Pistons' 0-4 West Coast Trip Highlights Shortcomings

• They really miss Prince and Hamilton: The Pistons have proven in the past with Ben Wallace that a team can go 4-on-5, but with Wallace and Jonas Jerebko in the starting lineup, it's almost like going 3-on-5 offensively.

Wallace has been incredible defensively, and Jerebko has often played like a young Wallace.

But at times on this trip, opponents didn't even acknowledge Wallace and Jerebko on the offensive end.

The longer Hamilton (sprained right ankle) and Prince (small ruptured disc) are out -- and Prince seems the closer to returning, but at least another week -- the more you see how valuable they are.

Hamilton and Prince are also two fundamentally sound players and they settle things down when the game starts going off the track.

• Point, counterpoint: The question of whether Rodney Stuckey is best suited for point guard or shooting guard remains an issue.

Coach John Kuester is spending a lot of time with Stuckey, teaching him the nuances of the position, and it's likely going to be a seasonlong lesson.

But watching Stuckey's aggressive nature on the offensive end, you wonder whether he's more suited for a shooting-guard role.

For that matter, Will Bynum, for all his explosiveness, also is still learning how to run a team. He's at his best when the floor is spread or on the break.

• They need a low-post presence: At first, the idea of trading the valuable Prince for someone such as Chris Kaman of the Clippers (Grand Rapids) seemed laughable.

But watching Kaman enjoying a breakthrough season in Los Angeles, and the fact the Pistons have nobody that is remotely an offensive threat in the low post with that type of size, and now a trade like that (or someone comparable as Kaman) sounds tempting.

Put a low-post presence of that ilk on this roster, and suddenly this looks like a dangerous playoff team.

• The rookies continue to make an impact: One thing the injuries to Prince and Hamilton have done is create an opportunity for rookies Jerebko, DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye, and all have contributed impressively at different times.

Jerebko's offensive game is in its infancy, but his defensive skills are something else. Jerebko guarded Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Andrei Kirilenko and Ron Artest last week. Different shapes, different sizes, and Jerebko held his own against them.

Summers got his first chance at playing time and showed court savvy and ability to knock down a shot. Daye is far from a finished product, but his offensive skills in that 6-foot-11 body could someday drive opposing defenses nuts.

• Upcoming test: There are always tests and the upcoming one is a chance for the Pistons to reverse this last grade. Seven of their next nine games are at The Palace. This is an opportunity for the Pistons to at least get back to even, and maybe even above .500 when Prince and Hamilton return.