ducks
05-21-2007, 07:27 AM
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070520/SPORTS03/705200669/1048/SPORTS
ASK THE EXPERT: Pistons good, but Spurs better
May 20, 2007
The Free Press traded e-mails with Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski about the NBA playoffs.
On what has impressed him about the Pistons: The ability of (Chauncey) Billups and (Richard) Hamilton to control the flow and persona of a game has been truly remarkable in these playoffs. When Rasheed Wallace is playing inspired basketball, no one in the East is going to beat the Pistons.
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On what worries him about the Pistons: (Their) disposition to mentally check in and out of a series in stretches. You saw it a year ago against the Cavaliers, losing three straight, and against the Bulls last week. Still, this is a team that ultimately has the ability to understand the gravity of the moment.
On the Pistons-Cavs series: The only way the Pistons lose to this series to the Cavs is if they let LeBron James go wild. And they won't. They're going to force him into a lot of jump shots by playing a lot of zone. The Cavs are far less prepared than the Bulls to make that leap into championship contention. Getting to the conference finals makes their season.
On a Spurs-Pistons matchup: The Spurs are coming again, and the NBA is destined for that television ratings nightmare of the Spurs-Pistons. These Spurs are a better team than the one that beat Detroit in the Finals (two) years ago, because the parts are around Tim Duncan -- who still is the most dominant two-way player in the world -- are older and better now. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are moving into their primes and these Spurs match up well with Detroit all over the floor.
His Finals prediction: I'll stay with my preseason prediction: San Antonio over Detroit in the Finals. I'll never completely discount the Pistons' championship character and pedigree, but San Antonio is the best team in basketball now. If they play well in the Finals, the Pistons won't beat them in a seven-game series.
ASK THE EXPERT: Pistons good, but Spurs better
May 20, 2007
The Free Press traded e-mails with Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski about the NBA playoffs.
On what has impressed him about the Pistons: The ability of (Chauncey) Billups and (Richard) Hamilton to control the flow and persona of a game has been truly remarkable in these playoffs. When Rasheed Wallace is playing inspired basketball, no one in the East is going to beat the Pistons.
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On what worries him about the Pistons: (Their) disposition to mentally check in and out of a series in stretches. You saw it a year ago against the Cavaliers, losing three straight, and against the Bulls last week. Still, this is a team that ultimately has the ability to understand the gravity of the moment.
On the Pistons-Cavs series: The only way the Pistons lose to this series to the Cavs is if they let LeBron James go wild. And they won't. They're going to force him into a lot of jump shots by playing a lot of zone. The Cavs are far less prepared than the Bulls to make that leap into championship contention. Getting to the conference finals makes their season.
On a Spurs-Pistons matchup: The Spurs are coming again, and the NBA is destined for that television ratings nightmare of the Spurs-Pistons. These Spurs are a better team than the one that beat Detroit in the Finals (two) years ago, because the parts are around Tim Duncan -- who still is the most dominant two-way player in the world -- are older and better now. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are moving into their primes and these Spurs match up well with Detroit all over the floor.
His Finals prediction: I'll stay with my preseason prediction: San Antonio over Detroit in the Finals. I'll never completely discount the Pistons' championship character and pedigree, but San Antonio is the best team in basketball now. If they play well in the Finals, the Pistons won't beat them in a seven-game series.