TRAVERSE CITY -- Sometime down the road, second-year players Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo will be the next backcourt for the Detroit Pistons.
The 'Young Guard' was on display in Traverse City on Wednesday as part of the team's tip-off tour.
Afflalo and Stuckey are learning on the job, playing behind veterans Chauncey Billups and Richard "Rip" Hamilton. But the future is likely sooner rather than later for the two first-round draft picks.
"We're doing a lot," said Afflalo, the 27th overall pick in the 2007 draft. "We're watching Chauncey and Rip a lot. Hopefully, we can continue that tradition of great backcourts.
"You've got (Pistons' president Joe Dumars), Chauncey, Rip and ... hopefully we'll be next."
Even though training camp doesn't begin until Sept. 29, one Pistons fan was ready to take on the promising duo.
Zack Gaz, a 15-year-old from Kalkaska, challenged Stuckey and Afflalo to a game after the festivities.
"I'll see you guys on the court," said the Traverse City Central sophomore.
Gaz was getting a chance to meet the young Pistons through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Gaz was at the tip-off tour along with his siblings and parents, Robert and Shana Gaz.
Zack Gaz has a rare form of cancer, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, that is currently in remission. Zack spent as much time as he could getting ready for Wednesday.
"I've been trying," Zack Gaz said. "If the weather permits it. I have a hoop at my house.
"Then again, they're both like 6-5 and pros."
Stuckey and Afflalo are prepping for their second seasons as professionals.
"I've been here working out for the last three weeks now," said Stuckey, the 15th overall pick in 2007 out of Eastern Washington. "I'm just getting ready for training camp and getting ready for another run at the finals."
The Pistons lost to eventual-champion Boston in the Eastern Conference finals last season. It was the sixth straight time Detroit was at least among the Final Four. They won it all in 2004.
After last season, Dumars fired head coach Flip Saunders and replaced him with former Pistons' player and assistant coach Michael Curry.
Dumars considered potential lineup changes during the off-season, but there were no other major moves, save for the signing of former No. 1 overall pick Kwame Brown.
"I think it (threat) was more to emphasize that if the guys don't play with that hunger and that passion to win every game, that you can be traded and I think Joe would have," Afflalo said. "Then again, we still have very good players and he just wasn't going to give away a great core like we have. I'm happy with the team that we have and I'm sure he is. We'll be fine."
"Absolutely," Stuckey added. "Our chemistry stays the same. We acquired Kwame Brown and we (drafted) Walter Sharpe. Our chemistry's good. (Curry) is going to be our leader now, we believe in him 110 percent. He's going to change this team around and we believe in him."
Shortly after getting the job, Curry said Stuckey was like a "sixth starter." Limited because of a broken hand in the final preseason game in 2007, Stuckey went on to average 7.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds while averaging 19 minutes a contest in 57 games.
"There's no such thing as a sixth starter though," Stuckey said. "There's only five people on the court. It feels good to hear my coach say that. He believes in me, my teammates believe in me. Like I said, I'll be ready to play. I thought I was coming along at the beginning of the year and I just need to continue to do that."
Afflalo saw action in 75 games last season, averaging 12.9 minutes a contest. Afflalo averaged 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists for Detroit.
Both Stuckey and Afflalo are looking to expand their roles -- and playing time -- in their second seasons.
"That's the goal," Stuckey said. "I'll be ready to play like I am all the time. We're going to be real young and we still have our core group back. We're going to be ready to play."
"I've been working on my game a lot," Afflalo said. "I'm going to continue to defend and play hard. I have to be able to take advantage of some other opportunities."
Both players said the past success of the Pistons, whp have seven straight seasons with at least 50 wins, puts the onus on the current team to succeed. Of course, that's nothing new for Afflalo, who helped lead UCLA to two straight appearances in the Final Four.
"I've been in winning programs my entire life," Afflalo said. "I'm used to winning and I like that expectation of winning a championship every year. It's a good pressure to have."
But before the pressures of the season get cranked up, it was nice to relax.
Detroit faces the Miami Heat in its first preseason game on Oct. 5. The regular season begins on Oct. 29 with a home game against the Indiana Pacers.
"This is my first time doing this," Stuckey said of the tip-off tour, which visited Lansing and Grand Rapids before stopping for the night at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. "We're just going around to different cities and saying thanks to the fans, appreciating the fans.
"It feels good. They probably don't really get to attend a lot of our games. For us to come up here and to show our appreciation and to say thank you and say hello, it's good."
"Thanks for all your support and thanks for coming out here today," Pistons announcer George Blaha told the crowd.
Traverse City mayor Michael Estes was presented with a No. 1 Pistons jersey by Afflalo, Stuckey, assistant coaches Dave Cowens and Darrell Walker, announcer Greg Kelser and Blaha.
Estes even invited the Pistons to hold training camp in Traverse City, saying there's already one Detroit team that comes up to the area.
Detroit Red Wings training camp at Centre ICE begins on Saturday.
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