Hamilton left waiting for awkward exit from Detroit
Stale. That was the feel, the smell, the atmosphere around the Detroit Pistons Monday night on their trip into United Center to face the Chicago Bulls. The offense? Stale. Sixteen turnovers turned into 23 too-easy points by the Bulls. Thirty-eight-point-eight percent field-goal shooting. Just 82 points, sending Detroit the wrong way from its 95.5 average and 23rd place ranking among NBA teams. longchamp handbags sale The defense? Stale. The Pistons gave up 44 points in the paint and 18 off fast breaks, right in line with their 28th place in defensive field-goal percentage and 25th in scoring differential. The result? Stale. A 93-82 loss that the Bulls seemed to know could be theirs with just a little effort, for a brief time. It was Detroit's 15th defeat of 10 points or more, back-of-the-hand treatment that only Cleveland (18) has endured more frequently. The roster? Stale. A mix of used-to-bes and still-waiting-fors. Old and young at the same time. Caught in the switches between Detroit's tremendous run of six consecutive Eastern Conference finals from 2003 to 2008 (two Finals and one championship) and the ratcheting downward since, from 59 victories in 2008 to 39, 27 and so far this season, just 12. Stale. A team past its expiration date, giving off a serious whiff of been there, no longer capable of that. Was it just a coincidence that, not long after he left the visitors' dressing room following his team's sixth loss in seven games, forward Charlie Villanueva Tweeted: "Need help twitterland, what's the definition of insanity?" As in, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Richard Hamilton is the latest Pistons player, apparently, who has overstayed his shelf life. Detroit management is said to be addressing that, willing to serve as a facilitator of a massive transaction to move Denver Nuggets dilettante Carmelo Anthony to the New Jersey Nets with the appropriate pieces and to the available roster openings. By shedding Hamilton in the possibly percolating deal, the Pistons would free themselves of the $25.3 million owed him for the next seasons, while taking back parts (Troy Murphy's expiring contract, Johan Petro) in which they have little long-term interest. "You have all different types of reasons for making trades," said Tracy McGrady, leaning back and sounding world-weary as he iced after the game. "Opening up cap space for the future. Making a team feel like they can make a push for the playoffs. With us, I don't know what it is." McGrady laughed heartily. longchamp bags on sale It's been that sort of season for Detroit -- laugh so you do not cry -- and Hamilton is the latest once-noble Pistons performer to be awaiting his exit. Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace went first, more pink slips than gold watches, and Tayshaun Prince figures to follow Hamilton out the door. Ben Wallace is a special case, leaving as a player in 2006 and returning three years later as a, what, mascot? Hamilton was more the latter than the former against the Bulls on Monday. He subbed in for the start of the second quarter and stuck around till halftime, missing a couple of shots. He was back with the B team to start the fourth, then yielded with 2:30 left to Ben Gordon, the fellow who has replaced him in the starting lineup. With 47.8 seconds left, sitting in warmups on the Detroit bench, he snapped off his headband, something to toss to a kid on his way out. Out of United Center. Out of Detroit? Hamilton wound up 0-for-5, made a couple of free throws, passed for three assists and committed two turnovers, including a blind, looping pass out of the corner that sent the Bulls rushing downcourt. He is averaging 13.2 points on 41 percent shooting and 26 minutes, all at or near the numbers he posted as a rookie in Washington 11 years ago. longchamp handbags Later, Hamilton kept the trade talk at bay by keeping his media session short. "That's part of the game," he said. "You hear stuff like that all the time. It's not the first time I've heard it in my career since I've been here. It's just one of those things ... You just come out and try to play basketball. It's out there. But it's nothing that I think about or anything like that." Given coach John Kuester's rotation, given the 12-25 record, given the report in December in which an anonymous Pistons source accused Hamilton of quitting on the club, might he welcome a trade? "I'm a Piston," he said. "That's what I signed up for. You know what I'm saying? That's what I love. I love putting that jersey on. Fans have been great to me. That's it."