January 10, 2009 I've been meaning to write about the Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade ever since it occurred.  For the past couple of months I've been really busy with campus visits and other application-related business, so I was unfortunately not able to get around to discussing serious topics like this one. Recently, however, I accepted a tenure-track job (hooray!), which means I am now able to devote my free time to writing thousands of words analyzing the doings of Detroit sports teams. Obviously, the Pistons aren't a better team after this trade. With Chauncey, the Pistons seemed a lock for at least the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. With Iverson, they could be one-and-done after the first round. Of course, the argument is that this trade wasn't about making the Pistons better this year, but rather to free up cap space for 2010. This could be possible, but still it seems a pity to just write off this year. At the same time, Iverson really gives something the Pistons have been lacking for a long time: someone who's willing to take it to the hole. When you look at the Pistons' starting lineup from last year (Billups, Wallace, Prince, Hamilton, and McDyess), you're basically looking at five jump-shooters. There's no driver, no slasher, no Dywane Wade-type player able to drive to the basket, draw contact, and bring defenses into the paint and open up the three-point shot. Iverson is someone who can do that for them. However, the Pistons have brought in Iverson at the exact same time that another player who does exactly this, Rodney Stuckey, is developing as a future star for the team. Rodney Stuckey is amazingly fun to watch, and he played better than any of the starters during the playoffs last year. So, whereas for years the Pistons had no one who would take the ball to the basket, now the Pistons have two pointguards with surprisingly similar games. One is a superstar in his last year of a contract, the other is a second-year player who looks like he could become an all-star, perhaps even a superstar, one day. How can the Pistons fit these players together? I'm glad that Pistons coach Michael Curry has begun to start Rodney Stuckey. The problem  however, is that Iverson's presence is forcing everyone else to play out of position. Rasheed Wallace (a natural power foward) is our starting center. Tayshaun Prince, who looks like he weighs 97 pounds, is our power forward. Rodney is in his natural position as point guard, and Iverson is our shooting guard. Rip Hamilton, a natural shooting guard, is our small forward. Iverson's presence is obviously disruptive. It's not his fault, it's just the way his game is. What I'd really like to see is either Iverson or Rip Hamilton play with the second team. This might seem like a strange idea, given the fact that both of these players are all-stars who command enormous contracts (Rip just recently re-signed with the Pistons to the tune of $34 million, Iverson is in the last year of a contract which will pay him $20.8 million this year). However, the offense is really discombobulated with Iverson in it. In my opinion, our starting lineup should be Stuckey (point guard), Hamilton (shooting guard), McDyess (Center), Rasheed (power forward), and Tayshaun (small forward). Iverson should lead the second team and come in at times to play small forward in relief of Hamilton. I'm not suggesting this as a means to punish Iverson, I just think this would be the best way to use his skills. He's so good that he sucks all the energy out of just about all of his teammates, save Stuckey. I think we'd get a lot more out of Hamilton, Rasheed, and Prince with Iverson playing with others more. I also think our defense would be better. Finally, I think that if Iverson were surrounded by second-stringers, he would be more comfortable taking over (which is natural for someone with his skill set to do). Who knows? He might even open up opportunities for players like Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and Walter Hermann, who would doubtless get many more open looks playing with Iverson than they currently do. Speaking of the bench: one thing that bugs me about first-year coach Michael Curry is that he hasn't established a regular rotation. From one game to the next, the lineups have no consistency whatsoever. Furthermore, some guys have totally disappeared on his watch. Walter Hermann began the year playing major minutes (and he played well), but he hasn't been heard from in months. Amir Johnson began the year as a starter, but then was out of sight for weeks until Rasheed's injury put him back in action. These guys can contribute, but whenever they are called into action it's only after they've spent way too much time riding the pine. I'm not very optimistic about this years Pistons. They blow too many leads, and every night it seems like a stiff like Larry Hughes has a career night on them. But they're not a hopeless case. While my feeling is that this will finally be the year Lebron wins a title, the Pistons do have some life if they can maximize the potential that both Stuckey and Iverson bring to the team.