New five presents defensive challenge

Detroit coach Michael Curry might have found the answer he was seeking in overhauling the Pistons’ starting lineup.

Now that Rodney Stuckey has been added as the starting point guard, former point Allen Iverson can go back to working off the ball, where he won’t have to worry about getting other players involved.

Without Billups the Pistons have lacked leadership. Iverson is just trying to fit in and not trying to start telling a bunch of players that have already won a ring what to do.

In his second year, Stuckey isn’t going to carry the cache that Billups had when it comes to getting the team’s attention, but there were some signs during Wednesday’s win over the Wizards that he was starting to endear himself as a leader.

After Rasheed Wallace picked up a technical foul for arguing a call, Stuckey was the first player over to check on Wallace, appearing to remind him that they needed him. Wallace looked at Stuckey and gave him a nod that said it was all right. The aging hot-tempered veteran didn’t just blow off the kid.

The main question about adding Stuckey to the starting lineup with Iverson, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and Wallace is the defense, especially the size of that group with Prince playing as a power forward.

Detroit could run into a problem against teams with good small forwards, which happen to be Boston and Cleveland. Detroit has counted on Prince to play Boston’s Paul Pierce and Cleveland’s Lebron James. Now Hamilton, who isn’t the defender Prince is, will have to pick up those players. Hamilton, who is three inches shorter than Prince and just as frail looking, won’t be able to guard the power forward spot, even against an offensively challenged Ben Wallace.

The Celtics are a different beast altogether because of the Pierce-Garnett combination. Hamilton will certainly have to guard Pierce and could get overpowered. Detroit will have to use their offense to help their defense, which means running Pierce off of constant screens. Also Ray Allen is probably going to have some trouble staying in front of Iverson or Stuckey.

Detroit is going to have to make team adjust to them, but also Prince will need this season to get used to guarding players that prefer to play with their backs to the basket. He didn’t see that as much at small forward, but other teams now are going to look at his frame and want to post him up.

Tonight Prince should get a good measure of what he can do at the power forward spot against a physical Utah Jazz power forward in Paul Millsap. That will be the matchup to watch to tell how the Pistons are going to work in this new alignment.

Stuckey and Deron Williams is a great matchup at the point guard spot, but in the Eastern Conference, Stuckey won’t have to worry about seeing that kind of point guard play among the contenders.

The more important thing is how well Prince — and Hamilton as well — will be able to defend their new spots.