Last night against the Dallas Mavericks, Rip Hamilton came off the bench for only the first time in his seven seasons as a Piston.
Hamilton's reaction?
"They told me I was coming off the bench, that it was something coach Michael Curry wanted and I said, 'Fine, cool.' The bottom line is you want to win games. If this is the best way we can win a championship, then I am all for it."
Some bench players say they prefer coming off the bench because it gives them an advantage:
"Coming off the bench allows you to see what's going on," said Tennessee Wayne Chism, who came off the bench against Vandy the other night to go for 20 points and 7rebounds. "You're able to see what's working and what's not working and use that to your advantage."
The value of a good bench can't be overstated. Just last night, in a win over WAS, the Lakers bench played a key role. "The bench was what broke the game open for us, actually," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Sasha, Trevor, Lamar."
LA's Lamar Odom, who until this season had started nearly every game he's played in during his 10-year pro career, takes pride in his role with this year's Laker team:
"Every game when me and Trevor are checking into the game, I tell him, 'Let's change the game. Let's change it. Whether it's offensively, defensively or the intangibles.' Our depth is important to us. As a team, we're proud of it. It makes our practices very competitive. Hopefully it'll help us down the stretch."
