<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class="bi">Injuries An Issue</div> <div> <span style="font-style: italic">Oct 15</span> - Boredom aside, injuries are starting to become an issue. Richard Hamilton was the latest to go down. He sprained his left ankle with 6:37 left in the third quarter of the Pistons' 109-106 win over the Denver Nuggets' B-squad Sunday.</p> </p> X-rays showed no broken bones and Hamilton will be listed as day-to-day. Physical therapist Arnie Kander didn't think the injury was serious, but, in all likelihood, Hamilton might not play in another exhibition game.</p> </p> The reason it would be OK is because the first unit has played together for four years and missing four exhibition games won't ruin its continuity.</p> </p> The fact Amir Johnson (ankle) and Nazr Mohammed (calf) have missed considerable time -- including the game Sunday -- is decidedly not OK. The Pistons frontcourt was so thin Sunday that both Tayshaun Prince and Jarvis Hayes had to play power forward for long stretches. -- <font color="#000000">Detroit News</font></p> </p> </p> [*]Can the Pistons go into the season with just five bigs? The Pistons aren't fretting about it right now. The roster was purposely thin in the frontcourt because of how sparingly the fifth and sixth big men have played the last two seasons (see Dale Davis and Johnson). The perimeter players were the ones carrying the heaviest load in terms of minutes, so they bulked up the perimeter depth.</p> </p> Could that big man be Chris Webber?</p> </p> Yes, it could. But, understand this -- if Webber is brought back, it would be as the fifth big man. He wouldn't be coming back as a starter. That was made clear to him in the offseason. -- <font color="#000000">Detroit News</font></p></div> </div>
