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Palace Picks: Good Morning NBA Draft

By Joe Dexter

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Every Morning, Pistons Palace brings you the reading material you need before you start your day at the office. We bring you the morning’s Palace Picks — Detroit Pistons Links from across the web to get you ready for the day.

It’s the morning of the NBA Draft! Man — time flies when your team isn’t picking in the first round. Pistons management will be sitting pretty for quite some time Thursday night, but will have a chance to add a difference maker with the 38th pick of the draft, the 8th overall selection in the second round.

We’ll have all the details coming to you throughout the day.

Let’s see though what’s going on across the web, with today’s Palace Picks.

We start this morning with party pooper Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News who says Pistons fans should forget about the NBA Draft — it’s not the number one priority.

"Not to ruin your NBA draft party Thursday night, but the focus of the Pistons under new leader Stan Van Gundy changed the moment they lost the No. 9 pick and were left with one faint hope at No. 38. That pick won’t alter the makeup of the Pistons, and with an underwhelming free-agent list — outside of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, of course — a big signing isn’t likely either.That’s why Van Gundy’s first huge move must be to trade one of his big guys — Josh Smith (preferably) or Greg Monroe (realistically).Can the Pistons play another season with the painfully cumbersome trio of Smith, Monroe and Andre Drummond? I suppose. Does Van Gundy want to do it? No way."

Vince Ellis at the Free Press narrowed down the type of player that Stan Van Gundy is after. With the 2nd round approaching, Ellis talked to Van Gundy about who they are targeting.

"“Kyle Singler is a very valuable guy here, second-round pick,” Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said Tuesday. “I don’t think you look at the second round and say we’re going to take a gamble of the dice. You do your work and you can get a good player.”"

MLive’s David Mayo touches on what Van Gundy and company are looking for a bit further.

"The Pistons have two imperatives for the draft, which also will apply when free agency opens Tuesday, Van Gundy said.One is character, because the young and rebuilding Pistons are in no position to miss in that department, he said.The other requirement is a player with a definable and specific skill, as opposed to the best athlete.A marksman would top the wish list for the shooting-poor Pistons. In their six pre-draft workouts here, Van Gundy said there was a slight emphasis on shooting guards and small forwards over other positions. He said “about three dozen” prospects worked out for the Pistons."

Mark Snyder at the Free Press talked to one of the best sharpshooters in this draft class — Oakland standout Travis Bader, who is unsure if he’ll be drafted.

"“Every team talks about, you need a shooter,” he said. “I definitely think I can be a guy out there who spreads the floor and can knock down shots.“If given the opportunity.”"

General Draft Links:

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