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well said, Doc...
Last night in a game Miami really needed to potentially stave off the streaking Nets for the East's 2nd seed, I saw something I had not seen in the later part of the season out of the Pistons.
They truly won on a lock down defense for more than a few minutes and completely took over the game from Miami. They showed that extra gear they had had in the early part of the year, but prevailed more by truly putting the burden for the win not on offense, but on stellar defense. This was more like last year, than the offense of the early part of the year. Only two teams in basketball can play that kind of ratch it up basketballl - Pistons and Spurs and that is why based on last night and the last week (where they did the same thing to the Mavs for a shorter time, but also effectively) I now believe again they have at least a 80% chance or more (see below) of coming out of the East.
Foremost, I also saw a flawed Miami team, if Mourning's not back to effectively spell and at times play alongside of Shaq they are in a world of hurt. Their ball movement was almost non-existent and was either a lob into a pretty well covered Shaq or Wade being forced to take it off the dribble. Wade had some nice assists but no one else seems to be able to dish the ball or even move around - at least late in games, when it seems all they do is watch Wade and seemingly hope for a miracle. The truth is that this year, Shaq cannot go over 25 effective minutes, he was sweating like I have never seen him (despite appearing to be lighter and sometimes faster), this Miami team will not go 7 with the Pistons, barring Wade going absolutely nuts (the 20% factor) and it appeared Pistons were giving some effective help defense to him.
I have take subtle hits at the Pistons and their fans all over this site all year ("lo siento" for that) but they definetely deserve the 1st seed for staying the course and surviving an awesome number of back and backs; and would be a formidable oppenent for sure, as Delk also appears to be the extra small they were missing. Flip Saunders also appears calmer and more in control than he did say a month ago and he is making some sound subs utions and diminishing some starter minutes = smart choice.
Some will bring up the Nets in the East but they will have to most likelly go through Heat and Heat should still take them out. The Cavs are a year away but believe me if there is a team that will get some calls, it will most likely be LJ and crew. Right now LeBron is good enough anyway to take them past say the Wizards but not enough alone to beat the Nets, Heat or Pistons (give him a fighting chance vs. Nets, smaller against Heat, but none yet vs. Pistons - barring a huge injury to the Pistons.)
See you in the finals, Pistons Fans (I must say honestly you know as as group more about basketball that most other fans of other teams and face the similar lack of respect issue at times, although less this year) and hope both teams bring their A games, are reasonably healthy, and *&^ the ratings!!!!
Real basketball fans would enjoy another classic.
Last edited by Rummpd; 04-07-2006 at 05:19 PM.
well said, Doc...
They will start every series 2-0 @Auburn Hills.
I bet Pistons go 4-0 or 4-1 worst in the EC.
100% sure to get to the Finals.
Last edited by boutons_; 04-07-2006 at 05:36 PM.
Spurs may still have another gear to get back to where they were last year and Manu in my opinion is the big part of that. He has such a crazy effective game that when on can create havoc and so if Duncan reasonably healthy and Parker plays better in the playoffs even at 85% of his season production, it will be another 6-7 game series.
I still pick the Spurs but it will be a dogfight.
I dunno. Spurs have just played so poorly at times this season, including late in the year when W's could have closed the gap for HCA. In previous years they have hit on all cylinders in Mar-Apr, and this year we're just not seeing it.
And yet they could STILL end up with their best regular-season W/L ever.
Couldnt have said it better from a Piston standpoint.
IF the Pistons make it to the Finals, there is only one team I want to see there on the other side of the court....
Call me a pessimist, but the Pistons are the last team I'd want to see in the Finals, even if we make it that far.
Duncan is just not Duncan. Period.
I agree that is all on Manu and Duncan and both need to be at least 95%. Parker must also step up but in my view despite his fabulous step up this year, 1A and 1B in pure all around basketball talent on the Spurs is Duncan and then Manu.
Also we need Nazr + both Finley and Barry to step up each minute of every game they are on the court.
Then there is Horry - I see one last big push from this wonder of playoff basketball, and I believe Pop is positioning him for that in the last season.
Duncan will have no BB but will the ulative toil of the playoffs wear him down = time will tell!
duncan doesnt need to be DUNCAN, he just needs to be Duncan
Tony Parker = 2006 Finals MVP
I don't get it. How can he be Duncan, without being DUNCAN. To win, he has to be DUNCAN.
DUNCAN = 30 15
Duncan = 20 10
duncan = 10 10
call me old fashioned but i firmly believe that if duncan is not at least somewhat duncanesque, the spurs will crumble.
You can knock me on my opinions cuz I haven't been able to watch nearly as much games this season as I have before, but judging from what I have seen on national tv, spurs are not nearly as good as their record suggests. I think people who think Parker will carry this team are falling for the Kobe-Syndrome. I mean, has his jumper really improved that much? I don't see that falling any more now than last october.
I mean last year we had ginobili kicking up another level, but again, i haven't seen him do much this season.
dude his jumper is pretty reliable right now, and suprisingly, moreso down the stretch
most nationally televised games this year have been ty, from what i remember
I just dont think we need Duncan to be FINALS MVP DUNCAN to win it, if he averaged at least 20 and 10 during the playoffs, Parker continues to do what he has done all season (but takes it up that extra post-season notch), and ginobili breaks into the form we saw last playoffs.....it can definitely be done
Spurs have been on national tv once for each of the last 4 weeks (!!) and each time I see parker turning it over like Stephen Jackson, and Duncan missing tip ins and getting outrebounded
boredom
hail to the pistons for dropping one to the magic
LOL
Meh tonight was a sleeper game for Detroit's starters. Wasn't a fun game to watch as a Pistons fan. Not a huge loss or anything, though.
It was rather nice to see Davis play for the majority of the 4th quarter and crunch time. He played rather well when I was watching. Maxiell got some PT when the game mattered. All in all, I'd say pretty much everyone who normally doesn't play got some good experience when it mattered.
yeah rightyou watched the whole thing
no. This was not a game worth watching through. I watched a minute here, a minute there.yeah right
Must have put the jinx on them but SAS losing right now.
These pistons are the best team by far, the spurs will need God's intervention to beat them on a series if we even get there.
you mean pistons scrubs who played the whole 4th period and yet almost pulled it off?!
Almost only counts in horseshoes (so I've been told). Either you win the game or you don't no matter who is on the floor. No excuse for tonight on our end either of course
Annoying loss tonight, but atleast the starters (minus Chauncey) got some rest today and we didnt lose any ground in HCA. I'll take 61-15 any day of the week.
Seeing Arroyo being abused badly by Chauncey brought back some bad memories of his days as a Piston.
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