Blending the skills of his top two scorers could be John Kuester's biggest challenge in his first year as the Pistons' head coach. They both play the same position and expect plenty of playing time.
Kuester knows he must design plays that will keep Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon happy and productive when they share the court. "One of the things we have to recognize is they have to be on the floor at the same time," Kuester said. "No question about it, whether it's in a 2-3 situation (small forward, shooting guard) or a 1-2 (shooting guard, point guard) situation, we'll have a number of times when you'll see Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton on the floor at one time. We've got to be efficient and effective with it but I'll tell you this: We should be able to score a lot of points."
That's what president of basketball operations Joe Dumars anticipated when he acquired Allen Iverson last season. But Iverson quickly proved he couldn't handle the point, forcing first-year coach Michael Curry to choose Iverson or Hamilton at his starting shooting guard position. He initially chose Iverson without meeting privately with Hamilton beforehand, creating a feud between Hamilton and Curry that tore the club apart.
When Curry tried to make Iverson a backup after the All-Star break, Iverson did not play for a month because of a mysterious back injury. He then complained after every game about his role when he returned until the team sent him home for the remainder of the season.
Gordon, the Pistons' biggest free agent acquisition this summer, is expected to be the sixth man. Hamilton says they'll have no trouble coexisting when they play together.
"It's a blessing, adding him to our team," Hamilton said. "It takes a load off me with scoring and things like that, because of all the things he brings to the offensive end."
Hamilton's strength is catching and shooting off screens. Gordon can do that, too, but he's more adept at creating for himself.
Hamilton isn't worried about guarding small forwards when Kuester uses a smaller lineup.
"When I first got into the league, my (Washington) assistant coach Tree Rollins always said to me, 'Rip, the more positions you know how to play, the more you can stay out on the floor.' I always pride myself on that," Hamilton said. "If I've got to play the 'three' at times, I love it. It's a challenge."
