From Chris McCosky’s blog:
We were talking to Flip Saunders today, and Sherrod Blakely asked him if he has thought about the idea of bringing Richard Hamilton off the bench. Remember, I had suggested this in a recent column as a bail-out plan if Hamilton’s struggles were to continue for another 30 games or so. Here’s what Flip said.
“No… We are trying to get Rip focused, but he’s just not in a rhythm right now. He hasn’t been healthy, and when he got healthy, then he got sick. You can’t totally judge him now. If a guy’s healthy and he’s been playing, that’s one thing. But if a guy is not healthy and you do something, then you are making an adjustment that you might not need to make. I am not going to overreact to this.”
Hamilton did not practice again Monday. He’s still fighting the flu, but Saunders expects both Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace to be in the lineup for the Cavs game Wednesday. Wallace (sore left knee) did a little bit, but not much, at practice Monday.
I have to agree with McCosky on this one. If not for Rip missing games with injury and the birth of Richard Clay Hamilton II and now battling the flu then it might be something worth maybe thinking about with the way Rip has played.
I’ve read a lot of fans wanting the Pistons to use Rip off the bench like San Antonio uses Manu or Jason Terry in Dallas. That’s fine if it’s done before the season starts as a way to bolster the bench scoring and not as a demotion for poor play 13 games into the season. Rip has earned his starter’s role with this team and deserves to be given the chance to play his way out of this funk. It’s way to early to have hands all over the panic button. We’re in no threat of missing the playoffs right now.
We’ve all been frustrated with Rip’s play but benching him in the first month of the season would send the wrong message and would potentially do more harm than help.
