Add in a slew of injuries and a killer road schedule for rookie head coach Michael Curry, and the first half of this season has been one of the most daunting for the Pistons in recent years.

"We have gone through a lot of stuff this year already," said Detroit's Antonio McDyess, who was traded to Denver on Nov. 3 as part of the Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson trade. He re-signed with the Pistons a month later after the Nuggets bought him out.

"Hopefully, we got all that stuff out of the way and can just worry about playing Basketball and winning games."

Although Detroit's 24-17 record is fifth-best in the Eastern Conference, players and coaches say it should be better.

"We expected to be a little better record-wise," Curry said. "But we are where we are."

But the Pistons have no intention of staying there for long, and their track record indicates they will be able to rebound from their slow start.

Detroit has won more second-half games than first-half games in four out of the team's past five seasons. The lone exception came in 2005-06, when the Pistons jumped out to a 36-5 start before finishing with an NBA-best 64-18.

To play better, Curry said Detroit must develop a steady routine.

"We're looking at the second half to be a lot more consistent," Curry said. "Barring any major injuries, I think we can be pretty consistent the rest of the way."

One of the keys to turning this season around will be Hamilton's play off the bench.

Curry has ditched the three-guard starting lineup, and Hamilton is fulfilling the sixth-man role. Fourth-year forward Amir Johnson has been re-inserted into the starting lineup.

The Pistons also must do a better job of protecting their home court.

Detroit has a 13-7 home record this season, which equals the number of home losses from all of last year.