Eastern Notes: Van Gundy, Bullock, Nets, Wizards, Brown

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy won’t coach anywhere next season if he’s fired at the end of the season. Van Gundy said he’s set financially and would simply take time off, enjoying the summer at his Michigan home and winter at his Florida home. “I have all the security I need,” he said during a press conference. “If I’m not here next year, I’m not chasing jobs anywhere else.” Van Gundy is on the hot seat with the Pistons on the verge of falling out of the playoff chase.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

• Pistons shooting guard Reggie Bullock deserves consideration for the Most Improved Player award, Van Gundy told Hoops Rumors and other media outlets Sunday. In 41 starts this season, he’s averaged 12.6 points on 49.6 percent shooting overall and 45.4 percent from long range. Bullock, who was involved in a minor traffic accident Sunday, started just seven games in his first four seasons and never averaged more than 4.5 points per game. “You’re talking about a guy who never played over 500 minutes,” Van Gundy said. “Now he’s developed into a solid and efficient starter. That’s a hell of a big jump in a year and he should definitely be in the mix for that [award].”
• The Nets have won just three of their last 19 games but most of them have been competitive. Coach Kenny Atkinson says his players haven’t quit on the season, mainly because many of them lack long-term security. “For the most part with our guys there’s no relax in those type of guys,” he told Tom Dowd of NBA.com. “None of us have done anything in this league, except for [Timofey Mozgov] won a championship, DeMarre [Carroll] has been to a conference final, then the rest of us, me included, we’re trying to make it.”
• The Wizards, who have lost four of their last six, need to finish strong in their last 15 games to gain home-court advantage in the opening playoff round. They could finish anywhere from third to eighth and shooting guard Bradley Beal told the Washington’s Post Candace Buckner that they can’t afford to take nights off. “It’s not a situation where we can just sit here and say, ‘Oh okay, we can just coast into the playoffs.’ That’s not it,” he said. “We’re not even playing our best basketball either. So that’s definitely not how we want to approach going into the playoffs.”
• Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will miss Sunday’s game against the Pacers after entering the league’s concussion protocol and could miss several more, according to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Brown was injured during a fall against the Timberwolves on Thursday. “I guess at some point, he becomes day-to-day, but I don’t see that happening anytime in the next couple days or week even,” coach Brad Stevens told reporters.