Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey generated some headlines after making quite a bold statement about his team in an interview with Dime Magazine. Here is what Stuckey had to say in case you missed it:
↵↵↵Last year was tough. We were inconsistent. There was no chemistry. We all just have to stay healthy and the sky is the limit for us. On paper, we are the best team in the League. We are deep and athletic. All we have to do is play to our abilities. We don’t have the biggest roster, but if we share the ball, we’ll be alright.
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As expected, Stuckey backtracked on the comments a bit by clarifying what he actually said, at least according to him.
↵↵↵"That was inaccurate," Stuckey said. "He kind of wrote it down wrong. I told him that we were one of the best, not the best team. But we are (one of the best).
↵"I believe in my team. I believe we're very athletic. We have a lot of great players on the team, and I think if we can put it together and work as one, we'll be pretty good. I know the Eastern Conference is tough now, but I think that if we all stay healthy, the sky's the limit for this team."
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All players are expected and are supposed to be confident in their team, so there's no problem whatsoever with Stuckey's comments. That said, it's tough to look at the Pistons as one of the best, even merely on paper. There are a lot of teams out there with quite a bit of talent, especially in the Eastern Conference, and I'm not ready to include the Pistons in the conversation until they show they are deserving of the acclaim.