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The Detroit Pistons find themselves at a crossroads. The road ahead is lined with top draft picks, developing talent, and the chance to compete in the near future. But the team continues to look over their shoulder at the group of quality veterans that would have been a contender if assembled several years ago.

The Pistons have an identity crisis that is uncommon in the NBA. Their roster is just as stacked with veterans as it is youth and the two groups haven’t been able to coexist.

In Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, and Greg Monroe, the Pistons have an up-and-coming team that looks poised to contend down the road. But the same locker room features a group that wants to win now in Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Tracy McGrady, Charlie Villanueva, and Ben Wallace. Some veteran teams have youth sprinkled in and vice versa, but rarely are teams as evenly split as the Pistons.

Because of this, the team has struggled to develop chemistry and get everyone involved. The veterans want to stay in the game to compete but the young players want more minutes to develop. Both groups have their own separate identities and needs which has led to problems in Detroit.

"I can agree with you on that," Villanueva told HOOPSWORLD. "I think getting everyone on the same page is very important. Right now, things aren’t going well for us and we just need to change things up or do something different because it’s not going as planned."

The team has a lot of talent and they seem great on paper. But the group hasn’t been able to click and has grown frustrated watching their minutes and role change from night to night.

"It’s very frustrating. We aren’t meshing well right now. We have the talent and the pieces, it’s just putting it together now. I don’t know what it is, to be honest. I can’t put my finger on it, but something needs to be done as far as making some type of adjustments. I don’t know what, it’s tough to say. I just don’t know," Villanueva said.

The team wasn’t able to develop chemistry last season due to injuries and they’re feeling the effects of that missed time now.

"Last year, we had a lot of injuries so it was really hard for everybody to mesh the way we want to. We’re kind of starting all over again and then with additions and minutes changing, it’s a different situation for everybody," Richard Hamilton told HOOPSWORLD.

But getting the group to come together has been nearly impossible with how the minutes are distributed. The veterans need a certain amount of minutes, but the young players need to see the floor as well. That has made it difficult for any player to get going and feel comfortable.

"I just think with the type of team we have right now, we’re not doing a good job of finding a rhythm for everybody," Hamilton said. "I think everybody is still out of sync and at times we look good, but at times we don’t. I just think we have to get everyone into a better rhythm. It’s always frustrating to lose games. That’s the biggest thing, when you don’t win it’s hard on everybody."

While the team hasn’t gotten off to a pretty start, Hamilton still believes they can turn things around.

"If you look at the East, anything can happen outside of the top three teams," Hamilton said. "There’s still a chance, we just have to keep building."

Determining which direction to build in is the problem. Do they play the veterans, try to make a playoff run, and postpone developing the team’s youth? Do they usher in a new era, try to move the veterans, and prepare for the future?

This is the dilemma currently holding the Pistons back and until a decision is made one way or another, the team will continue to struggle. They can’t continue standing at the crossroads and now is the time to pick a path and commit to it.

Jack Adjusting in New Orleans: Not long ago, Jarrett Jack was excited about his new role with the Toronto Raptors. The team had informed him over the summer that he would be the starting point guard and he seemed to be in a good situation after developing close relationships with his teammates and emerging as the veteran leader in the locker room. He took some of the younger players under his wing, embraced the new role, and settled in.

Less than one month later, Jack was traded to the New Orleans Hornets.

"It was a bit of a shock," Jack told HOOPSWORLD. "I mean obviously they tried to trade Jose [Calderon] in the summer and they were telling me that they wanted me to be their starting point guard. Then they trade me fifteen games into the season? It was kind of weird. It seemed like some indecision on their part. But the decision was made and I’m happy with it."

Jack is no longer one of the lone veterans and he’s enjoying the immediate climb in the standings.

"It feels good being in a winning situation," Jack said. "I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m very excited and I’m ready to get everything going. It’s good having peace of mind; just knowing where I stand with the team, playing with guys that I know are established in this league, and who love to do what we do every day."{AUTHOR_BOX}

He compares the culture and atmosphere to that of his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers. Both organizations featured a young coach and general manager that were determined to win their way. However, he believes this team is more experienced than his Blazers squad and that could be the difference between being an up-and-coming team and actually contending.

"It’s not too different. I played with Nate McMillan in the same kind of situation when they had Kevin Pritchard. But the one difference is we have established guys who have been in playoff battles, guys who are well respected around this league and I’m just excited to play with them," Jack said.

Jack’s numbers have dipped a bit since the trade, but he continues to adjust. Until yesterday, Jack had not practiced with the team in consecutive days due to the team’s schedule and holiday. As he continues to put in extra work, he’s becoming more familiar with his new teammates, system, and role.

"It’s just getting my rhythm back. It’s always hard to have a flow going and then just have to stop for awhile. I had to stop for about a week and then try to get my rhythm back. For me, this is a rhythm game and I’m ready. I’ve been here getting up extra shots and getting myself back together. I think [it's a good fit]. I still have a ways to go as far as establishing where I fit in the rotation and playing on the ball and off the ball, but I think that’s solely up to me when I get in the game. I just have to make the most of my opportunities," Jack said.

While this opportunity is very different from the one he prepared for over the offseason, Jack now finds himself playing a key role on a winning team with one of his best friends, Chris Paul. Though it wasn’t what he expected in July, Jack couldn’t be happier with the situation he’s in.

NBA News and Notes: Here are some items from this week’s news and notes bin.

• Acie Law will sign with the Golden State Warriors today, according to sources. Law was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies last week and returns to Golden State after a stint with the team in 2009. Last time the reserve point guard was with the Warriors, he averaged 6.2 points and 1.4 assists in five games played.

• There have been several reports this season of head coaches already losing their teams. In New Orleans, that’s not a concern for Monty Williams. His players have worked hard and are completely buying in to what he’s doing with the Hornets. "If you look around the league, you see the exact opposite. Some teams aren’t buying in and you can tell by the way they’re playing," Williams said. "That’s something that I value and I don’t take it for granted. We all talk about how much we appreciate our guys."

• In this space last week, I mentioned that Byron Scott was fined $35,000 by the league after criticizing the referees following a loss to the Orlando Magic. Scott wasn’t concerned and responded, "My checkbook is fine." He wasn’t kidding. The head coach’s wallet is in such good shape that he lets his wife, Anita, go on a shopping spree of equal value each time he receives a fine from the league. Christmas came early in the Scott household this year!