In the No. 8 overall pick in this June's NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons have an asset that will likely be a huge factor in their future.
Head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy has an interesting, potent young core brewing in Michigan, and this draft offers him the opportunity to add one more piece to it. What Detroit needs more than anything, at this juncture, is shooting. Perhaps the two best available prospects in that category wont come from America.
Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia) and Mario Hezonja (Croatia) are two ballers who Van Gundy has been doing his homework on in recent days.
"There's a couple of foreign prospects, European guys, that certainly are gonna be in that top 10," Van Gundy said in a recent radio spot. "Very, very good prospects, and if they're the best guy on the board when we're picking at eight, we'll take them... We'll take him and may not get the same reaction from fans as a well-known college name, but again, what the fans really care about, ultimately, too, is winning games."
Van Gundy is still doing his due diligence, as are his draft competitors. But, clearly, you shouldn't be surprised if you see him pluck his next big Piston from abroad.
(h/t Detroit Free Press)
