The Detroit Pistons Are Limping Into The NBA Playoffs
Well, it's that time of year again folks. The action and drama that is the NBA playoffs. For years, the playoffs have been the spring board for the NBA. This is where stars are born, rivalries are made and champions are crowned.
This is also the time when older stars fade, former champions pass the torch and well, teams limp into the playoffs and hope for the best. I have been reading articles online and watching all of the news coverage over the last few months regarding this seasons playoffs and it got me to thinking about the Champions of NBA's past.
This isn't the first season we've seen such a barrage of injured stars heading into the playoffs. If you really think about it, pretty much every Championship was one by the healthiest team in the playoffs.
This article is coming from a devoted Detroit Pistons fan so of course all of my articles will some way or another revolve around them, but I will do my best to remain unbiased.
Five short years ago, my beloved Pistons finally brought the trophy back to the D where I believe it belongs. That year the Pistons definitely were not the favorites to win it all. There was a former three-peat champion named LA Lakers that stood in there way.
Not only did they have the same players from championships past in Kobe, Shaq, Fisher and Rick Fox, but they also added future hall of famers Karl Malone & Gary Payton. So the odds were definitely in their favor.
The problem was, the Pistons had a young talented & more importantly, healthy roster that went a good 10 deep. Players like Okur, Williamson, Campbell, Hunter, and young and pesky Mike James. Man I miss those days. But I digress. Even with a talented 10 man rotation, on paper, the Lakers were a force.
They argued and limped into the finals. The hungriest player on the team, Malone, goes down & is forced to watch in aw as his team is upset in five (should have been four game sweep but that is another story). Injuries.
The Following season, a healthy and still hungry Pistons team clawed back to the Finals by beating a depleted and INJURED Miami Heat team. You can even see a frustrated Shaq (having lost 2 years in a row to these opportunistic Pistons) mouth the words “I’ll tell you this much. These (expletives) won’t beat us next year”. He was correct.
A hobbled Chauncey Billups was unable to take advantage of the Heat guards & the finally healthy Heat became the Champs for the 1st time. Same goes for the Celtics getting past the Pistons due to Billups still not 100 percent and then the Lakers, minus an injured Bynum.
Which brings me to the point of this ramble filled Pistons stroll down memory lane. In the NBA it’s all about survival of the fittest. The best team should win, but that isn’t always the case. No team this season is 100 percent healthy, so in my eyes, the door is wide open for all 16 teams to take advantage of their opponent some way or another.
Let’s take a look at the brackets & break it down but who’s healthy & who’s not.
1-Cavs vs 8-Pistons
Who’s out- Ben Wallace, JJ Hickson for Cle & Allen Iverson for Det. (Writer’s note: Good riddens!)
Results
Sigh. Where do I begin?
Well, Big Ben is not the player he was so I doubt his 2.9 points and 6.5 rebounds can’t be made up by the younger & more productive duo of Anderson Verajao 8.6 pts and 7.2 rbs and Joe Smith’s always solid 6.6 pts and 4.6 rebs.
You’d have to think with starter minutes, either one of those guys can producer better numbers than Ben since they produce better numbers than ben off the bench. The Piston’s on the other hand lose one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history and arguably one of the top five little men in NBA history.
The problem was, how to fit that into a balanced team. AI never really had to share the ball. Even in Denever he didn’t really share. He & Melo merely took turns. But his shots were still there.
On this team he was ask to take half of the shots he was used to and also play less minutes off the bench, but try to produce. A hard thing for any Superstar to swallow. So he took his ball and ran home whining that uhhh his back hurt.So he’s out.
But his 17.5 pts and 5 assists will be hard to duplicate. Even with a fiery young up & coming Will Bynum’s helpful but nit enough 7.2 pts and 2.8 assists. The whole point of the Billups Ai trade was not only to shed salary for a free agent, but to also get a pure scorer & see how we did in the playoffs.
But sadly, now we’ll never know what AI and the Pistons could have been in the playoffs. So as much as it pains me to say it, the advantage has to go to the Cavs. The Pistons will give up a good fight, but I can’t see this series going beyond 6 games and that’s the piston fan in me being generous.
2-Celtics vs 7-Bulls
Who’s out- Kevin Garnett & Brian Scalabrini for Boston & Luol Deng, Lindsey Hunter & Jerome James from Chicago.
Results
This is a little tough to judge based on the fact that Losing KG is a huge lost, but we still aren’t sure if he’ll be out for the remainder of the playoffs. Also the Celtics have actually played pretty good in his absence.
The Bulls have been on fire lately & have a very strong team. Losing Deng normally would hurt, but picking up the seasoned Vet Salmons weathered that storm. He can score & defend. I won’t even dignify Hunter, James or Scalabrini with a response because lets face it, even if they were healthy, they probably wouldn’t have played anyway.
So with that said, the edge here goes to the Celtics. Even without KG they still Boast a healthy & still hungry Paul Pierce & a recently deadly Ray Allen. Also, of all of the East’s point guards, the only one talented enough on defense to slow rookie Derrick Rose down is Rondo. His defense on Rose can easily make this a short series. Celtics in 6.
Who’s out- Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis & Hedo Turkoglu for the Magic & Jason Smith & Elton Brand for the 6ers
Results- This is hands down the easiest series to call. The 6ers have been a minor thorn in the East all season. Up and down back and forth. Just annoying top teams with their presence. Losing Elton Brand was the best thing to happen to them.
Since Brand left they became even more pesky with their uptempo make you run with us style of play. But in the play offs we’ve seen how fast those teams fizzle. Their lack of an interior presence as well as no three-point threat leaves them wide open for a sweep. Maybe get one good win in Philly but that is a big maybe.
Even with an unhealthy squad, Orl boasts the best center in the game & a whole lof of shooters to surround him. Howard will keep Andre Iguodala & the rest of those pesky 6ers out of the paint & force them to shoot jump shots.
As for his help, well Hedo and Lewis while not 100 percent can still shoot the lights out when hot. This one was over the moment the Bulls got stuck at No. 7. Need I say more? Definitely Orlando in four.
4-Hawks vs 5-Heat
Who’s out- Hawks are all clear for take off & Dwayne Wade, Udonis Haslem & Jamario moon are all aching on the Heat
Results-
I actually have no clue in this one. It can honestly go either way! Wow. I am really stumped. Yes the Heat are hurting & the Hawks 100 percent. BUT! The Heat have D Wade! That guy has won enough games this year by himself to pull this kind of upset off.
This one will come down to who wants it more. So 7 games & all close at that. No blow outs here. No home court dominance. This may be the best series in the entire playoffs. The Hawks are a really good team, but they aren’t great.
Yes they swept my Pistons this season and even took the Celtics to 7 last year, but they aren’t great or consistent. If their 3’s aren’t falling they will struggle in the the half court. They have a few guys who can create their own shot but the Heat have D Wade!
I can’t stand D Wade honestly, but the guy is a legit threat to take over a series and shock the world…again. So based on that alone, I am giving the edge to the Miami freakin Heat in a very close and tight 7 game series!
1-Lakers vs 8-Jazz
Who’s out- Uh oh! No one is Hurt in LA, I repeat NO ONE is hurt in LA & Memet Okur is still aching in Utah
Results-
Should I even respond here. What the heck. Here we go. LA in 5 I repeat LA in 5. They have NO ONE HURT! At all. Ok, Kobe still needs hand surgery but he is still in the MVP race, Bynum just came back from injury and he’s played like a top 5 center in the leugue. Hmmm, yea, Lakers in 5.
Utah is a really good team, but they’ve always felt the heat from teams with dominant wing players. The lakers are big, strong, deep and super talented. The Jazz are deep and strong and talent and have the whistle on their side in Utah but of the 2 teams, LA is more likely to snatch a couple games on the road which unfortunately is where Utah normally struggles.
But it’s Utah, another team that Dominated my Pistons for the last 5 years. So I am sure they can still a game at home. So I will be generous here & say LA in 5. Look ma I did it!
Who’s out- Steven ‘Who Cares” Hunter for Denver & no one CURRENTLY on the Hornets side.
Results-
Good News for the Hornets, they are finally 100 percent healthy. Bad news, they have to play a HOT Denver team salivating at the thought of advancing in the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. A spot they haven’t been in in a long time.
Chris Paul is an absolute Best! David West is great also but the rest of the line up is too streaky to pull this out. Great team chemistry, great coaching & again 2 great players, but Denver is kind of scary. They are big, they are fast and they are deep.
A real balanced team when healthy. With the addition of who else Chauncey BBBBILLUPS! You all have no idea how much I miss him. His steady “Cool Hand Luke” game is just what George Carl & the always immature Carmelo Anthony needed.
Add in a health dose of Kenyon Martin & Nene & yes, you are going to have problems. Plus The Birdman Chris Andersen is always fun to watch lurk around and take a wide open lay up out of the sky. Then also off the bench a should be star in my eyes, JR Smith, draining 3s or taking players off the dribble.
Honestly if they stay healthy, they may be the only team in the West that can take the Lakers to 6. HAHA I know you didn’t think I’d said beat the Lakers. But they can be a problem. I give this one to The Nuggets in 6. I’d say 7, but I just don’t see the Hornets staying healthy enough throughout this series.
Who’s out- For the Spurs EVERYONE! Kidding, but doesn’t it seem like it? Only Manu Ginobli currently oh wait this just in, also out is some guy named Mahinmi, Ian. I have no idea who he is & Daevan George (haha) is all that’s missing for the Mavs.
Results-
You know what. I am still giving this one to the Spurs. They didn’t win a ring last year and we all know their history. Since 1999 when there is no clear cut favorite to win it all, that usually means the Spurs are going to sneak in and get one, healthy or not.
The Mavs are a good team and deep. But they are pudding in the paint. Tim Duncan will destroy them and Tony Parker will have a field day running circles around Jason Kidd while also dun dun dun! Scoring in the paint where, did I mention the Mavs are soft?
Mark Cuban may want to rethink his decision not to bring a healthy Shaq into the mix next year because this year, they will be dominated in the paint, again, by the bigger, stronger more experienced Spurs. So with out further ado I give the nod to the Spurs in 7.
4-Blazers vs 5 Rockets
Who’s out- Raef Lafrenz, Martell Webster and I am pretty sure we’ll see an Greg Oden injury before this on is over for Portland. Tracy McGrady and I am pretty sure we’ll see a Yao Ming injury in Houston before the end of the playoffs as well.
Results-
In a match between the 2 teams most likely to make it to the 2nd round only to be quickly eliminated in the 2nd round no matter who they face we will get a chance to FINALLY see 2 No. 1 draft picks at the center position go at it.
Greg “My leg hurts” Oden up against “Yao “Something wrong with leg” Ming. I’m sure we’ll see both of these guys go down before this series ends. But I have to chose a winner so here goes. Uhhh, does who cares count as an answer? No? Ok hmm, we’ll The Blazers are deep, young and super talented at all positions.
I mean super talented and They are pretty tough to beat at home. But they are still very wet behind the ears. Young teams in the play offs give good fights but the Rockets are hungry. They aren’t very deep, but they have a very inspired Ron Artest to lock up Brandon Roy. So I say the Rockets in 7.
Wow that was a hard one. Seriously. I know the rockets aren’t deep, pretty old and injure prone, but they don’t have Tmac. You know “Mr. 1 and done” in the playoffs. For whatever reason he has never been out of the 1st round in his career.
This year, he can relax and so can the Rockets. There is no more pressure. Especially because no one picks them to win it all anyway. So Yea, lets stick with the Rockets squeaking out of the first round by the hairs on Yao’s chinny chin chin.
Stay tuned next week, when we evaluate the 1st round of the NBA playoffs further and see if I am right. Please feel free to email all hate mail to dd3ent@yahoo.com.
Peace
Dirt Davis III
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