Ben Gordon: Where Does He Fit with Detroit Pistons? Microwave 2?

Throughout the course of the summer and surely into the fall, there has been and will continue to be a fierce debate being waged about the Detroit Pistons.

The questions are simple: Are they heading in the right direction, is president Joe Dumars capable of building another winner, and who of the current roster fits the future of the team?

I have spent a lot of time writing about each of these issues, but the one I really want to focus on right now is the last one. More specifically, I want to discuss Ben Gordon and what—if any—role he should play on this team.

First a little of a back story on Gordon. He was born in London, but grew up here in the states and attended high school in New York.

Upon graduating high school, he went on to star at the University of Connecticut, helping to deliver a national championship.

He was selected third overall by Chicago and won sixth man of the year as a rookie—a first.

His career in Chicago was somewhat up and down, as he alternated from a bench role to a starting role, never truly finding his place. He was a stud scorer, but his inability to do other things somewhat pigeon-holed him.

Detroit signed him to a huge contract, and the thinking was always marginally questioned. Why, if you already extended Rip Hamilton, would you go out and find his replacement?

As a result, the situation has become a constant distraction and is a big part of the curious personality of the current team. Fact of the matter is that this is a "team" in name only.

Gordon has struggled in Detroit. The one thing it needs from him that he has always done well is score, but without consistent minutes it has been argued that he hasn't been able to find his groove.

So what exactly is to be done with Gordon?

The fans seem to be split on this issue. They remember seeing Gordon torch Boston while with Chicago, and he was always a tough matchup for Detroit. They know he can score in bunches. They also know that he is only 28 and has a lot of basketball left in him.

The other side of the argument is that he has been a bust in Detroit and might not be a good fit for this team. We have seen free agents struggle with the Pistons, and maybe he just isn't built to play here.

Gordon has a very big contract that runs through 2013 with a player option for $13 million the next season that he would be crazy not to exercise. This deal, given the likelihood of a much less spendy NBA after the new collective bargaining agreement, makes it nearly impossible to move Gordon.

However, the rumor is that there may be a buyout exception clause in the new CBA that would allow teams to buy out one salary without it having salary cap implications.

Therefore, the Pistons could buy out Gordon's deal if they so chose, allowing him to become a free agent if and when the NBA resumes activities.

But hold on a second: Should Gordon really be moved?

Let's look at this team. Brandon Knight is the future in the back court, and he likely will play point guard. Rodney Stuckey will probably be back unless a team falls in love with him and offers him a ton. He can play both guard spots, but figures more as a shooting guard (albeit one that can't shoot).

Knight and Stuckey should co-exist fairly well together as Knight can shoot from deep and Stuckey can guard more athletic and strong point guards.

So where exactly does that leave Gordon?

In an ideal situation, Gordon would be a super sub, returning to his sixth man roots.

Personally, I think that a huge part of Gordon's struggles are not entirely his fault. He has been walking on egg shells around Richard Hamilton and doesn't always know his role on a night-to-night basis.

If Detroit can get rid of Hamilton, Gordon will know his role and can settle back into a 32-36 minutes-per-game role. When in Chicago, playing essentially the same role, he averaged between 19-21 points per game.

Gordon actually can fit well with either Knight or Stuckey, but at least in the short term he fits better with Stuckey. Stuckey can shift back into the point guard role while Knight gets a breather.

In a lot of ways, this would be like the Pistons of the 1980s. Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars started games, and usually Thomas got a rest in the second quarter and Vinnie Johnson came on for some instant offense. In that situation, Dumars shifted to point guard and did so very well.

The key was that everyone knew their role and was not asked to do more than that. And thus, the "Microwave" was born. Johnson became one of the most elite sixth men of all time and Thomas and Dumars had Hall of Fame careers.

More importantly, the Pistons won.

Okay, so this group has yet to play a game together and should not gain serious comparisons to that legendary back court.

The fact of the matter is that this backcourt fueled the engine that was the Pistons, and Dumars knows it. There is little doubt in my mind that he has the same image in his head, and the same thoughts on Gordon.

For Gordon's part, he has been a class act throughout this whole mess, and while others have lost their heads he has kept his.

So should Pistons fans open their arms to Gordon and give him a third chance? Only time will tell, but something tells me that the image of a new microwave in the kitchen is very appealing.