Point guard Rodney Stuckey, who scored three points and had one assist in a 92-86 home loss to the Bucks on Feb. 17, and the Pistons are in a serious funk, losing seven in a row to fall into a tie for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Rodney Stuckey is trapped in the merciless grip of a black funk.

And so are the reeling Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons' second-year point guard, who led Kentwood High to a 4A state championship before starring at Eastern Washington, seems to be experiencing a genuine crisis of confidence.

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Check out Stuckey's line from Tuesday night, when Detroit lost its seventh in a row, 103-91 to the Heat in Miami:

He scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with 0 assists (he's Detroit's starting point guard, remember) and 0 rebounds.

Stuckey, who averaged 17.3 points, 5.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds in January, has disappeared into the fathomless void this month.

Over the Pistons' seven-game skid, which has dropped them under .500 at 27-28, Stuckey is averaging 8.1 points (on 39 percent shooting), 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds.

His averages for the season? That would be 13.1 points (48 percent shooting), 4.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds.

What's wrong?

After the Pistons' lost to Milwaukee last week, Detroit head coach Michael Curry told the Free Press that he was indeed "concerned" about his point guard:

"We've got to find a way to get him aggressive," Curry said. "We've definitely got to get more out of him. He's the one that kind of ignites everything else. We've got to find a way to get him more involved."

Curry, whose future in Detroit is suddenly murky, can't be reassured by what he's seen in the three games since.

Stuckey has attempted just 18 shots in the ensuing three games, making seven and averaging 6.0 points.

This is the same guy who took 24 shots in a 40-point performance in a victory over the Bulls on Dec. 23 and 29 more in 38-point effort as the Pistons beat the Kings on Jan. 2.

But things were different then, when Detroit was winning seven in a row. Now the Pistons are careening on the opposite course, plummeting through the Eastern Conference standings and causing Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp to describe their season as a "flaming, crashing Hindenburg."

Oh, the humanity!

The Free Press noted Stuckey's struggles way back on Feb. 10 after a loss to Phoenix that initiated the current seven-game swoon.

It was suggested that a lingering injury to Stuckey's left hand might be the culprit, or perhaps it was just that NBA opponents had adjusted to his game.

Or maybe he's just hit a wall after seeing a quantum leap in his playing time in his sophomore season.

Stuckey, whose struggles only have intensified since, insisted he was fine.

"I'm good," he said. "No, no fatigue. Yeah, I'm fine. Another loss. I'm good, though."

We'll see about that as Stuckey and the Pistons try to reverse their downward spiral toward reduced expectations and the consolation prize that is the NBA's draft lottery.