Rodney Stuckey used Chauncey Billups as a mentor while both played with the Detroit Pistons.

The Indiana Pacers' new guard believes the Pistons' downspin both as a team and individually started from the franchise trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson in 2008.

“Once Chauncey was traded, everything went downhill from there,” Stuckey said. “Chauncey was the glue who held everything together. Once he was traded, it was a domino effect. One thing after another. Something happened, then this happened, that happened. So it was tough, you know?

“You go from this guy who's been an All-Star and Finals MVP to a guy like Allen Iverson who's a completely different type of player. Chauncey was the leader, the role model. Allen Iverson was a scorer, a guy who just gets buckets. He can give you 40 if you want him to. And then you have Rip (Hamilton) on the other side that you need to get the ball to and you can't forget about Tayshaun (Prince). It was a tough situation. It was a lot that was thrown at one person at one time. I was just trying to figure stuff out. But it happened the way it happened. You learn from each experience.”

Stuckey is ready for a fresh start with the Pacers, where he is expected to play a significant role with the absences of Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

“I don't like losing,” Stuckey said. “Sometimes in Detroit, we'd be close in a game and be losing and people would be OK with it because it was a close game and we played hard. But we still lost. I don't accept that. I want to win. That's where a lot of the conflict came from. I'm a competitor, man. I don't like losing. I don't come out here just to get a sweat and lose and be happy. That's not me. I try to compete each and every night and let the chips fall.”