Detroit Pistons: 5 worst duos in franchise history

5 worst duos in Detroit Pistons’ history

#4: Allen Iverson and Richard Hamilton

Everything the backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton were, Allen Iverson and Richard Hamilton weren’t. Billups and Hamilton had a synergy that helped carry the Detroit Pistons to a championship, as well as a six-year run atop the Eastern Conference. Iverson and Hamilton played basketball together like two guys at a rec center who had never met before. It was awkward, clunky, and everyone watching from the sidelines could see that neither one of them was invested.

Iverson is a Hall-of-Famer, but he is synonymous with the Philadelphia 76ers and well-remembered for a good run with Carmelo Anthony as a Denver Nugget. His time with the Pistons, however, is both forgettable and regrettable. That isn’t necessarily all his fault. He was well beyond his prime by the time he first set foot in the Motor City. Even so, the fire just wasn’t there, and Pistons fans were accustomed to a Ben Wallace-bred “Goin’ to Work” mentality.

Hamilton, for his part, was a part of the “Goin’ to Work” days. The way he ran off screens and stuck midrange jumpers was beautiful. But Iverson just couldn’t feed him like Billups had. Additionally, Rip accepted his role when he was a part of the core that won the 2004 championship. Once the likes of Billups and Wallace were gone, he wanted to be “The Man.” President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars gave him a three-year extenstion that indicated that Rip was seen as more valuable to the team than ever. Sadly, the Iverson-Hamilton squad was dead on arrival.