Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
In case anyone was wondering, Detroit Pistons shooting guard Rodney Stuckey has quite a soft side.
It was announced this week that Stuckey will be making a sizable contribution to the Blackwell Institute in Detroit, a part of the Detroit School District.
He was planning on opening a Learn and Play classroom at the institute earlier this week and was slated to host a fitness clinic, donate school supplies and give away game tickets. Through Stuckey, the PNC and the Pistons, the institute will be provided with new technology, furniture and refurbished classroom space.
Stuckey said it’s a way to help youngsters receive the necessary tools to have a successful learning process.
It all shows how much Stuckey has matured both as an adult and professional basketball player in the NBA. Reportedly, he has had an impressive summer of basketball and is ready to report to preseason camp in the best shape of his life.
That’s definitely good news for the Pistons, who not only need to have Stuckey contribute in a major way for the team but to do so on a consistent basis.
Stuckey was frustrated by various elements of the team’s play last season and is determined it won’t be repeated for 2012-13.
“We weren’t getting stops, we weren’t getting easy baskets,” he said. “It’s been inconsistent all year. We’re just trying to figure out how we’re going to play. We just have to stick with it, stay together, and keep fighting. Our consistency comes together, then it falls apart. We just have to somehow make it sustained for 48 minutes.”
Stuckey lamented last season that his team was making a habit of falling behind early.
“We’re just getting off to bad starts. We’re letting other teams score. Our goal is to not let teams score 20 or more points in a quarter,” Stuckey said. “When you’re letting teams do that, it’s hard to win games. We just have to focus more on defense.”
After averaging 14.8 points per game last season, Stuckey hopes to give the Pistons even more for 2012-13.
He’s certainly proving to be a giving person, both on and off the court.
