Practice makes perfect - well, almost

Michael Curry is a meticulous organizer and preparer. So when Joe Dumars told him about the trade that sent Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver for Allen Iverson, the initial jolt of adrenaline the news delivered to his system was followed a nanosecond later by the doodling and planning to smooth his integration and make it work.

Curry knew, because of the trade’s timing, it would be two weeks before he could get Iverson on the court for a full-bore practice. A three-game road swing to the East Coast, a quick stopover at The Palace, and a four-game Western Conference road swing, with a schedule that didn’t give the Pistons the separation between games needed to go hard in practice, too, meant it would be Nov. 18 – the Tuesday after the Sunday conclusion of the Western trip – before the team reshaped by the Nov. 3 trade would have its first rigorous practice.

But Curry’s well-crafted plan was derailed by circumstance, as such plans often are by the tumult of an NBA regular season. When the Pistons got back from Phoenix, Rip Hamilton had personal business that required his attention – any businessman who returns home after having been gone for 13 of the past 15 days could empathize – and Iverson’s knee had flared up.

So it was just this past Monday and Tuesday when Curry got to conduct those precious practices he describes as “training-camp mode” – practices where Mike Abdenour tapes up their ankles and they go at it almost like it’s a game.

It was then, for the first time, that Curry got to show Iverson at full speed – not in a walk-through, not on a piece of paper, not on tape – the schemes, the areas of responsibility, the expectations, that he has for his point guard at the defensive end of the floor. Never mind the offense, which remains a work in progress.

“I feel really good after those two days of practice,” Curry said before Wednesday night’s game with the Knicks, after which his team gave him reason to feel even better. “Guys understand and see where we’re at. Where we want to go is going to take a lot of work, but I thought guys worked their tails off this summer and throughout training camp. To start the season and then …” And then, the trade. “You’ve just got to realize we have to start again. They’re willing to do that, and I think over time we’ll be better because of it.”

It was especially encouraging because the 110-96 victory was a team win built on a series of heartening individual performances from a bunch of players who’d been struggling to find their way lately.

Rodney Stuckey, perhaps as critical to the Pistons’ playoff viability as any of them, had his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 assists in half a game. He finally admitted that his struggles traced to getting bludgeoned by Shaquille O’Neal and crashing hard on his right wrist, the pain of which made activities like shooting, passing and dribbling – tasks fairly critical to effective point guard play – difficult, painful or impossible. If the Pistons keep getting the Stuckey of Wednesday night, they’ll have ample reason to give thanks.

Rip Hamilton found his shot, hitting six of his first seven attempts, and took another step in the evolution of getting familiar with Allen Iverson. Tayshaun Prince got 15 shots up – a sign he’s finding the balance Curry wants for him between being a scoring threat and the do-whatever-they-need guy he’s always been.

Arron Afflalo nailed all five of his shots – three triples and two long deuces – and while he’s still valued mostly for his rugged defense and overall tenacity, his growth as a shooter, a natural progression for young players, makes him a much more valuable asset. And Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell played their roles exactly as Curry might have imagined it when he mapped out the season, combining for 25 points and 18 rebounds.

Now, one great night against a team with its own transition issues doesn’t mean the Pistons are full speed ahead for good. Against more stout teams, there will still probably be stretches where their lack of familiarity reveals itself. But two days of practice cured a lot of ailments. Imagine what two months might produce.

---

Questions and comments on Keith's posts can be submitted via the Pistons Mailbag. Click here to submit your question.

Click here to return to Pistons.com