It's time for my second annual Pistons Playoff Preview (3P) But first let me address the regular season.
I told myself to hold off, not to pass judgement to soon. "Wait until after the All-Star break," I said. So I did. And here's what I learned.
1-The Iverson trade was a complete debacle for Detroit. Let me tell you, I had high hopes even though I was skeptical about trading away Billups (a great pg and leader)for ANOTHER shooting guard when we were already starting an All-Star, Rip Hamilton. But I jumped on the "We've got a bonafide superstar now too" bandwagon. Plus, it seemed like Joe Dumars had a plan for the future and like him or not Joe Dumars is a big reason I'm a Pistons fan. Good management is key to any sports franchise (see the Detroit Lions). And let's be honest here, the real value of the Billups/Iverson trade will not be realized until this summer. So, again, I have to reserve judgement. Best wishes to AI. Take care of that back my friend.
2-The Pistons look exactly how they should look right now: A group of aging vets, young, less experienced players, a largely underachieving bench (I got you Will Bynum), and a rook head coach. Nobody seems to know what to do in the 4th when Chauncey used to put the game away with timely passes, 3's and free-throws all-day. Now it's misreads, turnovers and HOW CAN WE STOP DRIBBLE PENETRATION moments.
Bigs: Their frontcourt is anchored by two aging vets who can still play (see McDyess) but logging heavy minutes wears them down quickly.
Kwame has been a pleasant surprise as of late, but he's still Kwame.
Maxiell and Amir Johnson have not improved as quickly as expected and 'Sheed is really starting to show his age.
Forwards: I like Tay, sue me. He's versatile offensively, doesn't complain and plays defense.
I also like what Walter Hermann brings to the game when he is hitting his shots and being active on D.
Tayshaun really needs to go at LeBron on Saturday. Forget the fouls, LeBron's gonna get calls anyway at least make him work on defense.
Guards: The brightest spot on the team. Richard Hamilton can still fill it up. He is an absolute nightmare when he is coming off picks and he has looked a lot better going to the basket this year.
Will Bynum has been a pleasant surprise though in the last couple games teams have been keying on him and he has struggled a little with his offense. Still, he was a great pickup.
I like Afflalo too. He is a versatile defender, hard worker and his offense is starting to pick up. He just needs time to get better.
Which leads us to Rodney Stuckey. I'm not going to lie, Stuck is the first name I look for in the box score after the game. I love this guy. People need to remember he is in his second year and is surround mostly with guys who have been in the playoffs since my house was worth what I paid for it. Just wait until he develops a consistent outside shot, then it will be pick your poison for opposing defenses. Like Afflalo, he just needs time to mature.
Playoff Prediction: Cavs in 5. I'm gonna go ahead and say the Pistons get a home win in this series. Believe me I feel like I'm going out on a limb saying it but the roster is loaded with guys with Conference and NBA Finals experience.
But you know, it's not even the talent level of the Cavs that will ultimately decide the series. It's the Pistons lack of cohesion. They look lost sometimes and you can't look lost in the NBA playoffs. The weird thing is, they seem to know it, but they can't figure out how to solve the problem.
This year has to be about patience and belief. Belief that the players and Coach Curry can solve the puzzle and patience for the future.
