ABDENOUR POWER
02-07-2006, 04:37 PM
Hunter back in nick of time, to spell Billups
By A. Sherrod Blakely | MLive.com
AUBURN HILLS -- The amount of playing time Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups has logged this season has started to take a toll.
Fortunately for him, help is on the way in the form of Lindsey Hunter, who is expected to be in uniform tonight for the first time this season.
Hunter, 35, had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle before training camp and wasn't expected to return until the middle of January.
The ankle has been healthy enough so that Hunter could have played sooner than now, but the Pistons chose to let him mend for a couple more weeks.
"Lindsey understands what he means to this team, and when this team really, really needs him, and that's the playoffs," said Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations. "He gives us a veteran who understands the game, knows how to play the game, and can change the game with his energy and effort out there."
Pistons head coach Flip Saunders sees Hunter as "another defensive-oriented guy who has the ability to compete in crunch-time situations. He has the ability to lock people down."
To make room for Hunter on Detroit's 12-man playing roster, the Pistons are expected to place rookie Jason Maxiell on the inactive list.
Hunter is eager to resume playing.
"It feels good to me, that I'm feeling healthy," Hunter said Monday. "It's been so long being hurt, and not knowing how fast you're going to heal. It's kind of frustrating, but finally I feel I'm at a point where I can push myself and feel good about it."
Hunter's return comes at a time when the Pistons are looking for ways to give the starters more rest. Specifically, Saunders wants to reduce the playing time of Billups, who will start tonight despite having an injured right hand and a sore left thigh.
"We can't put ourselves in a situation where we're playing some of these guys 38, 39 minutes (each game)," Saunders said.
The Pistons were hoping point guard Carlos Arroyo would fill the void as Billups' primary backup, but Arroyo has struggled in limited action this season. His role will shrink even more with Hunter back.
Hunter understands his teammates are counting on him to give the team a lift. However, he also knows that it may take some time before he returns to being in game shape as one of the NBA's best on-the-ball defenders.
"I wish I could have been back sooner," Hunter said. "But as you get older, things don't happen as fast as you would like them to."
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the NBA's worst records, but they are playing better with wins in three of their last four games.
"I'll say it again, and I really don't care if anyone is tired of hearing it, our record doesn't indicate how well we've played this year," Hawks head coach and ex-Pistons assistant Mike Woodson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. "Have we struggled at times? Absolutely. But for the most part, we've stayed on track and tried to play with urgency. And that's maybe the toughest thing for a young team to grasp."
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1139310605287940.xml&coll=1
By A. Sherrod Blakely | MLive.com
AUBURN HILLS -- The amount of playing time Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups has logged this season has started to take a toll.
Fortunately for him, help is on the way in the form of Lindsey Hunter, who is expected to be in uniform tonight for the first time this season.
Hunter, 35, had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle before training camp and wasn't expected to return until the middle of January.
The ankle has been healthy enough so that Hunter could have played sooner than now, but the Pistons chose to let him mend for a couple more weeks.
"Lindsey understands what he means to this team, and when this team really, really needs him, and that's the playoffs," said Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations. "He gives us a veteran who understands the game, knows how to play the game, and can change the game with his energy and effort out there."
Pistons head coach Flip Saunders sees Hunter as "another defensive-oriented guy who has the ability to compete in crunch-time situations. He has the ability to lock people down."
To make room for Hunter on Detroit's 12-man playing roster, the Pistons are expected to place rookie Jason Maxiell on the inactive list.
Hunter is eager to resume playing.
"It feels good to me, that I'm feeling healthy," Hunter said Monday. "It's been so long being hurt, and not knowing how fast you're going to heal. It's kind of frustrating, but finally I feel I'm at a point where I can push myself and feel good about it."
Hunter's return comes at a time when the Pistons are looking for ways to give the starters more rest. Specifically, Saunders wants to reduce the playing time of Billups, who will start tonight despite having an injured right hand and a sore left thigh.
"We can't put ourselves in a situation where we're playing some of these guys 38, 39 minutes (each game)," Saunders said.
The Pistons were hoping point guard Carlos Arroyo would fill the void as Billups' primary backup, but Arroyo has struggled in limited action this season. His role will shrink even more with Hunter back.
Hunter understands his teammates are counting on him to give the team a lift. However, he also knows that it may take some time before he returns to being in game shape as one of the NBA's best on-the-ball defenders.
"I wish I could have been back sooner," Hunter said. "But as you get older, things don't happen as fast as you would like them to."
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the NBA's worst records, but they are playing better with wins in three of their last four games.
"I'll say it again, and I really don't care if anyone is tired of hearing it, our record doesn't indicate how well we've played this year," Hawks head coach and ex-Pistons assistant Mike Woodson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. "Have we struggled at times? Absolutely. But for the most part, we've stayed on track and tried to play with urgency. And that's maybe the toughest thing for a young team to grasp."
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1139310605287940.xml&coll=1