Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't want too push Ersan Ilyasova too hard in the beginning stages of the season.
Ilyasova, who was acquired by Van Gundy this offseason, hasn't played a consistent amount of minutes every night this season. He's played as little as 16 minutes, and as much as 34 minutes already this year.
But Van Gundy has a target for what he'd like to play Ilyasova, depending on matchups.
Here's what SVG told David Mayo of Mlive.com:
"I'm concerned with him," Van Gundy said of Ilyasova. "He plays at a real high pace and intensity level. He had a long summer. I am somewhat conscious of not over-playing him needlessly. Now, there may be games where we need him, like game one we did (against Atlanta), where we need him big minutes (34). But I am trying to -- 26 might actually be a little low -- but I'd like to keep him around that 28 to 30 range, and not have him up in the mid- to upper-30s, and keep him fresh."
