The Detroit Pistons are 8-5 this year, but the team is not as good as in recent years. Since the big trade sending Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson, I've been watching to see how the players would mesh together. It's early still, but one guy in particular has struggled with the change.
Rip Hamilton is shooting 38% from the field and 26% from the 3 point line. These numbers are down from last year. Hamilton seems to be having a hard time finding his shots with Iverson on the floor. Hamilton is a scorer. He's not a strong rebounder or defender, so if the ball is isn't going in the basket he's not contributing much.
Another thing that is obvious is that early on the young guys who were supposed to improve this year, have actually regressed. Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson were going to provide the Pistons with a powerful bench this year. However the Pistons are getting outscored greatly in the 2nd quarter of games when these guys are usually in. Maybe as the season goes on they'll get out of this rut, but right now they are hurting the team when they're on the court.
Michael Curry has his work cut out for him. He has 4 players in his 9 man rotation who are invisible right now. They're ghosts out there! Curry needs to tinker with the rotation. Personally I'd like to see Rip start the games, because he deserves that, but have Aaron Afflalo come in early for him. Afflalo would give the team another defender on the floor, and he's been hitting the open jumper. Plays don't need to be ran for him, leaving the shots on the floor for Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Iverson. Bring Rip back in with the 2nd unit, letting him be the #1 option with that group. Build up his confidence which has taken a hit, and give the young guys mentioned above, the veteran stability they obviously need. McDyess coming back will also give that 2nd group a jump start.
I'm not waving the white flag yet, just trying to stress the point that some minor changes need to be made.
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