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John Kuester on WBBL: Pistons' Rodney Stuckey has chance to be 'best defensive guard I've ever been around'
By James Schmehl | MLive.com
November 11, 2009, 1:52PM
John Kuester has coached dozens of All-Star defenders during his lengthy tenure as an assistant in the NBA, but the first-year coach thinks Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey could be one of the best defenders he’s ever seen.
“(Stuckey) has a chance to be one of the best defensive guards I’ve ever been around because he’s so strong, he’s got size and he’s athletic,” Kuester told Bret Bakita and Michael Grey on "The Starting Lineup" on WBBL. "He's got a huge upside, both offensively and defensively, and he's got a bright future with us."
With Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton both out indefinitely with injuries, Kuester has been forced to use a three-guard set and match the 6-foot-5 Stuckey against small forwards.
“With Tayshaun (Prince) and Rip (Hamilton) being injured, he’s gone from guarding small guards to the bigger three-men," Kuester said.
Listen to the entire interview as Kuester discusses the Pistons' upcoming game against Charlotte where he will be coaching against Larry Brown for the first time. Kuester was an assistant to Brown when Detroit won the NBA title in 2004.
"He's someone who is so special to me," Kuester said. "But as soon as the ball goes up, I'm sure the last thing he thinks about is John Kuester and the last thing I think about is Larry Brown."
