Richard "Rip" Hamilton is getting better and his all-around game has improved considerably.  

His strengths have been on full display in his team?s series with the Nets.  Hamilton led the Pistons in their upset win at the Meadowlands as the Nets looked to close out the series in Game 6 on their home floor.  Instead Rip and the Pistons came up big and pulled out the difficult victory.  They now head back to Detroit with the series tied 3-3.  

The Game 7 showdown Thursday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The one part of Hamilton?s game that he is noted for, the deadly shooting touch, is beyond question.  But Hamilton has evolved into a player of more than just that.

His assists and defense have improved dramatically.  And Hamilton is tough, perhaps the toughest Piston next to Ben Wallace.  He has a slender frame, so Rip gets bumped, knocked down and jostled by opponents, but he just keeps coming.  Enough so that he?s won over the toughest critic of them all, Pistons head coach Larry Brown.

"This kid every single day comes to practice and tries to get better, and he's not afraid of taking a big shot," Brown said. "I think when they were making a rall, the only guy who was looking to score was him. I don't think we gave him much help, but his improvement has been amazing."

And of course, there?s the shooting, particularly when he?s coming off of screens.  Hamilton put in the winning basket in Game 6 on a jumper he sank with Jason Kidd all over him.  "He has one of the best mid-range games in the league," said Kidd.