Rip Hamilton's Got to Go

Don't get me wrong, I love Rip Hamilton.

He is a great competitor, a dead-on jumpshooter, and probably the best in the league at moving without the ball.

He has symbolized the Pistons ever since their 2004 season.

He was a perfect part of their system—eminently predictable, but also executed to perfection.

But he has to go.

Rip cannot exist in the new Detroit Pistons. He cannot play the point at all, something Curry has tried to spread around. He cannot drive to the lane, which the Pistons have always struggled with, and, most importantly, he cannot create his own shot.

The Pistons have morphed into a team that requires its players to do everything. Rasheed, for all his faults, is one of the most versatile big men in both scoring and defending.

Stuckey has evolved past the one dimensional player of last year, adding jump shooting, ball distribution, and even a little three-point shooting.

Iverson is one of the best players in the league at creating his own shot, but he can also play some point, get into the paint, and hit jumpers. Tayshaun Prince probably epitomizes versatility the best, as he can play the three or four, shoot jumpers, hit threes, get into the lane, play point forward, and defend anyone.

Rip can defend the three for short periods of time, but that is the extent of his versatility. He can't even play shooting guard without a point guard who knows exactly where he needs to get the ball. He is a pure jumpshooter.

This is all without mentioning the "who do you bench?" question.

Small ball is not working for the Pistons—and even if it did, it won't work well enough in the playoffs against playoff-quality defenses. The offense is too guard-based, and there are too many scorers. Two volume scorers in Rip and AI, two players who are trying to assert themselves more this season (Stuckey and Tay), and Rasheed, one of the most versatile scorers in the game, cannot co-exist in one lineup.

In the past, Rip has not been willing to come off of the bench, although he has recently said he would do whatever it takes to win. In any case, he would likely not acclimate well to it, reliant as he is on getting his shots, rhythm, and timing.

In the salary cap era, Rip is too valuable an asset to keep without fully using. He is signed to a contract for about $10 million a year that expires in 2013. This money could be better spent on the two most glaring weaknesses that I see in the Pistons: three-point shooting and another consistent big man.

With Stuckey and Iverson able to get to into the lane at will and draw double teams, an elite three-point shooter would be able to spread the floor and hurt teams that ignore him. Some sort of backup guard who is also a serviceable defender would be great here. (Someone in the mold of Raja Bell, although it is unlikely that the Bobcats would be interested in trading for Rip.)

As for a consistent big man, most anyone will do. Someone a little more consistent than Kwame Brown, and without the proclivity for turnovers. Someone to eat up minutes in the paint beside either Sheed or McDyess. This would then free up Maxiell, Brown, and Amir for possible trades.

If the Pistons could fill either of these needs, particularly a three-point threat, a Rip trade it would be worth it.