Gotta love what the Pistons management and team have done so far. They lost the le and their coach, but didn't panic. No wholesale changes over the offseason, they simply picked the best coach among those available, tweaked the roster and offense and now they're back better than ever.
Unlike Miami, they know both their system and players work. I do admire their "team first" philosophy. They're kinda like the Spurs in the Eastern Conference. They "fly under the radar", don't get a lot of credit and before you know it - they're in the Finals.
We're still going to take them in the NBA Finals, though.
See you in June
Yeah, I also think we will meet them in the finals again. Even though 2005 was a great finals, I think a rematch would be great for the NBA! I dont think my heart could handle another game 7 though. But, I am thinking WAY ahead and a lot can happen in the "preseason". Im ready for the season to begin in April! This should be a great playoff season for the NBA. The NBA is AWESOME!
Since none of the Finals games from last year was in the ESPN top ten games of the year (a little league game, however, was) I doubt the conventional wisdom would be excited about a Spurs Pistons final.
Shaq fading down the stretch is getting to be a very old bit. He has done it for the last three years consistently. He is simply too big and too old to play for four quarters any more.
They shouldn't have to rely so much on Shaq. Mourning can play 20-25 productive minutes. Probably get like 5 blocks in that time. Mourning is playing unbelievable this year.
Today they had a surprising lopsided loss, and their 2nd such blowout to a good team on the road (the Mavs, the only other top five team they have played on the road!) or an aberration? Time will tell!
The Cleveland Cavaliers are not a top-5 team.
Darn it down to 20 games above 500 this sucks.
well pistons lost, and that´s great!!!!!!!!
"The Cleveland Cavaliers are not a top-5 team."
Marty Burns of SI diagrees with you!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...230/index.html
My regards to Marty Burns of SI. Still not impressed with the Cavs. They won't be a challenge in the playoffs against any good team, assuming they make the playoffs at all.
Beat soundly but not a blowout, it makes losing a little easier when as a fan you realize the main reason for losing was missing a basketfull of uncontested shots.
Losing 2 on the road to good teams? That's why we're fighting for HCA.
The race for HCA is definetely not over. The Spurs seemingly slept through the first two months of the season, while Detroit played its best, and right now sit only 3 games back in the loss column.
If the Spurs take the revenge game in two weeks could get very interesting but Detroit seems to have the easier schedule as far as remaining top teams as home vs. road.
Why = consider the top teams this season as Detroit, Spurs, Mavs, Heat, Cavs, Nets, Suns, Grizz?
Pistons have
the following schedule with "13 top teams" (8 home, 5 away)
Spurs have their schedule below that with 14 top teams (7 home and 7 away)
DETROIT
Orlando 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 6 Seattle 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 7 Utah 7:30pm WDIV NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 10 @ NO/Okla. City 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Thu 12 @ San Antonio 8:00pm -- TNT WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 14 Charlotte 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Mon 16 Boston 3:30pm FSN Detroit NBATV WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 18 @ Atlanta 7:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Thu 19 @ New York 8:00pm -- TNT WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 22 Houston 6:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 24 @ Minnesota 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 25 Milwaukee 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 27 Memphis 8:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 29 L.A. Lakers 6:30pm WDWB/WB20 ESPN WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 31 @ New Jersey 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Feb Opponent Time* Local TV National TV Radio
Wed 1 Minnesota 7:30pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 3 @ Philadelphia 8:00pm FSN Detroit ESPN WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 4 @ Indiana 8:00pm WDIV NBATV WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 7 @ Atlanta 7:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 8 L.A. Clippers 7:30pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 10 @ Orlando 7:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 12 @ Miami 3:30pm -- ABC WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 14 New Jersey 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 21 Atlanta 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Thu 23 Indiana 8:00pm -- TNT WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 24 @ Chicago 8:30pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 26 Cleveland 12:00pm -- ABC WDFN-AM 1130
Mon 27 @ Cleveland 7:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Mar Opponent Time* Local TV National TV Radio
Wed 1 @ Denver 9:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 3 @ Seattle 10:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 4 @ L.A. Lakers 10:30pm WDWB/WB20 NBATV WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 8 Chicago 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 11 @ Washington 7:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 12 Charlotte 6:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 15 @ Toronto 7:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP, SCORE WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 17 @ New York 7:30pm WDWB/WB20 NBATVHighDef WDFN-AM 1130
Sat 18 @ Charlotte 7:30pm WDIV NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Mon 20 Atlanta 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 22 Miami 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 ESPN WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 24 @ Indiana 7:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 26 New Jersey 3:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 28 Dallas 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBATV WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 29 @ Philadelphia 7:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 31 Milwaukee 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Apr Opponent Time* Local TV National TV Radio
Sun 2 Phoenix 1:00pm -- ABC WDFN-AM 1130
Tue 4 NO/Okla. City 7:30pm FSN Detroit NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Thu 6 @ Miami 8:00pm -- TNT WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 7 @ Orlando 7:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 9 Indiana 1:00pm -- ABC WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 12 Cleveland 8:00pm FSN Detroit ESPN WDFN-AM 1130
Fri 14 @ Toronto 7:00pm FSN Detroit NBALP, TSN WDFN-AM 1130
Sun 16 New York 6:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBATVHighDef WDFN-AM 1130
Mon 17 @ Milwaukee 8:00pm WDWB/WB20 NBALP WDFN-AM 1130
Wed 19 Washington
SPURS
Wed 4 Portland 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Fri 6 Minnesota 7:00pm FSNSW ESPN2
Sat 7 @ Phoenix 8:00pm FSNSW NBATV
Tue 10 New Jersey 7:30pm FSNSW NBATVHighDef
Thu 12 Detroit 7:00pm -- TNT
Sat 14 Memphis 7:30pm WB35 NBALP
Mon 16 @ Memphis 7:00pm -- TNT
Wed 18 Milwaukee 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Fri 20 @ Miami 7:00pm KENS ESPN
Sun 22 Denver 12:00pm -- ABC
Tue 24 Charlotte 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Wed 25 @ NO/Okla. City 7:00pm WB35 NBALP
Sat 28 Minnesota 7:30pm WB35 NBATV
Mon 30 @ Utah 8:00pm WB35 NBALP
Feb Opponent Time* Local TV National TV
Wed 1 @ Portland 9:00pm WB35 NBALP
Thu 2 @ Golden State 9:30pm FSNSW TNT
Wed 8 @ Toronto 6:00pm FSNSW NBALP, SCORE
Fri 10 @ New Jersey 6:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Sun 12 @ Indiana 12:00pm -- ABC
Mon 13 @ Cleveland 6:00pm WB35 NBALP
Wed 15 @ Philadelphia 6:00pm FSNSW NBALP
Tue 21 Seattle 7:30pm KENS NBALP
Fri 24 @ Memphis 7:00pm KENS NBALP
Sat 25 Golden State 7:30pm KENS NBALP
Mon 27 New York 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Mar Opponent Time* Local TV National TV
Thu 2 Dallas 8:30pm -- TNT
Sat 4 Portland 7:30pm WB35 NBALP
Mon 6 @ L.A. Lakers 9:30pm WB35 NBALP
Tue 7 @ L.A. Clippers 9:30pm KENS NBALP
Thu 9 @ Phoenix 9:30pm -- TNT
Fri 10 L.A. Lakers 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Sun 12 Houston 2:30pm -- ABC
Tue 14 NO/Okla. City 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Fri 17 Phoenix 7:30pm WB35 NBALP
Sat 18 @ Houston 7:30pm WB35 NBATV
Tue 21 Golden State 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Wed 22 @ Denver 9:30pm WB35 ESPN
Fri 24 @ Portland 9:00pm WB35 NBALP
Sun 26 @ Seattle 6:30pm FSNSW ESPN
Tue 28 @ L.A. Clippers 9:30pm WB35 NBALP
Thu 30 @ L.A. Lakers 9:30pm WB35 TNT
Apr Opponent Time* Local TV National TV
Sat 1 Washington 7:30pm WB35 NBALP
Tue 4 @ Utah 8:00pm WB35 NBALP
Wed 5 Sacramento 8:30pm FSNSW ESPN
Fri 7 Dallas 7:30pm KENS NBALP
Sun 9 Memphis 6:00pm WB35 NBATV
Tue 11 Seattle 7:30pm FSNSW NBATVHighDef
Thu 13 Orlando 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Sun 16 @ Minnesota 12:00pm -- ABC
Mon 17 Utah 7:30pm FSNSW NBALP
Wed 19 @ Houston 7:00pm KENS ESPN
The Spurs may benefit from their tough January stretch with lots of rest between games wil be interesting, and various teams may get better when others regress (i.e. Indiana with the right pickup could be right back in it, as could Denver if they picked up Artest).
Last edited by Rummpd; 01-01-2006 at 09:16 AM.
For Spurs to win Finals HCA, the Pistons have to lose 4 more games than the Spurs from now to 19 Apr.
The Pistons have lost 2 games per month for Nov/Dec. Let's assume "optimistically" that they do 100% worse for the rest of the season and lose 4 games/month, 1 per week, for Jan-Apr (which is Spurs rate of losing for Nov/Dec), giving the Pistons 14 more losses to come + 4 L to date = 18L / 64 W.
That would mean the Spurs can have only 10 more Ls, to finish 17L / 65W to win Finals HCA outright.
There is possibility of a tie, so note tiebreak rules:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/7164305
Statement or no statement, the Spurs have to get the split on 12 Jan, because one must assume that the Pistons will have a better record vs weaker EC than the Spurs will have vs stronger WC.
The only thing for sure today is that the Spurs are -4L from outright Finals HCA.
Last edited by boutons_; 01-01-2006 at 10:41 AM.
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