CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Allen Iverson has played some of his best Basketball as a Piston since Rodney Stuckey was added to the starting lineup three games ago.
It is not all that surprising, considering the lineup change has Iverson back to playing the off-guard position, which is where the bulk of his scoring in the NBA has come from. With Iverson in a more comfortable role on the floor, the Pistons are hopeful that will result in more wins.
"Anytime you have Allen, you're going to be capable of winning some 20 games," said Charlotte coach Larry Brown, who coached Iverson for six seasons in Philadelphia.
Maybe so, but it certainly has not played out that way for Detroit, which is 4-0 without Iverson in the lineup and 9-9 with him.
While his numbers are down compared to past seasons, the poor play of several Pistons has been an even bigger contributor to the team's struggles to win games.
Pistons coach Michael Curry knows his team is not playing its best Basketball as players adjust to playing with one another.
But he has no regrets about the trade last month, which sent Chauncey Billups and Cheikh Samb to Denver (along with Antonio McDyess, who since has re-signed with Detroit), for Iverson.
"The trade was different," Curry said, "but it's something I thought the team needed. Sometimes, you have to wonder if a group has run its course. I know a lot of people here thought it had."
But the bottom line with this group, regardless of who is on the roster, is whether they get the job done in the playoffs.
Brown said being in an environment where the stakes are so high is an ideal fit for Iverson.
"If you have to win one game or a series, that kid will figure it out," Brown said. "He just wants to win so bad. That's what I see. This will turn out good for both teams. He desperately wants to win. He's done everything else. Now, for the first time I think he has a chance.
"Even though we went to the (2001) NBA Finals in Philly, we were so banged up when we got there. But now, he has a chance. I think if people realize how competitive he is, they'll appreciate what he's trying to do."
McDyess almost a Cav?
Antonio McDyess listened to the recruiting pitches from several NBA teams that wanted to sign him, including the Cleveland Cavaliers. McDyess said Cleveland's pursuit stood out to the point where had he not re-signed with Detroit, he would be donning a Cavaliers jersey right now.
"Cleveland gave me more attention than anyone," McDyess said. "But I felt coming back here was best."
McDyess added that besides Cleveland, Boston and Charlotte were the other teams he seriously considered.
"If I had to say a top three, Boston would have been last," said McDyess, who added that Cleveland is "a good team. I think they've got a better chance than a lot of teams in this league at winning."
And there are many coaches who say McDyess' return gives Detroit a great shot at making another deep playoff run.
"Anytime you add a player with his pedigree," said Indiana coach Jim O'Brien, whose team was among those to gauge McDyess' interest, "a stabilizing influence ... a guy that's been here through their success, another big that can space the floor, an inside-outside player ... I think it means the world to them."
