td4mvp3
05-31-2006, 01:32 PM
The Detroit Pistons are one loss away from giving up the Eastern Conference crown and seeing their dream season come crashing down, just six weeks after being proclaimed the consensus choice to win it all.
The Miami Heat are one victory away from moving on to the NBA Finals, after many had written them off as lacking in toughness and teamwork.
As we go into Game 5 in Detroit, with the Heat leading 3-1, we asked five of our writers what they make of this stunning twist of fate.
1. Are the Pistons done for this year? For the future? Were the 2004-06 Bad Boys real or myth?
The Pistons can't stop Shaq or the talk about their demise.
Chris Broussard, ESPN Mag: The Pistons are done this year, going down in five or six. They are not done for the future, unless this disappointing postseason causes Ben Wallace to go elsewhere (Chicago?) in free agency. If they return intact, they will be a contender for the next two or three years.
From '04-06, Bad Boys The Remix was for real. I will go to my grave believing they were better than San Antonio in '05 and should have won back-to-back. There's no shame in losing to Shaq, D-Wade and another All-Star caliber player in Antoine Walker. But some people did go too far in praising The Remix. It was never one of the greatest teams ever. Anyone spouting that is delusional.
Ric Bucher, ESPN Mag: Maybe I'm in denial, but Detroit is like San Antonio for me -- it's hard to count them out until the heart monitor is going beeeeeeeeeeeeeep. ... That said, I wondered when the grind of going deep into the playoffs with the same main cast four straight years would take its toll. Well, we're seeing it. There's no reason they can't contend again next year, but they need a shakeup (not dramatic, but at least one starter) and an attitude adjustment.
John Hollinger, ESPN Insider: This year? Stick a fork in 'em. If they have to hold Miami under 85 to have a chance at winning, they're not going to do it three times in a row. But that doesn't take away from what the Pistons have accomplished over the past three seasons: An NBA title, two conference titles, and the league's best record. And next year I'm sure they'll be back.
Chris Sheridan, ESPN Insider: They're going to be done momentarily, whether it's tonight or Friday. They're just not as good as the Heat, and we should be giving Miami more credit rather than just picking apart the Pistons. Detroit was and still is one of the top four teams in the NBA, but the Pistons benefitted from playing in a weak Eastern Conference the past two years, and they won the title in '04 because the Lakers were a mess.
Marc Stein, ESPN.com: They're not done and they weren't a myth, either. They broke up the dynastic Lakers and came within a couple minutes of back-to-back championships … those things really happened and can't be taken away. But as I said when the Spurs were bounced by the Mavs, athleticism and quickness and depth are all increasingly crucial in today's NBA and the Pistons' starting five can no longer offset what they lack in those areas.
Tricky as it'll be to find the financial flexibility to address those needs, Detroit still has one of the best front offices in professional sports. So write the Pistons off if you wish. I prefer to wait and see how they fare when they search for bargains to bolster the bench or decide to break up the core to freshen things up.
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the pistons won 1 title and two conference titles (as did the nets), but everyone gushes about their superiority and nigh-invulnerability. they were good but never came close to a dynasty of anything.
The Miami Heat are one victory away from moving on to the NBA Finals, after many had written them off as lacking in toughness and teamwork.
As we go into Game 5 in Detroit, with the Heat leading 3-1, we asked five of our writers what they make of this stunning twist of fate.
1. Are the Pistons done for this year? For the future? Were the 2004-06 Bad Boys real or myth?
The Pistons can't stop Shaq or the talk about their demise.
Chris Broussard, ESPN Mag: The Pistons are done this year, going down in five or six. They are not done for the future, unless this disappointing postseason causes Ben Wallace to go elsewhere (Chicago?) in free agency. If they return intact, they will be a contender for the next two or three years.
From '04-06, Bad Boys The Remix was for real. I will go to my grave believing they were better than San Antonio in '05 and should have won back-to-back. There's no shame in losing to Shaq, D-Wade and another All-Star caliber player in Antoine Walker. But some people did go too far in praising The Remix. It was never one of the greatest teams ever. Anyone spouting that is delusional.
Ric Bucher, ESPN Mag: Maybe I'm in denial, but Detroit is like San Antonio for me -- it's hard to count them out until the heart monitor is going beeeeeeeeeeeeeep. ... That said, I wondered when the grind of going deep into the playoffs with the same main cast four straight years would take its toll. Well, we're seeing it. There's no reason they can't contend again next year, but they need a shakeup (not dramatic, but at least one starter) and an attitude adjustment.
John Hollinger, ESPN Insider: This year? Stick a fork in 'em. If they have to hold Miami under 85 to have a chance at winning, they're not going to do it three times in a row. But that doesn't take away from what the Pistons have accomplished over the past three seasons: An NBA title, two conference titles, and the league's best record. And next year I'm sure they'll be back.
Chris Sheridan, ESPN Insider: They're going to be done momentarily, whether it's tonight or Friday. They're just not as good as the Heat, and we should be giving Miami more credit rather than just picking apart the Pistons. Detroit was and still is one of the top four teams in the NBA, but the Pistons benefitted from playing in a weak Eastern Conference the past two years, and they won the title in '04 because the Lakers were a mess.
Marc Stein, ESPN.com: They're not done and they weren't a myth, either. They broke up the dynastic Lakers and came within a couple minutes of back-to-back championships … those things really happened and can't be taken away. But as I said when the Spurs were bounced by the Mavs, athleticism and quickness and depth are all increasingly crucial in today's NBA and the Pistons' starting five can no longer offset what they lack in those areas.
Tricky as it'll be to find the financial flexibility to address those needs, Detroit still has one of the best front offices in professional sports. So write the Pistons off if you wish. I prefer to wait and see how they fare when they search for bargains to bolster the bench or decide to break up the core to freshen things up.
--
the pistons won 1 title and two conference titles (as did the nets), but everyone gushes about their superiority and nigh-invulnerability. they were good but never came close to a dynasty of anything.