Is It Time To Panic for Detroit Pistons Fans?

Okay, so the Pistons have lost five straight. Is this really an issue to worry about? I mean, in the NBA, teams collapse for periods. The Celtics just did it. The Pistons even lost six straight during their championship season in 03-04.

Sometimes, your players are injured. Sometimes, you face tough teams on a rugged schedule. Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to battle teams with long losing streaks and something to prove, giving them amazing abilities beyond their own true skills.

I wish I could look at these reasons and select one. However, even though the schedule has been rugged, the teams faced were sub-par teams. None had anything spectacular to prove, and the Pistons had just gotten their injured players back, who were not missed during the 7-game win streak because...well, because it was a 7-game win streak.

During that streak, Michael Curry was a great coach. During that streak, Rodney Stuckey was untouchable. During that streak, bench players like Amir Johnson and Arron Afflalo came in and showed why they might start on other teams. Okay, maybe Amir started during that stretch, but he's generally treated like a bench player.

The sad thing is how this 5-game skid coincides with the return of 6-time Pistons’ leading scorer Richard 'Rip' Hamilton.

While Allen Iverson, 4-time scoring champ and former league MVP, publicly stated that he would do anything that bettered the team, including coming off of the bench, Hamilton publicly stated he would not accept a role off of the bench.

This has led to the confused rookie head coach that Michael Curry is to go with a smaller lineup because as much as he wants to have Hamilton come off the bench, he does not want to cause a rift among the players or fans by sitting a fan favorite and former All-Star.

Unfortunately, the rift is there. Hamilton and Stuckey are great together. Iverson and Stuckey are great together. Hamilton and Iverson mesh like filling Ravioli with jawbreakers.

At this point in his career, Hamilton has won a title and believes himself worthy of the prima donna status. I hate to blame things on Chauncey, but Hamilton has always been great because Chauncey knew exactly where to give him the ball.

He cannot create his own shot, he cannot drive to the hole, and as long as he continues to attempt to do so, he will fail, as will his team. Chauncey made Rip into such a great scorer that he thinks he can do it on his own, and this is not the case.

The coaching is an issue as well. If I had been writing since the beginning of the season, this may be a controversial area because I first praised, then denounced the rookie coach. However, Michael Curry is new to coaching altogether, and he has been stuck with a talented but difficult team.

Rodney Stuckey is having trouble leading the team because he is so young, even though he is incredibly intelligent and talented. Iverson is a former MVP who is expected to change his entire style of play, while Rasheed Wallace, possibly the greatest big man to play in recent years, has given up on basketball altogether and cannot utilize his true potential without the kind of motivation that a Larry Brown or Pat Riley can invoke.

The talents on our second unit are so diverse and rare that Curry has not yet had the chance to truly understand them all.

Do not think for a second that I am defending Detroit's coach.

On the contrary, he definitely has much room to grow. He has failed in many ways, and needs more guidance. However, he is a rookie who needs more baby steps to learn what works and what doesn't.

I completely disagree with his decision to run small ball, even though he publicly admitted that it does not lead to wins, simply because he is not ready to face the reactions of benching Iverson, a former league leading scorer, or Hamilton, the previous Pistons' leading scorer for six years.

I disagree with his 8-man lineup, especially during this recent stretch that called for more rest for our players. I completely disagree with his DNP-CD (Did Not Play—Coach's Decision) for Jason Maxiell, leading to us being out rebounded in every loss.

However, I will never give up on the Pistons. I come from Detroit, a city where sports fans support their teams. I come from a city where a hockey team can go 42 years without winning a cup, and still have the entire state on their backs when they finally do, subsequently winning three more.

I come from a city where we support our losing baseball team who comes back the following year to win the AL pennant and advance to the World Series, and a city where most games still sell out to watch the record-breaking 0-16 football team.

I come from a city where a dead-last women's professional basketball team can win the title the following year under the coaching of a former player in that city, and a city where a single block at a crucial moment can shake-up one of the league's greatest scorers, causing an upset of his team and taking our team to a finals where we win despite ridiculously long odds against them in only five games.

I will never give up on the Pistons because I come from a city where anything can happen, and anybody can surprise you in the world of sports. This is a team with Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo, two former champions in college who know how to win, have the drive to do whatever it takes, and the youth to run with the bulls.

A team with Allen Iverson and Antonio McDyess, two players with mileage under their belt but the hunger and strength to do whatever is necessary to claim their ever-evading prize...an NBA championship ring.

Tayshaun Prince, who normally can shut down any of the league’s elite, and Rasheed Wallace whom, if motivated enough, can score in the post at will.

In spurts, Will Bynum can score and defend, and off screens, Rip Hamilton can score as well. Kwame Brown may not be the No. 1 draft pick Jordan envisioned, but he can defend and Amir Johnson can block, rebound, and help create plays as long as he's not in foul trouble.

Don't give up on the Pistons just yet. I still think they will right the ship, and one thing that we all know about Detroit is that it doesn't matter where they land in the playoffs. Once they're in, they're in...and at that point, they can be dangerous. I will always continue to believe that may win it all.

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