Chauncey Billups Injured, but Pistons Running on All Cylinders

The Detroit Pistons seem to be finally living up to their potential. They were able to effectively close out "Superman" and the Orlando Magic in five games at The Palace Tuesday night, all without starting point guard Chauncey Billups.

There were a few things notably different about the Pistons throughout this series as opposed to previous contests. One was Coach Flip Saunders' use of his bench.

Rodney Stuckey hugely benefited from this, as he started two playoff games. Additionally, Jason Maxiell's play improved. The use of the bench should keep the starters fresher as the Pistons progress further into the playoffs and would avoid the burnouts of the past few years.

Another thing that the Pistons did differently was to defend a superstar player and limit his domination of post-up play. Jason Maxiell, Antonio McDyess, and Rasheed Wallace did a superb job of defending Dwight Howard this series, with the exception being Game Three.

This was vastly different from the series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last year—James just ran all over the Pistons.

If the Pistons end up playing the Cavaliers in the next round and their defense remains as consistently solid as it's been, they should have no problem defending him as long as they're flexible in making changes to their defensive strategy.

The final difference is the energy and focus they seem to be bringing to the floor every game this series. This has been the biggest problem with the Pistons in the past few years. The feeling was that the team was being complacent, playing down to the level of their competition.

This year they finally seem to be more focused and concentrated. This has allowed them to rest up for the next round and let Boston and Cleveland beat each other up. If these things continue, it would be hard to stop Detroit, and another NBA championship would be likely.