Michael Curry announced the end of smallball in Detroit, revealing to reporters following today's practice that he's decided to replace Rip Hamilton from the starting lineup in favor of a traditional power forward. Amir Johnson will get the nod on most night, but Kwame Brown will be used against bigger opponents. Rasheed Wallace will continue to man the middle, while Tayshaun Prince, who had been playing out of position at the four, will be allowed to shift back to his natural position of small forward. Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson will start in the backcourt. The move should reap immediate benefits for the Pistons, who have struggled to adequately rebound and defend with the undersized three-guard lineup.
Curry admitted last month that he's toyed with the idea of going back to a traditional lineup, but a groin injury by Hamilton delayed that decision. Hamilton returned last week, but Curry seemed intent on allowing his three guards one last chance to prove they could co-exist as starters. Instead, the team went 1-4, losing to some of the worst teams in the league, including the Pacers, Thunder and Bobcats.
They finally won last night's game in Memphis, in part by following a substitution pattern similar to what Curry anticipates to use from here on out, with Hamilton playing extensively with the bench in the second quarter. From the Detroit Free Press:
"I feel we are better defensively and rebounding" with three forwards, Curry said. "We have struggled sometimes being able to score at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters. We think, by featuring Rip during those times, we can (change) that."Curry hinted yesterday that he hoped to stick with whatever decision he made for the rest of the season, which should add some stability to what's been a bumpy ride so far for the Pistons.
This is a team that's won their division the past four years; this season, they already trail the Cavaliers by eight and a half games before hitting the halfway point. If the playoffs began today, they'd open the playoffs on the road in Atlanta.
There's still a long way to go, but the Pistons have much to prove before they deserve to be mentioned among the East's elite, let alone the league as a whole. But at least on paper, today's announcement seems to have them pointed in the right direction.
