The Detroit Pistons are spiraling downward as their player's ages and tempers are both running high. The Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson trade has produced a clear winner (hint: not Detroit) and the Piston's overcrowded backcourt has caused some bitterness from Richard Hamilton, a man known as a team-player and general non-malcontent.
Sophomore Rodney Stuckey seems to have lost his mojo in addition to losing his shot attempts playing alongside AI. Four of their five best players are over 30 years old. Rasheed Wallace, despite being one of those players over 30, still acts like a teenager on the court and is close to hitting the technical foul threshold of 16, after which a one-game suspension is assessed for each additional "T."
Add it all together and what do you get? A team on an eight game losing streak and just 5-17 against the spread since Jan. 10.
At this point, Detroit, much like Iverson, gets by more on reputation than actual on-court play. They are a team of shooters without passers (highest assist average on the team: Allen Iverson!) and followers without leaders. Rookie coach Michael Curry is obviously overwhelmed with the situation and can't decide what to do with the backcourt trio—he knows Stuckey is the most important player on the team, but can't figure out how to break the news to Iverson and Hamilton.
He also seems stuck trying to play the same style of basketball that Detroit won with while he was an assistant in 2008, but which no longer fits the teams ever-aging personnel - basketball players decline much more drastically on defense than offense as they reach their thirties.
It seems to me that their best bet at reviving any playoffs hopes is ditching the halfcourt game and trying a guard heavy run-and-gun offense that better fits their personnel. Antonio McDyess has been phenomenal for the Pistons relative to what should be expected of a 34 year old with bad knees, but he should not be starting for this team.
By moving Tayshaun Prince to power forward, the Pistons could start a lineup of Stuckey, Iverson, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace, which seems absolutely ideal for a run-and-gun approach. In addition to every single position being manned by above-average shooters, Iverson and Prince are also much better defenders in transition than in the halfcourt, and transitional defense is the name of the game in the run-and-gun style of play.
I haven't heard any rumbling that such a move is imminent or even likely, but I have to imagine that Coach Curry is aware of the strengths, and more importantly the weaknesses, of his current lineup and would be willing to adjust in order put an end to their recent horrific play.
That said, Detroit's Over/Under lines have hovered at about 180-190 all season and they would easily blow that number out of the water if they start running. Watch this team closely in the coming days and weeks, and if you see signs that Curry is willing to open up the offense, start hitting the over hard as the starting five mentioned above has the potential to easily score 110 points per game.
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