AUBURN HILLS -- With Ben Gordon officially a Detroit Piston , the assumption is the 6-foot-3 shooting guard will come off the bench behind Richard Hamilton.
Gordon is not ready to concede as much. "We haven't even suited up yet," said Gordon, who signed Wednesday a five-year deal worth at least $50 million. "Nothing is written in stone."
Gordon, who averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game last season, will enter training camp competing against Hamilton for a starting job.
Hamilton has been Detroit's leading scorer every year since 2003.
The Pistons brought him off the bench at times last season because of the addition of Allen Iverson, a high-volume scorer like Gordon.
While Iverson never fit in well with the Pistons , Gordon does not think that will be an issue.
"We can play together," Gordon said. "I have no problem handling the Basketball, creating plays for my teammates.
"That's a part of my game people haven't seen yet."
Although Hamilton was not as effective coming off the bench last year, Gordon has proven to be a prolific scorer as a starter and as a sixth man.
"My main goal is winning," Gordon said. "I'm a ball player. At the end of the day, it's about the team."
Kuester introduction set
The Pistons scheduled a news conference for today to announce John Kuester as the team's new coach.
Former Pistons coach Doug Collins was a top candidate, but he pulled out last week. Detroit entered negotiations with former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, but the two sides could not come to terms on salary and the number of guaranteed years.
Although he was not Detroit's first choice, Gordon thinks Kuester will succeed.
"He's going to come into a great job," Gordon said. "He's been in the league a long time, and he was here when the Pistons won a championship (in 2004). He knows more than anybody what needs to be done."
Where's the D?
Because of his versatility as a scorer, Charlie Villanueva has been compared to Rasheed Wallace. But when it comes to defense, they are two completely different players.
Villanueva's defensive presence often is mentioned as his biggest weakness.
"People are going to have their opinions," Villanueva said. "I'm not the greatest defensive player, but I'm getting better at it."
