Stan Van Gundy doesn’t necessarily view the Pistons lack of a first round pick as a negative, writes David Mayo of MLive. Van Gundy believes that the cap room that would have gone to a first-rounder can be used to acquire useful veterans, notes Mayo. Van Gundy wants to find what he termed, “winning players.” Van Gundy expanded on that saying, “I’ve had the good fortune to be around a lot of them, and they’re not winning players because they’re the most talented guys. I had Udonis Haslem in Miami and he’s still helping teams win championships. He’s a good player but he’s not the most talented guy in the world. I had a lot of those guys in Orlando — Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick — who help you win a lot of games, and they’re very good, but they’re not the most talented guys. But they’re winning guys.”
More from around the league:
- The Pistons are looking to add a shooting guard this summer, and Perry A. Farrell of The Detroit Free Press examines some potential free agent targets, including Dwyane Wade, Lance Stephenson, and Avery Bradley.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has published his latest mock draft. His first three players off the board are Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Julius Randle.
- Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun has Wiggins atop his mock draft.
- The crew over at Basketball Insiders (video link) chime in on which potential draftee will have the biggest immediate impact on the hardwood.
- One of this offseason’s biggest questions is where will LeBron James play next year. Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders believes re-signing with the Heat is James’ best option, but breaks down his next best alternatives.