Kuester Has Stuckey, Bynum in His Office

Pistons guard Will Bynum hopes extra time in coach's office pays off
By Chris Iott
November 09, 2009, 11:50PM


While Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum, left, has played well this season, averaging 11 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists off the bench, there's room for improvement.

AUBURN HILLS -- Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum spends plenty of time in the office of coach John Kuester after practice.

"I know all the pictures and everything in his office now," Bynum said, smiling. "For real. All this (North) Carolina stuff, Dean Smith.

"I've been in there a little bit too much."

Spending time with the coach is part of the learning curve for a young point guard, and the Pistons have two of them in Rodney Stuckey and Bynum.

Stuckey averages 16 points, six rebounds and 3.7 assists as the starter, and Bynum averages 11 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists off the bench.

"We do have young point guards that are trying to get a sense of what I want to accomplish, and they've worked real hard," Kuester said. "They're the focal point of what we're trying to get accomplished all the time in our game plan, offensively and defensively, so there's a lot of dialogue."

Stuckey and Bynum have played well this season, but there is room for improvement. The Pistons rank 30th -- last -- in the NBA in assists per game with 14.4. The 29th-ranked team, the New Jersey Nets, average 17.0 assists per game, while the Boston Celtics lead the NBA with 26.1.

Those numbers likely will increase as the Pistons understand more about what their first-year coach wants and when starters Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince return to the lineup. The Pistons rank 25th in scoring at 91.3 points per game.

"We do share the ball and we do not have selfish players -- that is one thing I will say straight out," Kuester said. "We've got guys that want to make plays and are trying to help each other out.

"We would like to get better in that area, there's no question. But we're not selfish, that's for sure."

But no matter what the numbers say, Stuckey and Bynum will continue to log lots of time in Kuester's office.

"He's always on me. That's a good thing, though," Bynum said. "When a coach is not saying much to you, that's when you should be worried. When he's on me, I know he wants me to get better."

Make your point



A former point guard, Kuester believes it's important to maintain communication with the player running the point.

"We have two young point guards that are trying to get a sense of what I want accomplished," Kuester said. "They've worked real hard and they're the focal point in our game plan offensively and defensively. There's a lot of dialogue."

So much so that Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum have taken up residence in Kuester's office almost daily.