Richard Hamilton, Allen Iverson agree: Curry caused Pistons' problems

Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

Memphis -- Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson says his time in Detroit would have been more pleasant had John Kuester been the coach instead of Michael Curry.

"It would have been a hundred percent different -- a thousand percent better," said Iverson, who won't play Wednesday night in the Grizzlies' opener against the Pistons as he's recovering from a hamstring injury. "I would have known what I was getting into. Kue would have been straightforward with me on how things were going to be."

Iverson knows Kuester from Kuester's days as an assistant under Larry Brown.

Iverson was acquired by the Pistons from Denver for Chauncey Billups last season.

"I was ecstatic about it (the trade) when I first heard about it, but it just didn't work out," Iverson says now. "I was put in a bad situation that I wasn't obviously ready for mentally. I was promised it would be another way, and it was totally different.

"Obviously, it didn't work out because the coach (Curry) even isn't there after one season."

Curry was fired after one season and replaced by Kuester. Iverson said Curry promised him he wouldn't come off the bench, and broke that promise late in the season.

Iverson added he had no problems with Pistons president Joe Dumars or guard Richard Hamilton, who replaced Iverson in the starting lineup.

"I don't have any problems with Joe," Iverson said. "My problem was that it didn't turn out the way Michael Curry told me it was going to be."

Hamilton agreed that there was no rift between him and Iverson.

"The media tried to make something out of something that wasn't (the case)," said Hamilton, who will play Wednesday after being excused from practice Tuesday to deal with a personal matter. "We were great friends and we talked off the court all the time, and we talk (now)."

Hamilton also blamed Curry for the chaos of late season.

"It could have worked out," said Hamilton. "I just thought the coach we had at the time (didn't) put us in situations where we all could be at our best. When you don't have that, it makes it difficult. All the guys are trying to figure it out on the floor, on the fly, rather than putting us in situations where we could be better."

Villanueva starting

The starting lineup against Memphis was Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva and Ben Wallace.

The one change from the exhibition season is Villanueva starting in place of Kwame Brown.

ted.kulfan@detnews.com