Scout's Take

On the struggling Pistons (12--10 at week's end):

"The one guy who is playing as well as he was last year is Rip Hamilton. Otherwise, Rasheed Wallace has been hurt, Ben Wallace has been suspended, and Chauncey Billups hasn't been making those big shots. As a group they just seemed a lot hungrier last season, and they got more out of Mehmet Okur and Corliss Williamson than they're getting now from Antonio McDyess. Can they get out of the East? Yeah, because they have the most talent in their conference. Will they win it all? Absolutely not--the Spurs are a much better team."