Rip Hamilton Out With The Flu. Really?

Richard Hamilton is sidelined for yet another Detroit Pistons game, this time for the flu. Is it really the flu or would there be some extra fireworks considering Hamilton’s friend and longtime back court mate Chauncey Billups rolls into town with the Denver Nuggets tonight?
I find the flu thing quasi legit. I would never question one’s health. But if you sit back and add up everything it smells kind of fishy to me. Coach John Kuester and Hamilton haven’t been the best of friends and Rip has been riding oak for over a week. The benching was thought to be a result of a trade that never materialized between the Pistons, Nuggets and New Jersey Nets. Now he’s just sitting there with a $12 million price tag and no takers.
I’m baffled as to why Hamilton’s not playing. Although I do feel they need to play their younger players and take their lumps, but Hamilton is clearly one of the Pistons’ better players and in the NBA you play your best players to win.
I agree with Billups’ comment that it’s disrespectful to keep Hamilton on the bench. Hamilton is someone that helped the franchise to the mountain top and this is his reward?
I don’t get it.
Is this an edict from Joe Dumars? Or has Kuester had enough of Hamilton and won’t play him at all? I don’t think Dumars would give Kuester such an order. With the way things are going they’re going to have to get rid of Rip for a bobsled.
As far as tonight’s game goes, I have a feeling Hamilton was told to stay away. With Billups playing major minutes on the court, I think it would’ve been highly likely that Hamilton would’ve blown up. It has to be eating him up inside and to his credit he’s been above it. It would’ve hurt him to see his good friend on the court while he’s rotting away on the bench. This is puzzling and I’ll be tuned in to see what happens.