<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">How does coach Flip Saunders get his bench playing time, notably Darko Milicic and Carlos Delfino? Besides Antonio McDyess' 21 minutes in Friday's 84-81 win over Portland, no reserve played more than eight minutes. And on the Pistons' recent three-game trip, Milicic played only against Sacramento, for six minutes. But when you're 6-0 and the only undefeated team in the NBA, you tend to ride the hot hands. Against the Kings, it was Tayshaun Prince and his 25 points. In a tight game against Phoenix, it was Chauncey Billups' 27 points. And against the Trail Blazers, it was Billups again, with 21. So don't panic. Milicic will get more minutes. As will Delfino. After a recent game, Saunders had a chat with Delfino, who told the coach he wants to do anything he can to help the team win. "That's probably the underlying factor on this team," Saunders said. "I think the younger guys see how the vets are just about winning, not a matter of how much you play or how many points you score or whatever. It's basically willing to do what you have to do to help the team win. I think when young players see veterans have that type of mentality, it carries down. As I said, I want guys who want to play." Saunders said he likes to have an eight-man rotation with each player logging 30 minutes. When someone is in foul trouble, expect to see a nine- or 10-man rotation. "You want guys to stay hungry, and as a coach the toughest thing I have is all these guys practice hard and give everything they want, so you like to reward them," Saunders said. "And how you reward them is with opportunities to play."</div> Source
