If Stan Van Gundy ran the NBA, it would benefit the Chicago Bulls

By Luke Askew | Oct 5, 2017

DETROIT, MI - JULY 26: Detroit Pistons president of operations, Stan Van Gundy helps announce they will add Flagstar Bank as a sponsor on the left chest of the new uniforms on July 26, 2017 at the Nike Store in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Detroit Pistons head Stan Van Gundy just might be a genius and that got us thinking about him running the NBA. That would benefit the Chicago Bulls in some other weird reality.

Last week, the NBA made some changes to the Draft Lottery in attempt to derail tanking. The new draft lottery system will mostly affect the top three teams. As opposed to the odds being tiered between the first, second, and third teams to get the No. 1 overall pick like it has been in years past, now all three of the teams will have an equal chance at the coveted first selection.

This prompted Detroit Pistons president and head coach Stan Van Gundy to voice his opinions on the NBA Draft Lottery.

“I’d get rid of it, just get rid of the draft all together,” Van Gundy said. “We’d just deal with the salary cap. Make all rookies free agents coming in and if I want to go give a guy $50 million a year, good, but I got to do it under the cap.”

Van Gundy went on to say, “I think if you did that and you had no individual max on players, we’d start to get some parity in the league, but the league doesn’t really want parity. They want the super teams, and I get that. It’s worked well, business-wise.”

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Well, these comments got me thinking: What if Stan Van Gundy ran the NBA?

I can honestly say this is something that I never thought I’d be asking myself or anyone that likes basketball to answer. But, Stan raises some interesting points and with the Bulls in prime position to lock up a top-3 pick in the 2018 draft, now is a better time than ever to talk about it.

Van Gundy is absolutely right about one thing. If this hypothetical NBA system was to take place, tanking wouldn’t exist. Every team would be fighting to make themselves look as attractive as possible to incoming rookies looking for a place to get their career started. A competitive, winning culture is a good way to do that.

Teams like the Bulls would have no incentive to trade their star player for “future assets” because that only makes the team less appealing to incoming rookies. With the Bulls being a storied franchise in one of the NBA’s marquee cities, they would have no problems finding young talent wanting to sign with them.

But what about other teams? Teams in a less appealing location, with a less-than-appealing track record?

If Van Gundy is really out for parity in the league, this isn’t the way to achieve that.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Stan knows something I don’t — which is very likely given our current positions in the basketball world — but I find it very hard to believe that the Pistons would be successful in locking up young talent.

Does this idea have some potential given the current tanking epidemic in the league? Not really. To be honest, I hate this idea. I hate it a lot. But I understand Van Gundy’s frustration given the Pistons never ending cycle of mediocrity.

But, for fun, it’s time to take a look at my idea of what a hypothetical Bulls roster for this upcoming season might look like if Stan Van Gundy took over the NBA and implemented what I’m now calling “The Van Gundy Project” prior to the 2017 draft:

As previously mentioned, the Bulls would have had no reason to trade Jimmy Butler under The Van Gundy Project. This would have meant no buyout for Wade as the Bulls are still in win-now mode.(Along with the rest of the NBA because hey, no tanking!)

Top prospect Markelle Fultz could have signed with the Bulls giving him an opportunity to make plays next to Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, forcing Rajon Rondo to skip town (still).

And the last major change: the Bulls could have signed a young wing like Malik Monk, finally giving them the floor spacing and athleticism that Fred Hoiberg‘s offense has always required.

Yeah, I’m a dreamer. But that’s the hidden beauty of The Van Gundy Project. Anything is possible.

You know what? I change my mind. I like this unrealistic, hypothetical roster way more than the projected worst team in the league’s actual roster. Someone fire Adam Silver and get Stan Van Gundy on the phone.

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