Rip Hamilton to come off the bench

Rip shot poorly last night, but he played a great game from what i watched, he didn't force shots (which he could do with the excuse of being the gun of the bench) found open team mates for better shots and played good D.

I liked the idea of him coming in first to rest Prince, Keep Princes mins down and AI and Rip both get there mins, while not playing small ball for to many mins.

Early in the season there was an article about how Sheed couldn't bring it everynight but he talked with the coaches about it so they knew what he had to bring. I'm ok with that as long as the coaches know as the game starts what they have from him and limit his mins so that while he is out there they can expect his best.

The only fault from last night really was the play of Sheed and Amir in the first quarter, but with the fire power we have off the bench now that were balanced if a starter doesn't have it.... the bench is ready and willing to make up for it fast.

Someone brought this point to my attention on another board. While Hamilton is not starting, the minutes that he and AI get should be determined on how each one is playing in that particular game. Rip and AI were both pretty ineffective against Toronto, so it didn't really matter that Hamilton only played 21 minutes.

You don't have to change the starting lineup again, just the minutes, depending on how each is playing. If Rip is lighting it up in the next game and AI is struggling again, would it really make sense to have Iverson play 35+ minutes, while Hamilton only gets 20 minutes?

I like it, but i hope he gets more time at the 2. It hurts his game to constantly play out of position. However, it was encouraging to see the 3 guard line-up do well. Now hopefully that's not an anamoly or a product of TOR.

AI doesn't have to play 38 min. Cut them both down to 30-35 depending on who's more effective that night and we'd have a much better rotation.

I can't imagine too many games that get that minute distribution. The problem is if the SL is rolling in the 3rd, you don't want to change it, but Rip will never get a chance to be a part of that. Now if the bench is rolling and Rip is playing well i would hope that Curry extends the same type of courtesy there and doesn't take him out.

There is something wrong with your namesake. Be it injury or whatever. You need to work on it and find out what is wrong with sheed.

maybe he's just playing at a ho hum level so that he won't pick up more techs?

I understand the need to control the players to a point... but i think this your suspended after a certain number of techs is just wrong.

The amount it takes to get a tech depends on who you are, and who the ref is....

maybe the techs should be watched by a league officer and if it meets certin level then it counts towards a suspension... say 3 league approved techs get you your suspension.

But just ticks me off to see james and Garnett get away with things that sheed would be double T'd for.

i totally share your frustration about the floating/double standard. But, man, I don't trust "the league" (I mean to review and "approve" techs) any more than I trust the refs.

Max, you are forgetting that Dyess has not had a season with us this year. For a long time, we played without him. What you are seeing is simply a more rested version of Dyess. Imesho, we should keep him well rested, and ditto for Sheed, by getting Kwame into the mix.

He still looks injured to me. Those minutes earlier are probably catching up as well.

Rip should play more Prince Backup at first half. And second half, he plays minus minutes, but always at SG , replacing Iverson, who could get some PG minutes to rest Stuckey, in the begin of 4th.

This is so true man. While Sheed has certainly 'earned' his reputation, he does get treated unfairly by the refs when it comes to T's. There are probably about 2-3 of them that the league could have rescinded, but they decided not to.

I wouldn't be too worried about him missing a ton of games due to suspension though.... Sheed was in a similar predicament a few years ago when they started to enforce the tougher policy on T's and he eventually adjusted to it.

Unfortunately, I seldom have an opportunity anymore to read or post. But I at least try to follow the Pistons the best I can under the circumstances with this new job. I knew Rip was going to be torched about the possibility of not starting. I forgot exactly what he said a few weeks ago but I remember how adamant he was that, that would not even happen. Then I was blown away at how congenial he was about it when it was decided he no longer would start. I don't know if anyone raised this as a possible theory on here but today as I was driving down the interstate, this theory popped into my head.

Dumars knew he needed Iverson or Rip to come off the bench. And he also knew Rip could handle the demotion much better than Iverson. I wonder if Dumars had already pretty much decided he wanted to let Iverson go at the end of the year. If he had, then it is quite possible Dumars whispered into Rip's ear, just hold on big guy. If you stick with us this year, I will stick with you next.

Just a theory. It just appears to me with such a sudden and congenial attitude, Rip may know something we all don't know.

That's my conspiracy theory as well. I think that's pretty much exactly what went on behind the scenes. That or Rip is a little schizophrenic. I have to admit Rip on the bike has brought and will bring me many moments of hysterical laughter.

edited to add;
I was thinking back to when Odom was broached with the idea of coming off the bench and he said something to the effect of Phil Jackson must have fell on his head if he thinks that will happen/is a good idea. Look at him now. I think the initial reaction of a majority of players would be similar (worse) than Rip's.

Dumars (with great satisfaction) breaks up the singing by extending his left hand and suddenly joins the other in making a human-pyramid-type-mass. Keeping with his expressed enthusiasm, he says to Chauncey:

"What's it feel like knowing your contract now enables you to retire as a Piston"?

Hi.
...

No thank you.

Pointless question-

Are Dyess's comments that he would prefer to come off the bench after the coach said he would start any better than Rip's comments that he wanted to start after the coach said he'd come off the bench?