Oct
23
Same Old Pistons, Same Old End Result
When the Detroit Pistons upset the heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the 2004 NBA Finals, they were an inspiring and hungry squad that moved around on offense and played team basketball.
Ever since the Pistons won the title in 2004, they have been too content with their ability to turn it on whenever they feel like it. Detroit has consequently disappointed during the last three playoffs, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals and respectively falling in six games to the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2006 and 2007 Eastern Conference Finals.
Detroit appeared to have had that hunger back last season when it destroyed the Chicago Bulls in the first two games of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, like the Pistons have done since the 2004 Finals victory, Detroit let the Bulls get back in the series, which went six games when it could have been a sweep. Detroit luckily won the first two games against Cleveland in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, but the team’s dangerous style caught up with them as the Cavs took the next four games.
When Rasheed Wallace officially snapped at the end of the Game Six blowout in Cleveland, Detroit’s run as a title contender officially ended. While the Pistons return their core of Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, this is a team that is one year older and still uncertain whether all of the players are on board with third-year Head Coach Flip Saunders.
Pistons’ General Manager and overall class act Joe Dumars could have made major changes this offseason with his team; however, he decided to give this core of players one more shot. While resigning the heart-and-soul Billups and letting Chris Webber leave, Dumars did a great job of bolstering the Pistons bench, an inconsistent area of this organization during the last couple of seasons.
Dumars’ under-the-radar signing of Jarvis Hayes should reap big dividends as the former Washington Wizard’s gritty style of play fits the Pistons to the tee. And the Pistons have more scoring pop of the bench with rookie Rodney Stuckey from Eastern Washington and UCLA’s Arron Aflalo, a tough defender who will fit in with Detroit’s calling card.
Detroit also has steady veteran Antonio McDyess or the emerging Jason Maxiell to fill out the starting spot vacated by Webber.
With all this considered, Detroit has improved in some areas. Yet ultimately, this team’s fate rests in the hands of its four holdover starters, whom along with Chicago’s Ben Wallace, led the franchise back to championship glory.
If Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace are hungry, the Pistons can reach its sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals (which would be an amazing feat in this day and era of pro sports).
However, having seen the Pistons over the last couple of seasons, it’s safe to say that this team will once again have its peaks and valleys. Unfortunately for Detroit fans, those valleys will come where they always do, in the playoffs.
While Detroit will once again be one of the top three seeds in the East, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Pistons lose this year in the second round after escaping the last two seasons only to be dominated in the Conference Finals.
Detroit may once again win the Central Division, but it will be the same old broken record in the playoffs, this time a round earlier.
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
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When the Detroit Pistons upset the heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the 2004 NBA Finals, they were an inspiring and hungry squad that moved around on offense and played team basketball.
Good defense by the Detroit Pistons drama boys, if only we could patch up the difference, this will be a Detroit good season. They are running, switching in defense, rebounding see those efforts. We don’t have yet the Pistons team down.
I which I could see some Pistons games live. I was looking for tickets all the good seats on ticketmaster were taken I had to check broker. And man you don’t want to do that especially for the Detroit Pistons. Thanks god there sites like Ticketwood which work as comparators here is the site
Pistons Tickets
http://www.ticketwood.com/nba/Detroit-Pistons-Tickets.php.
I like slam dunks that take me to the hoop my favorite play is the ally-hoop,
I like the pic n roll,i like the given goal its basketball yo, yo lets go!
Go Pistons Go!!!