The Pistons: One Bad Basketball Team

How bad are the Detroit Pistons? Let's put it this way: the Cavs put up a nine point, nine point third quarter, and still beat the stupid Pistons by eleven. In game three of the NBA playoffs. In Detroit. Against a team whose veterans have combined to play about 2,000 playoff games together. How much do I love this? Quite a lot, actually.

The Pistons put up the first eight points of the game. Throw that out, and that miserable third quarter when the Cavs couldn't have scored against the local chapter of the Loyal Temperance Union, and this was a 70-44 drubbing. Include those two brief periods of Piston dominance and you still have a Detroit team that managed 68 points and shot 38% in their own building. In no quarter did they put up more than 19. Their trio of 'cagey' veterans, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and, most adorable of all, Rasheed Wallace appear to have all the energy of a beached whale.

The Cavs will close this one out today and have plenty of rest for the winner of Heat/Hawks.

Of note:

Joe Smith put up 19 points and 10 rebounds on Friday. The Cavs should sign him to a two-year deal as soon as possible.

Let's hope that the performances of Delonte West and Mo Williams, combined 4 points and 8 turnovers, were an aberration.

If the Cavs blow the Pistons out, expect a very quiet night from Rasheed, whose Pistons days are at an end. If it stays close well into the second half, look for him to have one of his patented meltdowns:



I'm pretty sure the Cavs will see the Heat in the second round. The Hawks were much better in the regular season, but they don't have Dwayne Wade. On the other hand, Dwayne Wade doesn't have Shaquille O'Neal and so the Heat have no chance against the Cavs.

It was fun to see the Bulls beat the Celtics in game one of that series. Subsequent games, including a 107-86 humiliation in Chicago, remind us that Derrick Rose is a rookie and the Bulls are, after all, still the Bulls. Until someone on Chicago's frontline knocks Rajon Rondo on his ass, the Celtics will win round one going away.

On the other hand...the mighty Magic genuinely have their hands full with the 76ers, who lead their series 2-1. Andre Miller is playing out of his skull. I've loved Andre Miller since his days as a Cavalier, and unless we play the Sixers in a later round, I always will love him. One of the all-time underrated players.

The Magic are in serious trouble, which is what happens to jumpshooting teams in the playoffs. If the Sixers pull this one off, expect them to give the Celtics all they can handle in the second round.

The Lakers are basically embarassing the Jazz in that series. Very scary team. Should the Cavs meet them in the finals, expect an epic championship round.

nwb