Today's Backward Stats ...

[NoMoneyDown]

2006 Playoffs - Team Offense

1. Detroit Pistons, 108.2 PPG link (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/stats/byteam?cat1=Total&cat2=team&sort=232&conferenc e=NBA&year=postseason_2005)

2006 Playoffs - Team Defense

1. Dallas Mavericks, 84.8 PPG link (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/stats/byteam?cat1=Total&cat2=opponent&sort=332&confe rence=NBA&year=postseason_2005)

Very Strange ... :-)

[Darrin]

A sign of tempo, opponent, defense, and emphasis heading into the season. The Pistons knew if they wanted another title, they needed more offensive firepower, and so they opened up the floor. The Mavs knew to win they had to improve defensively to be able to win.

The Pistons have played two very high-scoring teams with little defense (Milwaukee and Cleveland). That has led to blowouts because they don't just take pleasure in shutting down the other team anymore. Even in their one loss this postseason, they managed to score 104 points. Meanwhile, the Mavs have had to play two teams that control tempo in a half-court set (Mavs and Spurs). They are no longer just a front-running team that plays loose offensively, and non-existent defensively.

Times, they are a' changin'. Both teams are attempting to be more-rounded so that they are less exploitable weaknesses that lead to losses. It's a lesson to not rely on reputation - watch the games.

It's just a sample of the teams - their last six games. If you've been paying attention this shouldn't be much of a shock. The Pistons upped their average of PPG from 93.3 last season to 96.8 this season. They scored over 100 points 33 times this season, the most since the 2000 team (the last to average 100 PPG for the Pistons) topped the mark in 51 games. In those games they averaged 107.8 PPG. That looks an awful lot like the number you just posted.