Detroit Pistons Quietly Getting Stronger

When Detroit traded Chauncey Billups and (technically) Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson, the NBA could talk about little else for weeks on end. The media lapped it up when Iverson took three games to earn a win in Motown and when the team went 7-9. They loved it when Iverson missed 'practice'...Could there have been any other incident that made ESPN smile more? The team seemed to be falling apart. Chemistry was nowhere to be seen. New coach Micheal Curry tinkered with the lineup, even putting Tayshaun Prince at the point guard position. Rip Hamilton, one of the most consistent players of the last five years, was caught completely out of his element. Suddenly, Chauncey wasn't getting him the ball in the same place all the time. For the first time in what seems forever, Detroit looked like a team that could never even contend for the title. Perhaps not even the playoffs. It didn't help that Denver went off over in the West. Chauncey Billups fit in perfectly in his return to the Mile-High ... (link)