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Who Can't the Pistons afford to lose?

Chris Thompson by Contributor Written on January 07, 2009
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Kings Pistons Basketball

I recently saw this question posted on the Mlive.com Pistons forum:

So, we have been fine losing Sheed and Rip due to injuries. Who is one player we cant afford to go down?

With the Pistons now down two key players in Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, and Antonio McDyess is banged up with various injuries, who can’t the Pistons afford to lose?

It would have to be either Rodney Stuckey or Tayshaun Prince. Why? They have both been playing out of their minds over the past five games since Rip went down with the groin injury.

Over the past five games, the numbers don’t lie for how great these two players have played.

Tayshaun Prince has 18.8 points per game in each of the last five, along with nearly three assists. His 7.4 rebounds per game would be sorely missed and honestly no one could make up for.

Along with those stats, he has also shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and has 1.2 blocks per game.

Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons shining young star, would be another Piston that would be missed if he were to fall due to injury.

Like Tayshaun, Stuckey has averaged 18.8 points in Rips absence, and put up five assists per game.

His shooting percentage from the floor is nearly 50 percent and has made over 75 percent of his free throws taken.

If Stuckey or Prince were to go down with an injury right now with two Pistons out and another fighting an injury, I would expect the Pistons to fall into a slump and watch their 7-game win streak disappear.

      
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written on January 07, 2009 Opinion

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