Josh Smith has been praised for his efforts during training camp for the Detroit Pistons.

Smith has been playing exclusively at power forward early in camp.

"He's getting back down the floor defensively," Stan Van Gundy said. "I think he's trying to do the things that we want done and I think people notice those things."

Van Gundy said he believes Smith still can be a top-shelf defensive power forward as first step to becoming recognized as a Pistons leader.

"He understands it as well as I do, to get that kind of credit, you have to win," Van Gundy said. "That's the bottom line, you have to win, then people start looking at you differently. If you're a guy that people perceive as being a major reason for winning, that changes everything."