The Pistons are going through the blahs a lot earlier than normal. Usually, the dog days come in January, when the playoffs are still 3 1/2 months away and the regular season seems endless.
After one month, the Pistons are already getting a little cranky. Iverson and Hamilton are both have issues with their reduced playing time. Rasheed Wallace has the opposite problem. His defense is so valuable, he's playing heavier minutes than expected until Antonio McDyess comes back. Tayshaun Prince was upset with his fourth-quarter benching against Portland Sunday.
Michael Curry is getting tested early in his regime, even for a rookie coach. The Iverson deal has thrown everything he meticulously planned prior to the regular season out of whack. The team has practiced harder and longer than normal, which often leads to grumbling. He goes by matchups and feel a lot more than previous coaches when it comes to substitutions, which has also left him open for criticism.
It's important that the rotation becomes more settled, once McDyess returns. He's also got to figure out how to maximize the production of Iverson and Hamilton in those reduced minutes. Iverson hasn't reached 20 points in five games and Hamilton hasn't hit that mark in eight consecutive outings. Sure, the Pistons are more balanced, but that's a pretty significant dropoff from their top two offensive sources.