Sixth Man?

It's a turning point for Allen Iverson. Looks like for the first time in his career, the Pistons' all-star guard will be coming off the bench, as Detroit returns Richard Hamilton to the starting lineup.

The Pistons have floundered since the trade that brought Iverson in for Chauncey Billups. Detroit has gone 22-28 with Iverson in the starting lineup, and their record on the season sits at 30-29. And while Billups' individual stats aren't that much better than Iverson's (18.7 ppg, 6.1 apg to AI's 18.0 and 5.1), the Nuggets have surged, and currently lead the Northwest Division with a 39-22 record.

Iverson has missed three games due to a bad back; Hamilton stepped into the starting lineup and led Detroit to victories in all three games.

In a 93-85 win at Orlando, Hamilton scored 31 points and dished out 6 assists. He had 25 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds in a 105-95 win at Boston.

Then, Billups returned to town with the Nuggets and popped in 34 points, but Detroit prevailed behind Hamilton's 21 points and 7 assists, 100-95, pretty much securing Iverson's spot on the bench.

Those three games are even more eye-popping considering that all three opponents are division leaders.

Iverson has, of course, grown up quite a bit over his 13-year career. But the explosive scorer has never been known as a good floor general, and he's never been all that great playing without the ball. Coming off the bench for the Pistons will test him, for sure. Here's hoping he can make the adjustment, fit in as a role player, and bring some heat when he steps onto the court.