticism.</p> From the sound of it, the Pistons might be looking to play at a faster pace this season, especially when they go to their bench.</p> "I think we do have to play at a different tempo at times," Saunders said. "One thing for sure, I think when we are active, we are better. We want to make sure we are aggressive at both ends of the floor."</p> It's typical, almost cliché, for coaches to talk at the start of training camp about wanting to push tempo and play more in the open court. It was a point of emphasis early last season, but the Pistons never completely broke free of their half-court ways.</p> But there's some urgency about it this season. The idea to trap and run and play at a faster tempo seems borne more out of necessity than just a way to keep up with a current NBA fashion.</p> For one, the Pistons' low-post defense is going to be an issue with Nazr Mohammed being the only true center along with aging forwards Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess and the small and relatively inexperienced Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson.</p> The Pistons are going to have to intensify their perimeter pressure to make it harder for teams to get the ball inside and exploit the middle of the defense. Turnovers are the natural and desired result of perimeter pressure, and turnovers in the backcourt should lead to fast, open-court opportunities.</p> Secondly, the Pistons are hoping to incorporate as many as three young players (Johnson, Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo) into their primary rotation. Young players tend to be more productive with a less-structured environment.</p> "It just helps them to use their athleticism and be more aggressive," Saunders said. "When you run and trap, you are doing things off instinct. You aren't as programmed and I think that can play into their strength."</div></p> Source: Detroit News</p> </span></p>
