Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press during the Pistons’ loss to the Suns on Wednesday:
"Josh Smith and SVG have an verbal exchange."
"Seems to be over the defensive coverage."
"And just to be clear: the verbal exchange was nothing compared to Bynum and Cheeks last season. Or any of the stuff with Kuester."
Smith sat the final 16 minutes, which includes the entire fourth quarter.
Van Gundy, via Ellis
"I liked the guys we had on the court. I liked the energy they were bringing."
"My decision was just based on the guys I thought tonight gave us the best chance."
If that’s a veiled shot at Smith, it’s unclear. Van Gundy could have sent a much more direct message had he chosen.
For now, the benching is enough, but it’s worth keeping an eye on Smith-Van Gundy interactions going forward.