CBSportsline's take on the 2006 Finals...

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I guess I can't argue with this though I obviously hope they are wrong.....


In 2006, same NBA Finals, opposite result
April 21, 2006
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell Tony your opinion!





Last season, the prediction here was that San Antonio would end up as the NBA champion. The opponent was supposed to be Miami, but crumbling in the closing minutes of Game 7 cost the Heat their shot. Instead, the Pistons prevailed and ultimately surrendered Rasheed Wallace's championship belt in a fantastic Finals.


The Pistons will reclaim what's theirs this time around, thriving on their home-court edge.

In a continuation of a series that went the distance a year ago, Detroit will top San Antonio at home, in seven, to claim the crown. You don't need anybody breaking this down -- the battle has already been waged, albeit with a different coach on the Pistons sideline.

Gregg Popovich isn't as close to Flip Saunders as he was Larry Brown, and the Spurs' inexperience dealing with Detroit's new-look offense will make the difference. The Pistons are formidable on both ends and won't allow Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker to penetrate at will without getting punished early on.

These Finals will be about toughness, and through an incredible season, Detroit has proved itself as the toughest around. To get to the Finals, the Pistons will run through rival Cleveland in what should be one of the nastier showdowns this postseason. The teams have a history of drama, and bad blood makes for great basketball this time of the year. That will keep the Pistons sharp for the Heat, and Detroit should have an easier time with Miami than it did last season.

Even though Shaquille O'Neal is healthy and Pat Riley is on the bench, the changes the Heat made during the offseason have not translated to on-court success. The lack of chemistry will be exposed by a Pistons team that thrives on knowing where everyone is at all times, reducing the uncertainty Detroit had in last year's Eastern Conference finals.

The Western Conference will be exciting, the most enticing series being the semifinal between the Spurs and Dallas. The Mavericks have made brilliant progress in Avery Johnson's first full season but still lack that indefinable characteristic that makes a team great. That's why the Spurs will advance.

Despite not having Amare Stoudemire on board, the Suns will once again get to the West's final round and once again come up short. The team's new personnel has improved the defense, but San Antonio's depth is just too much. Parker's maturity will continue to be vital to the Spurs' fortunes, and he'll go toe-to-toe with Steve Nash and help his team prevail.

Unfortunately for San Antonio fans, doing the same against Chauncey Billups isn't likely.

[Spurzilla]

So this guy thinks the Pistons' match with the Cavs is going to be tough? Oh Please!

Underneath this guy's whole "toughness" argument is the insinuation that the "Spurs are soft."

Newsflash: Last year it was about toughness too... remember?

[td4mvp3]

that sucks, mejia usually calls these things pretty accurately.