By Shawn Clarke, Contributing NBA Editor
(Sports Network) - Depth is a necessity all teams in professional sports must have, especially when a leading scorer is out for some time due to injury.
Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton has led the team in scoring every since he was acquired from the Washington Wizards prior to the 2002-03 campaign. Hamilton, also known as Rip, has missed the last three games because of a nagging groin injury and is listed as doubtful on the squad's game notes for Friday versus the Sacramento Kings.
Hamilton is averaging 17.2 points per game this season. Even though his sidekick Chauncey Billups is winning out in Denver, Hamilton was starting to connect with Allen Iverson before his latest setback. Hamilton admitted earlier in the season that it will be difficult at first to start building a connection on the floor with Iverson, and the adjustments are starting to produce results. Iverson is averaging 18.5 points over the past four games.
Second-year guard Rodney Stuckey has stepped up lately, averaging 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his last six games. Stuckey even posted a career-high 40 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 23 for the Pistons, who have held the opponent to less than 90 points for four straight games and seven of their last nine contests. According to head coach Michael Curry, the Pistons have been trying to keep their big lineup in for about 32 minutes per game in order to put more emphasis on a solid defensive effort.
The Pistons (19-11) will try to extend their winning streak to six games when they close out a three-game homestand versus Sacramento. They are 11-5 at The Palace this season. After that, Detroit will pay a visit out west to the Clippers, Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz.
INJURY-RIDDLED PACERS TRY TO FIND WINNING FORMULA
Try asking the Boston Celtics to win without Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Paul Pierce and see what type of results they would bear. Do the same with Indiana by taking T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger off the floor and see how well Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien does.
Ford missed two of the last three games because of a back issue and returned in a 110-104 loss versus Atlanta on Dec. 30, finishing with five points, two rebounds and an assist in just over 11 minutes of action. Dunleavy had been already rehabilitating an injured right knee until spending time in the hospital because of a viral illness. The same type of illness got to Troy Murphy, Marquis Daniels and Danny Granger, but all three have returned.
Granger, who leads the Pacers in scoring at 24.9 ppg, missed two games with the virus and is currently fifth in the NBA in scoring. Granger is averaging 27.8 points over the last four contests.
Indiana (10-21) is last in the Central, has lost four straight and 11 of its previous 14 games. It will play six of its next seven games on the road, starting with Friday's tilt against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers are only 4-12 away from Conseco Fieldhouse this season.
BULLS SET FOR TOUGH ROAD TEST IN CLEVELAND
Chicago Bulls first-year head coach Vinny Del Negro knows the odds are stacked against his team for Friday's road battle with the division-rival Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.
Del Negro has coached the Bulls to a 4-14 road mark this season, and will go face-to-face with NBA darling LeBron James and the Cavs, who are an amazing 16-0 at Quicken Loans Arena this season. Cleveland has already beaten the Bulls twice this season and is 10-6 over the previous 16 matchups in the series. Chicago has lost 13 of 17 and 18 of its last 23 games at Cleveland.
The Bulls (14-18) could use a boost in the paint with the return of forward Drew Gooden, who has missed six straight games with an ankle injury. Gooden is listed as questionable for tonight and is averaging 12/7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. Gooden was active in a loss versus Orlando on Wednesday but did not play. It doesn't help either that fellow forward Luol Deng is out for at least a week with an injured ankle. Deng is averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 boards this season.
Forwards Thabo Sefolosha and Tyrus Thomas will have the luxury of trying to contain James, perhaps the best player in the NBA. Sefolosha has registered 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven starts this season.
Chicago will open a five-game homestand at the United Center following Friday's road test in Cleveland. It will host the Timberwolves, Kings, Wizards, Thunder and Trail Blazers.
BUCKS GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Milwaukee Bucks are starting to crack down on defense, having allowed 88.2 points per game over the past five contests.
Milwaukee is third in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage over that stretch (40.8), while five of its last six opponents have been held under 90 points. The Bucks have forced 16.1 turnovers over their last 10 games and will have a somewhat easy task on Friday, when they open a home-and-home series versus the Charlotte Bobcats at the Bradley Center.
The Bucks (15-18), who are 13-3 all-time versus the Bobcats, has lost two of three games since a season-high three-game winning streak. They will play four of their next five games at home, where they are 8-5 in 2008-09. On the upcoming home list, Charlotte, Toronto, Philadelphia and New Jersey will visit Wisconsin.
Luke Ridnour has shot 53.0 percent from the floor over his last nine games, while rookie Joe Alexander has announced his candidacy for the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest to be held All-Star weekend.
HARRIS, RONDO, NELSON...WHAT ABOUT CAVS' WILLIAMS?
Devin Harris of New Jersey, Rajon Rondo of Boston and Jameer Nelson of Orlando are all deserving of applause for their ability to run an offense. But the one player who has been playing under the radar, and for obvious reasons, is Cleveland point guard Mo Williams.
Acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in August of 2008, Williams has been just another piece to the immaculate puzzle the Cavs are putting together right now. With NBA superstar LeBron James, a perfect 16-0 mark at Quicken Loans Arena and one of the best overall records this season, it's no wonder Williams has been slipping through the mainstream cracks.
Williams, who is averaging 16.0 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game this season, is deserving of an All-Star nod as well but probably won't get one because of either Harris, Rondo, Nelson and perhaps even Detroit's Allen Iverson. Williams has helped James to the No. 2 spot in scoring this season, as the muscle-bound Nike dreamboat is averaging 27.8 points per game.
The Alabama product is the best Williams in Cleveland since John 'Hot Rod' Williams donned the creamsicle style Cavaliers jersey. Speaking of 'Hot Rod', Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is closing in on his all-time blocks record set from 1986-87 to 1994-95. Ilgauskas is already the Cavs' all-time leader in rebounds.
Cleveland leads the Central by 6 1/2 games over Detroit and will put its perfect home record on the line Friday versus Chicago. The Cavaliers had a six-game winning streak come to an end with Tuesday's 104-95 loss to the Miami Heat in the back end of a home-and-home series in South Beach. James had 38 points on his 24th birthday for the Cavs.
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