RIP Hamilton wore a mask just as much as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises so it makes perfect sense for him to offer advice to Devin Booker on playing with one.ĭevin Booker briefly left Game 2 vs. Hopefully, for the sake of both parties, a trade can be worked out that benefits the Pistons and moves Hamilton to a contender in the hopes that it will rejuvenate his career.By Patrick Schmidt 1 year ago Follow Tweet The following offseason, general manager Joe Dumars signed shooting guard Ben Gordon to a five-year, $55 million contract, creating a logjam at the two-guard spot and making it difficult for either player to find his niche. I would say, however, that he has handled the entire situation fairly well.īut the fact remains, he was offered a three-year, $34 million extension just before the Billups trade and signed it, thus binding him with the Pistons, from that point on, for several more years. 32 will hang from the rafters at The Palace of Auburn Hills someday.īut that's not to say that Hamilton has been on his best behavior, either. One of the best players in franchise history, there is a chance his No. It's a shame how Hamilton has been treated by the Pistons since things have gone south.
Since the trade, however, Hamilton has averaged 17.0 points and is shooting just 40.7% from the floor. While playing with his good friend Billups, Hamilton was the engine that churned the Pistons offense, averaging 19.0 points and shooting 46.3% from the floor. Since the trade, the Pistons have gone a meager 81-117 (.409), going from contenders to one of the NBA's laughingstocks. "I don't think I've ever been in a game where a team that's about to move on and a guy comes out of the game and the other team is cheering."įor the Pistons, it was their third straight victory after falling behind two to one in the series.Įver since Billups and Antonio McDyess were traded to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson on November 3, 2008, Hamilton has never been the same. "It was definitely very emotional," Hamilton said. With 16 seconds remaining, the 18-year veteran came out of the game and was given a standing ovation from both teams as well as the home crowd which chanted, "Reg-gie, Reg-gie." It was a fitting way for Miller to pass the torch to Hamilton, who had modeled his game after Miller's. Hamilton scored ten points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 8:36 remaining that put the Pistons ahead for good. Pacer scored 27 points on 11 for 16 shooting, including four for eight from three-point range, while Hamilton scored 28, leading the Pistons to the 88-79 series-clinching victory. In what would be Reggie Miller's final game, Mr. Stat line: 28 points, six rebounds FGs-10 for 16 (.625) FTs- eight for nine (.889) Hamilton teamed with Chauncey Billups to form one of the best backcourts of the modern era. The ranking of these performances is, of course, based upon Hamilton's play, but also on the importance of the games.įor example, scoring 25 points in a victory in the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Finals is viewed as being more important than a 35-point performance in a loss. For his career, he has shot 45.0% from the floor, 85.2% from the free-throw line and has helped Detroit to two NBA Finals appearances, including a championship in 2004. seven overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, has been a mainstay through the team's six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances (2003-08).ĭuring his nine seasons with the team, he has averaged under 17 PPG just once. Since being acquired in a six-player trade from the Washington Wizards on September 11, 2002, Hamilton, the No. I figure it is time for us Pistons fans to look back on how much he has accomplished with the team, especially what he has done in the playoffs. Now that it appears Richard "Rip" Hamilton's time has come to an end with the Detroit Pistons, at least his playing days, that is.
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