Posts tagged ‘Rip Hamilton’

What’s Going on World?

Is Rip really hurt?  That’s the question.  Check out Episode 76 for the Pistonscast theory on Rip’s possible phantom injury.  Also Chauncey Billups and the aforementioned  Richard Hamilton both make special appearances through a new segment called the “Pistons Phone Tap”.  Even with a 5 game winning streak, there is still a lot to talk about it.

1. Is Rip really hurt?

2. How do you like Amir in the starting lineup?

3. How many games with this current winning streak last?

4. Would you trade Rip? For Who?

Anything else you want to discuss, this is the place to do it!

Peace,

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  I didn’t want this news to slip by you. (I know someone just saw the box score and said why did Amir start over Rip?)  Thanks for coming to Pistonscast.com for the scoop.

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VIA MLIVE:

Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton will not play tonight due to a left groin injury. Pistons coach Michael Curry said Hamilton initially suffered the injury at Atlanta on Dec. 21, but re-aggravated it against Oklahoma City last night.

“I kind of came down and I didn’t really know what happened, but after the (Atlanta) game I really felt it,” Hamilton told reporters. “It was like a pull.”

It is unclear when Hamilton will return, but his status is being listed as day-to-day. His absence means Amir Johnson is back in the starting lineup, with Detroit’s backcourt now consisting of Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson.

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I WONDER IS AMIR STARTING IN PLACE OF RIP A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME?

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

What’s Going on World?

How is my Pistonscast Posse doing. I hope you enjoyed the win against the Bulls because I surely did. Watching Stuckey destroy a great young player like Derrick Rose speaks volume to how good Rodney Stuckey really is.

If Derrick Rose is a young offensive minded J-Kidd the Rodney Stuckey might just be a smaller version of say… LEBRON JAMES!

Let me stop now before I get all excited.

Anyway, It’s very simple Episode 75 is here!

WHO ARE YOU SENDING TO THE BENCH?

1. AI.

2. RIP.

Tell us who and why?

Peace,

www.pistonscast.com

YOUNG STUCK/50 CENT JR: ST ST ST STARTER UNIT!

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here. It’s official, and now starting at Guard for the Detroit Pistons!!!! Rodney Stuck-ey!

Yup, thats the word from Coach Curry today.

MC (HAMMER) VIA MLIVE:

“I like the fact that Stuckey is running the point, and I get A.I. and Rip more in their natural positions of being able to just run the wings,” Curry said. “They have someone to create the offense for them. Stuck also gives us a guy that can get the ball to where we want to get it to.”

ALSO DICE IS BACK!

In other Pistons news, Antonio McDyess was not at practice today because all the paperwork for his contract had yet to be completed. However, the Pistons still expect to have everything done in time for him to play against Washington tomorrow night.

I like the move. I just wish Stuckey was starting for Iverson instead of Killa Kwam Kwam Brown. I think we need a Pistons A team with Hamilton and a Pistons B team with Iverson.

Can you imagine how sweet we would be?

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

YOUNG JEEZY SAYS: "IVERSON IS HARDER THAN A DINNER PLATE!"

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  The Pistons are on the road tonight against the Brooklyn-New Jersey Nets.  Tonight is definitely AI’s debut.  I’m looking forward to it.  Iverson completed his first PRAC-TICE on thursday.  The starting lineup is supposed to be Iverson, Rip, Tayshaun, Amir and Rasheed.  I’m not opposed to Iverson off the bench but I’m pretty sure that will never happen.

Coach Curry had this to say in the Detroit News about the Pistons starting lineup and where Stuckey stands on the starter’s learning curve.  “Stuckey is still learning,” Curry said. “He has a lot of talent, but he still has a ways to go. I’ve always said, if you don’t give young guys things and you make them earn it, they will keep it.  “If you give them something, you can take it away. He’s earning his keep, and he’s earning his time on the court.”

The Detroit Pistons are 4-0 and the Nets are coming in at 1-2.  Coach Mike Curry went deep into the rotation last game playing 11 B-ballers against the Raps, so look for at least 10 players to hit the floor (and score) in the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  I expect a win against the Nets but you never know what will happen away from the Palace.

Check out this cool photo gallery of Iverson in his new Pistons duds.

*Also Rip misses Chauncey.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

FROM ESPN:

The Detroit Pistons didn’t stop at making over their backcourt Monday.

In addition to acquiring Allen Iverson in a three-for-one trade with the Denver Nuggets, the Pistons agreed to a three-year extension with Richard Hamilton, a team source told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.

The new contract is worth $34 million, with the first two years guaranteed. The third year is only a partial guarantee, the source told Ford.

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I’m excited!  Rip is a part of our future.  Maxiell is too.  Amir, check.  Stuckey is in there too.

Ha, Joe D is a genius!

Peace,

John W. Davis

P.S. Check out The Marcus Stout Blog: “From the D to the A(ustria)”

Hey Guys,

Been crazy busy down under for the past few.   I have a couple of points I wanted to make and would be happy to hear your thoughts.

Michael Curry - you mention he has the player’s respect now, but risks losing it should he start yelling at players and in particular, veterans.  I actually think this is not the case and that he has been given the authority to completely makeover the culture/tone of the team to whip them into the shape of a well drilled unit.  If he needs to give the players a verbal spray to keep them “accountable”, I think and hope he will do it.  I think this because Michael Curry is a proxy for Joe Dumars, even more so than Flip was.  He has Joe’s total backing and as Joe has said, there are no sacred cows on this team anymore. Under Flip, there probably were some sacred cows which may have hampered his ability to establish his authority over certain players.   I think the team had grown a bit soft and undisciplined under Flip (Larry Brown’s team wouldn’t have mailed in game 6) and Coaches are just as important for setting the tone of the team  as they are for drawing up X’s and O’s. This will be a major area he’ll address and nothing will send a stronger message than Michael giving a verbal spray to a veteran who isn’t doing what he should be.  Sheed, we’re looking at you if you think of venturing more than 5ft away from the low block.  

Chauncey Billups - he seems to be getting ripped a lot for his lack of heart, but perhaps, just perhaps, the leg injury was hampering him in the playoffs last season.  We don’t really know but I too think the hamstring was a bit of a soft excuse. Anyways, we have a new season now and what I did want to bring up was the Stuckey effect on Billups and how this may play out.  Surely Chauncey is a proud and competitive athlete and the sight of a sophomore player putting up numbers/minute that would be superior to his will get his attention and serve as motivation.  For this reason alone, I actually think we may see a more intense and hungry Billups, if only to hold onto his starting PG spot. Nobody likes to be shown up or demoted to a youngster and Chauncey still has many great years left in him.  He never really had this pressure with Lindsey Hunter who was always more of a defensive specialist so I am hoping they can form an incredibly formiddable PG rotation - perhaps the best in the league.

 
Antonio McD’s replacement - would love to give it to Amir but it has to be Kwame, purely on size and experience.  Plus, I love the prospect of Stuckey, Afflalo, Maxiell and Johnson with Sheed all on the floor together.  That prospect has me very excited.

 
Captainship.  I would like to turn this team completely over to Rip.  He still has the hunger in my opinion and is respected by the players.  I also think he has the moxie to call out players and make sure they do what they’re meant to be.  Like the Coach, the Captain should set the tone.  Chauncey may be a little soft on this and Sheed too erratic.  Rip is consistent and would bring a “you better work damn hard” attitude every night.  Who could not play hard for a guy who runs his heart out for the team each and every game.   That on its own should bring everyone’s work ethic up and I would love to see Rip being more vocal on the court as our leader.

 
Ok - rant over. 

 
Hope the comments provide some inspiration for more discussion on the show and a big shout out to all those Piston’s fans who have been sending me a shout outs from afar.  It’s great to props all the way out here in Sydney.

Peace,
Jules

www.pistonscast.com

Hello? Is that you on the line John W. Davis?

What’s Going on World?

John W. Davis here.  Rip is back in the news.  I wonder is that beard gone yet. Anyway, Rip says he is happy now but last year he became frustrated with former head coach Flip Saunders.  (Did You?)

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CHECK OUT THIS EXCERPT FROM THE DETROIT NEWS:

Pistons’ Hamilton is a happy camper

AUBURN HILLS — For most of last season, Richard Hamilton was not his usual self. He was moody off the court — at least with the media — and at times couldn’t contain his frustration on it, which was evidenced by his career-high 15 technical fouls.

There was speculation he was distracted by the birth of his son, which happened right before the season-opener. That, he says, wasn’t it.

“I had a son, which was one of the greatest times of my life,” Hamilton said Wednesday. “That was not a disappointment. Nothing off the court was a disappointment.”

“I was disappointed at the way Flip (Saunders) did things, that was the frustrating thing about it,” he said.

Hamilton wouldn’t get into specifics, but his major point of contention with Saunders was that he didn’t hold all players accountable for their actions.

“Players like to be challenged and they want discipline, even when they fight at times,” coach Michael Curry said. “Rip was frustrated because he didn’t feel that everybody was being held accountable. Our goal as a coaching staff this year is to do a better job holding everybody accountable every day.”

Hamilton has been a happy camper thus far and is eager to turn the page on last season.

“I don’t want to talk about (Saunders), either,” he said. “It’s a new season and I am glad MC is the coach. You can’t look to the past. I am glad to move on and focus on the season ahead of us.”

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If Rip is happy then I am happy too.  Rip is not a player to make excuse so early in the season I think having his child was an issue.  As the season progressed I believe Flip became an issue.  Richard Hamilton should be the focal point of the outside game and that surely was not the case last season.

All the players keep saying Flip let them slide.  They keep saying that no one was accountable and that Michael Curry will be the coach to do it.

The more they say it, the more I believe them.

Peace,

John W. Davis

www.pistonscast.com

Shoutout to our boy Ryne Nelson the Main Online Editor over there at www.slamonline.com

Check out Slam’s Top 50 NBA player analysis.  I believe they will have 2 more Detroit Pistons on their Top 50 list.  Im hoping Rasheed can sneak in there,  I know Chauncey is going to be there.

SLAMonline Top 50: Richard Hamilton, no. 40

The definitive ranking of the best players in the NBA today…

by Matt Eil

If the SLAMonline Top 50 was based on how a dude looks with a plastic face-mask pressed against his mug, there is little doubt Richard Hamilton would be the Lance of that award. However, Rip, who has sported the mask since the 03-04 season (his “Superman cape,” as he calls it), surely wouldn’t mind the humble ranking.

That’s simply the type of hombre that Hamilton is. He plays big when he needs to. He can score but doesn’t need to score. He doesn’t fiend the spotlight. His career scoring average is a chin hair below 18 ppg, and that number goes up almost 3 points come playoff time – a stage Rip has been to throughout his entire b-ball career minus three seasons with the Wizards (y’all almost forgot that didn’t you).

Rip and winning have gone together for quite a while now. Dude led UConn to its first National Championship in 1999 as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, vaulting him to the seventh overall pick that summer. After the 2002 trade to Detroit, Hamilton and the Pistons have gone to the Conference Finals or better in each of his six seasons with the team including 2004-‘05 when Detroit brought it home for the first time since the Laimbeer era.

Rip isn’t your typical NBA stud though. First of all, he probably wouldn’t label himself a stud. The strongest part of his game is arguably his ability to run around a pick better than anyone in the league. And then he keeps running, and running, and then might run some more. Matter of fact, he might just outrun his own dogs, as he claims.

Not only that, despite leading the Pistons in scoring in each of his six seasons in the D, Rip has been second on the squad in assists in five of those years. Point is that Hamilton is the man without acting like the man. It’s not about him.

The examples pile up. The nickname Rip comes from a tattoo he sports in honor of a childhood friend that passed. You ever see Rip in commercials? Doing a skit at the ESPY’s? Pushing his rap albums? All of that is about as likely as me suiting-up next to Hamilton in the red white and blue next fall.

Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.