The Detroit Pistons Are Just So Frustrating

This had all the makings of a classic night in Detroit sports history. The Detroit Tigers awaken from their season-long hibernation and put up 19 runs against the Minnesota Twins. The Detroit Red Wings open up the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-0 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Penguins. And the Detroit Pistons, of course they would take care of the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals. They had just stolen Game Two in Boston, and of course, the Celtics had yet to win a road playoff game this season.

What do the Pistons do? They decide to do what they have done all season, and that's show up for one quarter. Unfortunately for the Pistons, they were already down 24 points when they decided, "Hey, we should probably show up tonight." If the Pistons were a young team, learning how to win, learning how to play in big games, then inconsistent performances would be acceptable, even expected. But, this is a team that has been to six straight Eastern Conference Finals. Their play is simply inexcusable. Playing hard when you feel like it, playing hard only when you feel like you need to, that's not what a championship team does. And it's why the Detroit Pistons are destined to lose to the Boston Celtics and fall short of the NBA Finals yet again.

One thing we have learned this series so far is that Rodney Stuckey is going to be a star. So much so, that if I were Joe Dumars, I would think seriously, really seriously, about blowing this team up. The Pistons, in their current form, with their current core, have gotten content with winning 50-plus regular season games, sleep-walking through the playoffs, and getting close, but not close enough. Putting the same pieces together again next year and hoping they don't put their game on cruise control is not how to win another NBA Championship.

Putting the same team back together for another run is what's easy. It's the safe course. Joe Dumars, though, should take a risk. He should take a step back in 2009 because it could mean a huge step forward in 2010. Trade Chauncey Billups. Drop Rasheed Wallace. Move Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey into the starting lineup. Oh, and fire Flip Saunders and get a new coach, with some new ideas, and most importantly, some new motivational techniques, in the building.

This current iteration of the Pistons have given us some great memories, and an NBA Title. But it's over. We aren't going to win another NBA Championship with this current team, and keeping them together, while it may make town feel good with their 50-win seasons and constant trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, will not win another ring in its current form. And it's time we stop pretending that they will, realize that we have some very impressive young players, and give them the change to succeed or fail, and hopefully, change the face of the Pistons franchise once again, brining a hunger and determination which the Pistons just simply does not have right now.

The Lighting Round: 21, Detroit Tigers, and More

So you start a new job, in the real world, after four years of undergrad followed immediately by three years of law school, and suddenly you lose track of your blog. Well, let's not make that a habit. So let's catch up on what I've missed.

* 21: The Movie - Good but not great * Last weekend I went and checked out the new movie, 21 based on the great and best selling book Bringing Down The House. For those unfamiliar, the movie, based largely on the book, follows a group of MIT whizkids who, with some help from one of their professors, put together a very successful card-counting operation which make them hundreds of thousands of dollars before the Vegas establishment catches on. The movie, staring Kevin Spacey as the morally suspect ringleader/professor, was good, and exciting, but could not hold up to the greatness of the book. And maybe I have been spoiled by NBC's great Las Vegas so casino-themed movies have a hard time measuring up. Las Vegas did such a great job of capturing the casino and Vegas atmosphere, I almost walked out of 21 thinking that had the TV show done a mini-movie with the same storyline, it would have been much better. That said, it was still a good movie, maybe a bit long, and yet with some storylines not fully fleshed out as they could have been (which probably tells you there's a bit of dead time in the movie which could have been better spent elsewhere) but in the end, worth seeing.

* Detroit Tigers start 2008 season 0-4 * Well, at least Jason Grilli is in mid-season form, giving up three straight hits in the seventh inning of yesterday's game against the Chicago White Sox including the game winning three-run home-run dropping the Tigers to 0-4. Obviously, this is not how the Tigers, who have the second highest payroll in baseball, and who have expectations through the roof, wanted to start the year. I refuse to panic though. Even though Nate Robertson struggled yesterday, for the most part, the problem has been the offense, and the slow start Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Shef...Well, everyone has gotten off to except for Clete Thomas, the kid who never played above AA before Curtis Granderson got hurt. The offense is too good to not turn around. So, let's not panic and get concerned. We'll turn it around. A month from now, if we are 5, 6, 7 games under .500, then we can talk, otherwise...

* NFL Draft Coming Up * I had a dream the other night (I wish I weren't kidding) that I missed the NFL Draft (which would never happen in real life) and as I was struggling with my cell phone to find out who the Lions drafted, I found out they traded up to the #2 pick in the draft to take some running back I had never heard of. I remember being so furious. Then I woke up, thankfully. The Draft is less than a month away, and I keep hoping the Lions don't waste their first round pick on another offensive skill player. Yes, we need a running back. But we need linebackers and defensive lineman and offensive lineman much more. I'm getting very nervous though it's going to be offense, offense, offense again.

* NHL and NBA Playoffs on the horizon * I haven't written much (if anything) about the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons in a long time, but now that the meaningless regular seasons are nearing their end-point, and the playoffs get ready to start, I'm excited to start really paying attention again and blogging again. Both teams have had great regular seasons, and the Pistons have really seen growth in their young stars, which has allowed them to rebuild without anybody noticing. It's amazing. But no matter how great the regular seasons were, if they don't win the playoffs, it won't matter at all.

And with that, time to see if the Tigers can win a game. Eventually we do, right?

Is the Detroit Pistons "Dynasty" Over? Why Detroit Should Trade Rasheed Wallace

The Cleveland Cavaliers convincingly defeated the Detroit Pistons Saturday night in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals, 98-82, eliminating the Pistons and earning a birth in the NBA Finals. And while we can debate the officiating and the Pistons play all off-season, the bottom line is, and amazing as this is to say, the Cavs were the better team throughout the series. The Pistons may pride themselves on being the consummate "team", no superstars allowed, and Cleveland may have been considered poster-child for the "one superstar and 11 other guys" way of building a basketball team, but LeBron James was not the sole reason the Detroit Pistons are playing golf right now. Yes, he dominated and single-handily won Game Five in Detroit, but in Game Six, it was Daniel Gibson, a previously anonymous second-round draft pick who stung the once impenetrable Pistons defense for over 30 points. At other points in the series it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Drew Gooden hitting shots, and even Anderson Varejao was getting rebounds and getting into the heads of the Piston players, taking them out of the game mentally and with fouls they picked up playing against him. It was the Cavs, not the Pistons, who were playing an unselfish, defensive, all-hustle style of basketball, and it's why they not only won the series, but were the better team throughout.

So the question that is now facing Detroit Pistons President Joe Dumars is what to do now? The Pistons are at a crossroads. The core group of players that has led them to five straight conference titles, 2 NBA finals births, and 1 NBA title (maybe not your classic Bulls, Celtics, or Lakers "dynasty", but pretty damn good in today's NBA) may be nearing the end of their lifespan as a team. There are questions about whether coach Flip Saunders should or will return next season. Chancey Billups can (and will) opt-out of his contract. Antinio McDyess and Flip Murray have the same opportunity to opt-out of their deals. Dale Davis, Lindsey Hunter, and Chris Webber may all retire, and only Hunter has a contract for next season anyway. And the Pistons will undoubtedly try to trade Nazr Mohammed, though, I don't know why any team would want him or his salary. Joe has a very interesting decision to make. He can try to re-sign Billups and McDyess, and make another run at a title with this current team. But with the Bulls and Cavs a year more experienced, and only getting better, and the Pistons sliding backwards, it may be time to admit that while the Pistons have had a great run, it's time to rebuild. And I would start that process by trading Rasheed Wallace.

The easy thing to do would be to hold on to this core as long as possible. And undoubtedly the Pistons would win more games that way next season. But in the best interest of the future of the franchise, it is best to trade Wallace, no matter what the decision is regarding Billups' future. Rasheed Wallace gave up on his team when he picked up two technical fouls early in the 4th quarter Saturday night. The Pistons were down double digits and Rasheed, figuring the Pistons could not come back, surrendered, and decided he was going to fight somebody, even if that meant sabotaging any chance the Pistons had at winning the series against the Cavs. Not only did 'Sheed pick up two technical fouls, giving the Cavs an easy chance to extend their lead, but he eliminated himself from the most important game of the year, a potential Game Seven against Cleveland. Had the Pistons come back in Game Six, which was unlikely but not impossible (though, once Rasheed was thrown it, it became close to impossible), Rasheed Wallace would have been suspended from Game Seven because of the amount of technical fouls he had accumulated throughout the playoffs. To lose your cool on that stage and to such a degree that you would take yourself out of a Game Seven, is simply inexcusable. And it can't and shouldn't be tolerated by Joe Dumars or the Pistons.

There's a reason why Rasheed Wallace wears out his welcome everywhere. Because eventually he gets bored or upset with the world and he costs his team games. The Pistons may have lost Game Six anyway, but Rasheed took any chance of a fourth quarter comeback, and any chance of a Game Seven victory, away when he decided to get thrown out of Saturday's game. He should be done as a Piston.

Joe Dumars should try to trade Rasheed Wallace and use Wallace and the team's two first round draft picks (in a very deep draft) to try to rebuild on the fly. Jason Maxiell is ready to contribute on a regular basis, and he should get significant playing time next season. If the Pistons want to re-sign Chauncey Billups, I don't have a problem with that, if only because there are no point guards readily available to replace him. And I would hold onto Flip Saunders, at least for another season. But, this Pistons team needs an overhaul to keep up with Cleveland and Chicago (not to mention Miami, who likely won't be as down and out as they were this season) and after the way Rasheed Wallace ended his Pistons season, it should also be the end of his Pistons career.

Cavs Put Pistons in 3-2 hole (again)

Just nothing you could do tonight. It was LeBron James night. He was just absolutely unbelievable in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes, and it seemed like no matter what the Pistons did, they were destined to lose this game. Worst part? Had Antonio McDyess not been ejected (and while he did commit a flagrant foul, to eject him from the game, a game of this monumental importance, was ridiculous), the Pistons likely would have held on in regulation.

So what do Pistons fans have to hold on to?

2004: Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the New Jersey Nets defeat the Detroit Pistons, at the Palace, in triple overtime, to win Game Five and take a 3-2 series lead back to New Jersey. The Pistons won games six and seven and won the NBA Championship.

2005: Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat defeat the Detroit Pistons, at the Palace, to win Game Five and take a 3-2 series lead back to Miami. The Pistons won games six and seven lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals (where they also lost Game Five, in overtime, and then came back to win Game Six).

2006: Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Detroit Pistons, at the Palace, to win Game Five and take a 3-2 series lead back to Cleveland. The Pistons won game six and seven to win the series.

2007: Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Detroit Pistons at the Palace, in double overtime, to win Game Five and take a 3-2 series lead back to Cleveland.

How the Pistons respond will define the legacy of this Pistons dynasty.

Cavs Take Game Four 91-87, Even Up Series with Pistons

I thought Chauncey Billups had turned the corner. After a series of bad shots, poor decisions, and turnovers, Billups finally played the way he is capable of in the first half of Tuesday night's Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 18 points, looked like a totally different player. I guess I should have taken the Pistons 7 point deficit seriously despite Billups stellar play. Because Billups turned back into a pumpkin in the second half, shot 1-8, scored just 5 points, and the Pistons saw LeBron James, Drew Gooden, and Daniel Gibson hit big shot after big shot to help the Cavs even the series.

I thought the Pistons were going to hold on to their lead too. After erasing the Cavs first half advantage, the Pistons looked strong. Antonio McDyess, realizing this may be one of his last chances to get to the NBA Finals, played with a fire and intensity not often seen from him in the fourth quarter. Jason Maxiell was given decent minutes and looked good too. And Rip Hamilton, who struggled to find his shot early, ended up with 19 and 8 rebounds, despite a 9-21 shooting night.

It looks to be 2006 all over again, when the Cavs took the Pistons the full seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, wearing down the Pistons to the point where the team from Detroit was easy pickings for the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals. If the Pistons do not lock down, and end this series in six games, the same thing will happen this year, as a worn down Pistons team will get mauled by a well rested San Antonio Spurs team, who can wrap up their series with Utah tonight. Or, of course, there's another option. If the Pistons don't wake up, it could be the Cavs facing the Spurs, and while that may make NBA Commissioner David Stern and all the television executives happy, it would be a huge under-achievement for this Pistons team.

We'll see how bad the Pistons want it on Thursday at the Palace in Game Five.

Cavs Stun Detroit Pistons, Take Game Three 88-82

In some ways, ironically, it was the best game the Detroit Pistons played in the series. Sure, Chauncey Billups continued to struggle, and Rip Hamilton had an off night, and well, the Pistons lost, but other than those problems, it was the best effort in three games for the Pistons. Unfortunately, though, unlike the first two contests, where the Pistons made late fourth quarter runs and iced the game late, it was LeBron James scoring 12 fourth quarter points and getting his teammates involved to ice the Pistons, helping the Cavs to an 88-82 victory which makes the series 2-1 in favor of the Pistons.

The Pistons did a lot of things right in Sunday night's Game Three. They weathered an early Cleveland burst of energy and early lead, ending the first quarter tied at 22. They didn't let a late second quarter surge by Cleveland bother them, and they outplayed the Cavs in the third quarter (as they have all series), taking a one point lead into the final 12 minutes. They just didn't get the big stop or hit the big shot when they needed to. Rasheed Wallace did his best to hit a few late threes to get the Pistons back in it, and even Billups, who struggled all night, hit a few key baskets down the stretch. But a few costly turnovers, and some great shooting by LeBron James and rookie Daniel Gibson (who hit a killer three pointer late in the game) gave Cleveland second life in the series.

Wallace continued to play well for the Pistons, and Tayshaun Prince, who was 1-19 coming into Sunday night's game, shot 6-13 and scored 13 points. Even Flip Murray, coming off the bench, was strong, scoring 8 points, providing the team energy when they needed it most. And Chris Webber played his best game in recent memory, dominating the first quarter, and scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 28 minutes of work. Webber's problem, though, was foul trouble, which had he been able to stay out of, the end result may have been different.

The result may also have been different had LeBron James not scored significantly more then Rip Hamilton and Billups combined (32 for James; 20 for the Pistons backcourt). While LeBron was aggressive, and was key late in the game, Hamilton and Billups struggled, hitting only two field goals combined going into the fourth quarter. They were a combined 6-22 from the floor with 7 turnovers (Billups accounting for five more, putting him in double digits for the series). LeBron, on the other hand, added 9 rebounds and 9 assists to his 30+ point night, and hit the game clinching shot over Rip Hamilton with under thirty seconds to play. Hamilton defended him about as well as he could, but James hit the shot anyway. The kid's pretty good, you've got to give him that. The Cavs defense deserves credit too. They have had Billups out of rhythm the entire series. I did not give them enough credit for their defense coming into the series.

The Pistons won't win many games when Billups and Hamilton both are cold and are turning the ball over, and LeBron scores over 30 on the other side. And I was surprised Jason Maixell didn't see more playing time (only 3 minutes) after how well he played in Game Two, though, with Webber, Prince, Wallace, and McDyess all playing well, it was hard to find minutes for Maxiell tonight. Even with the loss, there are a lot of positives to take out of the game for the Pistons, including Prince shaking out of his shooting slump, and Webber finding his confidence too. Game Four Tuesday night is another toss-up, but a few adjustments by the Pistons, and hopefully, they can take a 3-1 lead. After all, Hamilton and Billups won't have two off games in a row, will they?

Detroit Pistons Defeat Cavs in Repeat of Game One

Now that spring and summer are upon us, and most television shows have had their season finales, repeats will dominate the airwaves. Who knew the NBA was subject to the same rules as Lost, Boston Legal, and How I Met Your Mother? Because Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals was, pretty much, a mirror image of Game One. The same Chauncey Billups turnovers. The same poor shooting by Tayshaun Prince. The same outplaying of the Pistons by the Cavs except for when it mattered. And the same ending, with the same score no less, Pistons 79, Cavs 76. What did change was LeBron James took the shot this time instead of passing off (and, for the record, I think he made the right and smart play in Game One passing to a wide open teammate for the game winning three and people need to get off LeBron's back about it) but it clanked off the iron (there was no foul by Rip Hamilton as the Cleveland bench so desperately wanted). The Cavs had a few more shots at the basket too, including a wide open putback by Larry Hughes which he somehow missed, and the Pistons escaped with another victory, going up 2-0 in a series where they have been outplayed for most of the time on the floor.

Going into Cleveland, the Pistons are going to have to play better basketball. Billups turning the ball over as much as he has the past two games is getting to be a bit concerning, as I don't know if he's trying to do too much or moving too quickly, but it almost cost them in both games. And while Tayshaun Prince is bringing a lot to the table with his all-around game, he followed up a 1-11 shooting night with an 0-8 performance, netting just a single point. Obviously that needs to improve.

The real star of Thursday's game though was Pistons' sub Jason Maxiell. After Antonio McDyess was knocked loopy with a blow to the face, Maxiell came into the game early in the first quarter and gave the Pistons a real spark. He was flying all over the court, on both sides of the ball, from blocking LeBron James' to dunking over Cavs defenders, early on it was the Jason Maxiell show, showing the Pistons and their fans what they have to look forward to when he starts receiving significant minutes. He finished with 15 points (one point less then leading scorer Rasheed Wallace who played much better then he did in Game One -- And, BTW, Chris Webber looked good too), 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and was a big reason the Pistons won Game Two. Most everytime he has played this playoff he has stepped up and shown he belongs, and he should continue to get added minutes in Flip Saunder's rotation.

So the Pistons are up 2-0, but this is no time to start coasting. They could very easily be down 2-0. The Cavs have been the better team in this series, except for crunch time, which is likely due to their inexperience. If the Pistons take one of the next two in Cleveland, this could be wrapped up in five, but if the Pistons let the Cavs back into the series, like they did the Bulls, we could be in for a long, nervous week ahead. Let's hope the repeats continue and the Pistons continue to squeak by with the 'W'.

Detroit Pistons Defeat Cleveland in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals

Well, as it turns out, there is a reason I write a blog and don't coach the Detroit Pistons. What am I talking about you ask? Let's take a look at what I said in my Pistons-Cavaliers Series Preview:

. There's still not enough talent around James, and the Pistons are a smart enough team to shut James down and say "If Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes can beat us, fine, go ahead and try, because LeBron won't."

So what did the Pistons do? Take my advice, of course. They shut down LeBron James, holding him to 10 points, his lowest playoff output ever. And the result? Well, a lot closer then it ever needed to be.

The Detroit Pistons won Game One against Cleveland, barely, 79-76. They trailed by seven at halftime. They trailed late in the fourth quarter. Donyell Marshall had a wide open three pointer with three seconds to go in the game which would have stolen the game from Detroit (can you "steal" a game where you were the better team?) Certainly not the night I expected from the Pistons.
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What is most incredible about Game One, is despite how poorly the Pistons played,they were not dominated by LeBron James. In fact, the Pistons held James to just four points in the first half (and 10 for the game). For the majority of the night, James was a complete non-factor offensively. But, as it turns out, some of the players around James can actually play. It was almost as if the Pistons and the Cavs had switched personalities. The Cavs were the team getting contributions from a variety of players, while the Pistons were the one-man show, thanks to Rip Hamilton's hot first half. Chris Webber was in foul trouble, Chauncey Billups was out of sync the entire game (until, of course, it mattered, when "Mr. Big Shot" showed why he has that nickname). If not for Rip Hamilton, the Pistons would have lost by double digits.

As for LeBron, while he came alive a bit (scoring at least) in the second half, for the most part, the Pistons had him shut down. It was the other Cavs, like the impressive Anderson Varejao, who allowed the Cavs to hold the lead and keep the game close even when the Pistons went on a run after halftime. Zydrunas Ilgauskas also had a great game, hitting key shots late in the game to keep the pressure on the Pistons and keep the Cavs in the lead. You have to give the Cavs a lot of credit. Their franchise player was pretty much a non-factor, yet they were still the better team on the floor for most of Monday night despite James' struggles.
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As for the rest of the Pistons, aside from Hamilton's big night, Tayshaun Prince had a strong first half, especially distributing the ball when his shot wasn't falling, and both Dale Davis (yes -- Dale Davis) and Jason Maxiell gave the Pistons some quality minutes off the bench. And it was Maxiell out at the end of the game in critical situations, as coach Flip Saunders showed a lot of confidence in Maxiell by keeping him out there in such critical situations.

Chauncey Billups just did not have his "A" game tonight, and he had more turnovers then field goals. I don't think we should be panicking over one bad game, but if Billups continues to struggle, the Pistons may be in more trouble then anyone would have thought before Game One. Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber didn't have great games either, but both got into double digits, and both hopefully will play better in Game Two. The Pistons as a whole are going to have to play better in Game Two, because LeBron James is not going to be held to 10 points every night, and his teammates proved tonight that they shouldn't be overlooked by anybody.

Although, you also get the feeling that this was the Cavs game to steal, and they failed, and that any chance to win the series, was lost when the Cavs lost their lead in the third quarter.

Detroit Pistons - Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals Preview

The Detroit Pistons begin the Eastern Conference Finals tonight, their fifth straight appearance, and they will face a familiar foe, division rival LeBron James and the Cleavland Cavaliers whom the Pistons eliminated from the playoffs last season. And for whatever reason, I am not worried. Even though the Pistons struggled to close out the Bulls, and even though the Cavs are a much improved team from the one the Pistons defeated last season in the playoffs, I still can't get over the feeling that, say unlike Chicago, which has a team of young and upcoming stars, the Cavs are still Lebron and 11 other guys. And no matter how great LeBron is, he's still just one guy.
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Of course, the Cavs are not just LeBron and a bunch of scrubs. Drew Gooden is a good player, so is Larry Hughes. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas can be a force in the middle. The Cavs won 50-games this season too so it's not as if making it to the NBA Finals would be a huge upset or entirely unexpected. They played really well in the New Jersey series, defeating a team of stars like Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson. Dethroning the Pistons is the next step on LeBron James checklist.

I just can't see it happening this year. There's still not enough talent around James, and the Pistons are a smart enough team to shut James down and say "If Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes can beat us, fine, go ahead and try, because LeBron won't." Sure, there were some lapses in focus in the Chicago series, but that's been the Pistons problem all season. When it matters, when the Pistons need to dig down and win, they do. I can't see it being any different in this series. Unless, of course, the Pistons go up 3-0. Then anything can happen.
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I thought the Bulls were going to give us a series, and they did, but I thought there was a serious chance the Bulls could beat the Pistons. I don't think that about the Cavs. I hate picking the Pistons in five, because I don't want to underestimate the Cavs too much, but this won't go more then six. Detroit is simply a deeper, more experienced, more talented team then Cleveland, and this Cavs team is more like the 1989 or 1990 Chicago Bulls, not the 1991 team which finally broke through the Pistons. Take Detroit in six but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a shorter series then that.

Wings Lose, Pistons Win: Some Quick Thoughts

Even though Game Four of the Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks series and Game Six of the Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls series was just a day and a half ago, it seems like a lifetime. You put off writing a blog entry on the games for one day, then another because of a trip to Comerica Park (more on that in my post on Andrew Miller's Major League debut) and suddenly, the games are old news. Oh well. So before the stories become really old news and nobody cares, here are some quick thoughts.

** Even with Chris Pronger out, it didn't surprise me that the Ducks played as well as they did. Sometimes losing a great player like that becomes a rallying point, and you knew after getting pulled in Game Four, Giguere was going to come out especially fired up. When the Ducks scored in the first two minutes of the game, I thought it was going to be a long night, but Dan Cleary's first goal of the game (he scored two) tied it up and it was a back-and-forth battle the entire game. Typical of this series. Hasek gave up more goals then we are used to seeing, but everyone is entitled to an off-night. Game Five is Sunday afternoon (I'll see most of the second period and beyond as I'll be at the Tigers game in the early afternoon) and I can't even venture a guess as to who will win. Both teams have won a game on the road, and while the Wings should be tough at home, the Ducks have been the better team for more of the series (though, if the Wings play as they did in Game Three, they'll win hands down).

** And the Detroit Pistons put the Chicago Bulls to bed, finally. About time. I thought the Bulls were going to give the Pistons a series, but I figured it would be from the start, not once they fell behind 3-0. But, they gave the Pistons a scare, and the team responded when they needed to, closing out Chicago on their home floor. Not coincidentally I think, Jason Maxiell had more playing time in this game then he did in the games the Pistons lost. I think there's a connection there. Maxiell beings emotion and energy when he plays and hopefully he'll continue to get minutes against Cleveland.

As for Rasheed Wallace, he has to play more in control then he did the final three games against Chicago. I know his emotion works for him in some ways, and his technical fouls, while endearing in the regular season, are going to kill the Pistons if he isn't careful. Tayshaun Prince was NOT happy with Wallace when he got a "T" late in the 4th quarter of Game Six against Chicago and good for him for letting Wallace know. Prince is showing a real emotional side of him this playoff and that's a very good thing and he's turning into one of the Pistons most consistent performers. And don't get me wrong, I love Sheed's fire. I would like just a little bit more self control with LeBron James and Cleveland next week.

Detroit Pistons Lose Game Five; Chicago Bulls Make it a Series Again

When the Detroit Pistons drew the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, I originally said the series would go seven games. I thought the Bulls, while young, were hungry, and the Pistons, while more talented, were too nonchalant. Then the Pistons destroyed the Bulls in the first three games of the series, and I looked silly. I'd do a lot right now to go back to looking silly, because the Bulls are very much alive, and after embarrassing the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills, 108-92, Game Six shifts to Chicago, and there is a very, very good chance we are looking at a very unpredictable Game Seven back in Detroit.
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Even though they were at home, and even though they knew they had to crush the will and momentum of the Bulls early, the Detroit Pistons never got into a rhythm. They fell behind early, never dug themselves out, and if anything, kept falling further and further and further behind. It didn't help that the Bulls shot 72% in the first half and only a late run by the Pistons cut the lead to single digits going into the half.

Then something unexpected happened. Instead of coming out of halftime fired up, and quickly retaking the lead, the Pistons were as stagnant as they've been all series. The Bulls, on the other hand, continued their hot shooting, scoring 33 points in the quarter, adding 13 points to their lead, pushing it over 20 going into the fourth quarter.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA Playoffs before, but the Bulls are young and inexperienced enough not to know any better. And they are playing with confidence right now, and the Pistons are not. And if that doesn't change in a hurry, history may be set before Detroit even knows what hits them.

In Game Six, Flip Saunders should, especially if the team lacks fire early, go to Jason Maxiell early and often. Maxiell, who played so well in Game Three, showed some emotion on both ends of the floor when he played in Game Five, and perhaps had he played more, the Pistons would have had a better chance to make it a game.

I still think the Pistons are too talented to lose four straight to Chicago, but what was a sure thing, no longer is. The Bulls, at home, are going to be very tough on Thursday. The Pistons won in Chicago in Game Three, but Game Six is going to be the hardest, and most important road game of the season. And if they lose it, there are no guarantees the Pistons will be able to wrap up the series in Game Seven, even though the game would be at home.

Chicago Bulls Defeat Detroit Pistons in Game Four

Well, that was the Chicago Bulls team I expected to see in the entire season. And for three quarters, the Detroit Pistons just did not play very good basketball, so despite a fourth quarter rally, the 20-point-plus Chicago lead that they had built in the third quarter was too much to overcome, and the Pistons lost Game Four in Chicago, 102-87, with the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals now 3 games to 1, with Game Five at the Palace of Auburn Hills. While it would have been nice to sweep the Bulls, and wrap up the series in four games, the Bulls coming back strong and fighting to stay alive shouldn't be too much of a surprise.
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The Pistons just did not play a good game today. Chris Webber went scoreless for the second straight game (it's too early to get really concerned about him yet, but two straight zeros isn't good) and it was strange seeing the Pistons play "hack a Ben" at the end of the game (I still hate that teams are allowed to do that). And Rasheed Wallace just took way too many threes when it was clear he wasn't feeling it tonight and he ended up 2-12 from three point range.

I was very surprised with Flip Saunders rotation today, especially early when Chauncey, Rip, Rasheed, and Webber (wow, that's almost our entire starting lineup) were either struggling to find their shot or were in foul trouble. I thought we may see Jason Maxiell earlier then we did to give the team a lift off the bench, and playing Flip Murray over Lindsey Hunter surprised me a bit, but Flip actually played pretty well throughout the game, so I can't quibble with that. And on a positive note, Tayshaun Prince continued to play pretty well.

And as was pointed out in the MLive.com Detroit Pistons Forum, up until this point I have not talked much about the guard matchups. Kurt Hinrich and Luol Deng were huge for the Bulls, Deng with a 10-15 shooting day and Hinrich with 19 and 10 assists. And Ben Gordon chipped in with 19 points as well. That was a big difference maker in the game, especially considering that at least until the fourth quarter, Chauncey Billups really struggled, and Rip Hamilton was 4-12 from the field. Hard to win when your guards are outplayed like that.

So, where do we go from here? Likely to a series ending Game Five in Detroit on Tuesday. Chicago winning one game at home doesn't really scare me, and I can't imagine the Pistons playing as poorly on Tuesday at the Palace as they did in Chicago this afternoon. The Bulls got their one game, and that will hopefully be that. The Pistons know better then to let Chicago have second life, and get back into this series.
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Detroit Pistons Win Game Three Over Chicago

If the Chicago Bulls were even remotely close to a good team, they would be celebrating a Game Three victory right now, and the Eastern Conference semi-finals would be a series again. Instead, despite holding the Detroit Pistons to 28 points in the first half (yes, that's not a typo, the first half), the Bulls still managed to lose to the Pistons by seven, 81-74. And here I thought this series was going to go seven games and was a toss-up. As it turns out, the Pistons will likely complete a four game sweep on Sunday afternoon in Chicago.

While the Pistons kept pace with the Bulls in the first quarter, neither team played well at the start of Game Three, the Bulls obviously nervous in a must win game, and the Pistons cold from the floor, having most of their shots bounce off the rim. In the second quarter though, while the Pistons still couldn't make a shot, the Bulls scored 24 points (to the Pistons 10) and pushed their halftime lead to 16. Game Three was following what many thought would be the script, the Bulls controlling the pace in front of their home crowd, showing life after getting blown out in two games in Detroit.

And even though early in the third quarter the Bulls were able to increase their lead to 19, they were facing a transformed and more focused Piston team then they saw in the first half. Chauncey Billups got hot and Tayshaun Prince did too, and suddenly the three point shots were falling and the defense was tightening, and what looked to be a Bulls blowout victory was suddenly very much in doubt. The Pistons kept cutting into the Bulls lead, going on a 12-0 run at one point, and when Rasheed Wallace hit a three pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, the Pistons had exceeded their entire first half output (32 points as compared to 28) and the Bulls 19 point lead was cut to 1.
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The game was really over at that point, as the Pistons took the lead early in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Prince led the Pistons with 23 points and 11 rebounds and Rasheed Wallace was dominant as well, scoring 16, grabbing 11 boards, and blocking five shots. And a lot of credit to goes to Antonio McDyess, who despite scoring only 3 points, played quality minutes after Chris Webber struggled out of the gate, shooting 0-5 on the night.

The inexperience of the Bulls really showed tonight. Veteran teams, like the Pistons, don't let up when they go into halftime with a 16 point lead, they go for the kill and make sure their opponent isn't able to mount a comeback. The Bulls, though, relaxed for just an instant in the third quarter, and that is all the Pistons needed to take control. The Pistons are too good (and too experienced) to let hang around, because eventually, they will start making their shots, and their defense will cause turnovers. No matter how bad it looks in the first half, and on Thursday night, it looked really bad.

Game Four is Sunday afternoon and I can't see the Bulls putting up much of a fight (though, I have been wrong about practically everything else in this series, so if you are a betting man (or woman) may want to take the Bulls Sunday). Just like the Detroit Red Wings snapped the will of the San Jose Sharks when they scored with thirty seconds to go in Game Four (and later won in overtime), the Bulls blowing a 19 point second half lead at home, falling behind 3-0, they know they can't win this series. And they also know, they likely just blew their chance of making this a series. And even though the Chicago fans may be loud Sunday, and trying to will their team to victory, the Pistons will likely close the series out. Because unlike Chicago, Detroit knows that if you give a team a chance to make a comeback, have it be in a game, or in a series, that team will take it, and before you know it, the game (or series) may be over. Chicago learned that lesson tonight, and they'll need to learn a few more before they are ready to dethrone the Pistons.
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Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings Cruise to Victory

Well so much for the Chicago Bulls giving the Detroit Pistons a series. And so much for the San Jose Sharks having the Detroit Red Wings on the ropes. After two great performances by two great Detroit sports franchises on Monday night, the Detroit Red Wings are moving on to the Western Conference Finals and the Detroit Pistons are two games away from the Eastern Conference Finals (yes, there is something weird about the Wings and Pistons playing in different geographic conferences, the NHL really needs to fix that).

Starting with the Red Wings, well, because their game started first, I still go back to Robert Lang's goal in game four with just over thirty seconds to go. The Wings were about to fall behind 3-1, and the series would have been over. Instead, Lang scores, the Red Wings go on to win in overtime, and the will of the Sharks was just snapped. Two games later, the Red Wings are moving on to the Western Conference Finals for a date with the Anaheim (no longer Mighty) Ducks, which should be a very tough series. Credit to Dominik Hasek, who despite almost handing the game away on a awful clearing pass in the first period, continues to play like a goalie half his age.

It is only going to get tougher with Anaheim, and without Mathieu Schneider, the other defensemen will have to pick up their game. But, as the Wings have shown throughout the playoffs so far, they are determined to prove that they are not going to fold in the playoffs like their history has been, and so far, they haven't. And if they do make it past the Ducks, nobody can say they didn't earn it, as Calgary, San Jose, and Anaheim may be the toughest road to the Stanley Cup Finals the Red Wings have taken in a long time.

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As for the Detroit Pistons, well, there isn't much to say other than the Chicago Bulls just look completely out matched. The Pistons could make shots at will last night, and the Bulls looked completely overwhelmed. The passing of the Pistons, led by Chris Webber, left Chicago in a daze, and the Pistons continued to get quality minutes from their bench, including Jason Maxiell. The Webber acquisition is looking very very similar right now to the Rasheed Wallace acquisition which put the Pistons over the top and helped them win an NBA title in 2004, and right now, there is nobody in the East that can stop the Pistons. Perhaps Chicago will wake up when they get home, but I think it may be too little, too late. The Pistons have momentum now, and with the way they are dialed in and focused, there may be nothing that can derail them until they get to the NBA Finals.

Detroit Pistons Win Game Two Over Orlando

It was another Detroit Pistons playoff victory over the Orlando Magic tonight, one it seemed most people weren't paying much attention to, including the Pistons themselves. At this point, it is pretty obvious, to the fans, to the Pistons, and even to the Magic, that Detroit is just a deeper, more talented team and they are going to win this series. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to worry about if you are a Pistons fan.

The NBA Eastern Conference may not be very good, but the Pistons are not going to be able to sleepwalk their way through the entire playoffs like they have this series with Orlando. The Pistons, in both of the first two games in this series, have had chances to put the Magic away early, but they never do. Then they have a chance to put the game away in the third quarter, and they don't get it done then either. It's almost as if the Pistons, looking for a challenge, let Orlando get back into the game, like a kid playing a videogame looking for a challenge that isn't being provided. More than likely, the team just loses concentration for a few moments, realizing they don't need to be functioning at full capacity to take down the Magic. Which is fine, for now, but in the next rounds, against Cleveland, or Chicago, or Miami, the Pistons need to be fully focused. And it may be hard to just flip a switch and turn it on, so better they start now, and put away the Magic in games three and four, and get into their groove.

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Not to be completely negative on the Pistons. Rasheed Wallace looks about as focused as I've seen him in a while, and the Pistons had a very balanced attack in Game Two (Tayshaun Prince scored 18, Wallace 17, Richard Hamilton 22, and Chancey Billups 23) and while Carlos Delfino only scored a single point tonight, he had a very strong Game One. The Pistons shouldn't have much problem in Orlando (the team actually had a better road record than home record this season) and while the Magic could steal a game and force a fifth game, it certainly won't go further than that.

The Detroit Red Wings, on the other hand, have a much tougher road ahead of them. Instead of facing the Dallas Stars, a relatively easy matchup, the Stars lost in their Game Seven tonight, meaning the Wings have to face the San Jose Sharks. My first thought was (sarcastic) joy over more late games on the West Coast. Secondly, Game Two is 3:00 Saturday, right in the middle of the first round of the NFL Draft. I should have a real preview up in the next day or so.

Wings, and Tigers, and Pistons -- Why Detroit is Great

If there was any doubt that Detroit, Michigan was the best sports city in the world, today put that to rest. Sure, the Detroit Tigers lost, but if you were a really dedicated sports fan (and I would have done this had I not been in the middle of studying for law school finals, and I made it to Comerica Park as it was) you could have seen the Detroit Tigers game, the Detroit Red Wings-Calgary Flames Game Five playoff game, and Game One of the Detroit Pistons-Orlando Magic series, all in person, all in the same 12 hour span. Quite the day and evening for Detroit sports.

So where to begin. Let's start with the Red Wings, who proved that when they want to turn it on and dominate, they can. I missed most of the game in transit from the Tigers game (more on that debacle below) and one of the first things I heard on the radio was that Dan Clearly had scored a "short handed penalty shot goal." I thought for sure I had misheard something or that the great Ken Kal had made a rare mistake. Turns out, he was right. After leaving their special teams (both their Power Play and their Penalty Kill) in Detroit during Games Three and Four in Calgary, the Wings responded in force on Saturday, scoring on Cleary's penalty shot, adding a shorthanded goal by the ageless Chris Chelios (the fact that he can play at such a high level at 45 is amazing) and two Power Play goals. If only they were able to play like this just during one of the two games in Calgary, the team wouldn't have to make the 1,800 mile journey for a game scheduled for 9:00 tomorrow, just under 30 hours after Game Five ended. Nice to see Henrik Zetterberg get on the scoreboard for the first time this playoff (he scored twice) and Pavel Datsuyk scored again, his third goal of the series. When these two guys are on their games, the Wings are obviously very difficult to beat.

The end of the game was a disgrace. For those that didn't see the game, Calgary backup goalie, Jamie McLennan, just eighteen seconds into his appearance, gave a viscous and deliberate two handed slash to Johan Franzen. It was uncalled for and it shouldn't be part of hockey, and the NHL would be wise to come down hard on McLennan. Sure, it won't hurt Calgary since he's their backup goaltender, but it would send a message that blows designed to injure, and made out of nothing other than frustration, should not be tolerated. Here's video of the incident, from a few different angles, for those that missed it:

And that wasn't the only cheap shot by Calgary. Daymond Langkow sucker-punched and gave a concussion to Brett Lebda and Jarome Iginla got into the act as well. He told ESPN.com that

"It was really about getting some fights going at that point to keep our energy up and carry some anger into the next game," Iginla said with several new stitches over his left eye. "We're not going away."

You just lose respect for players and teams when they get intentionally violent like the Flames did today. I understand trying to get an edge back and playing physical to try to get a team out of their gameplan, but to intentionally injure players, and strike with reckless blows to "send a message", that's not hockey, that's being a thug. And it shouldn't be tolerated by the NHL.

For more analysis of Calgary's dirty play, Christy at Behind the Jersey has a recap of national and local coverage of all of the dirty plays by the Flames and Dave at Gorilla Crunch has a great post about Red Wings GM Ken Holland screaming at NHL executives to suspend Calgary players for their actions. Great stuff.

Moving on to the Tigers, I was at Comerica Park, and while there were close to 40,000 fans in the stands, nobody went home happy (well, maybe a few White Sox fans). The Tigers are just not playing good baseball right now, and today's game hit all of the negatives:

Defense: The Tigers had three very costly errors today, and while the team has only committed four errors on the season coming into this afternoon's game, the way they played today wipes all of that out. And the team would have a lot more errors if not for Sean Casey's excellent play at first base.

Offense: Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, Sean Casey, and Gary Sheffield are all hitting under .200. That's practically half the lineup. And Magglio Ordonez, despite a solo home run today, is getting close to the .200 level. That's unacceptable. Sheffield has the support of Tigers fans now, but they won't stick with him for long considering his huge contract and his lack of performance so far. We're giving him the benefit of the doubt because his history tells us he's one of the best batters in baseball, but, so far, we haven't seen it in Detroit. Inge, Monroe, and Casey are also really struggling, and no matter how well Casey plays at first base, if he can't turn his performance around at the plate, the Tigers should consider calling up Chris Shelton, who is playing very well at AAA Toledo. Maybe manager Jim Leyland should consider changing his lineup a bit, moving Sheffield down in the order, moving Pudge to 3rd or Guillen to 3rd. Something just to shake things up, because right now, nothing is working.

Bullpen: Todd Jones blew his first save of the season Wednesday, Joel Zumaya gave up a lead today, and Fernando Rodney has been horrendous all season, and already has four losses, which most relievers have as a season total. They have to sit Rodney down for a while. Aquilino Lopez, called up from AAA Toledo to replace the injured Jose Mesa, pitched really well in his Tigers debut on Friday night. Maybe he should take Rodney's spot late in games, at least for a week or so, just so Rodney can take a step back and try to get back into what he's capable of. He has nasty stuff, he just hasn't shown it this season for whatever reason. And until he does, the Tigers are going to be relying heavily on Todd Jones and Joel Zumaya, and those two guys can't carry an entire bullpen.

You may have noticed I haven't written much about the Pistons-Magic game. Well, that's because it was business as usual for the Pistons, who led throughout and won Game One. Not nearly as much controversy there as there is the Wings and Tigers. Or as much to complain about. I will say this though, the Pistons need to be careful. Even though they led most of the game, Orlando never went away, and they almost made a run at the game late. The Pistons can't relax, and can't sit back at all. If Dwight Howard makes a few more free throws, the Magic have a few less unforced errors, and it may have been a different game. It got way too close at the end. The Pistons should continue to win games handily in this series, but as the Magic showed today, they are a team that can, at the very least, put a scare into Motown.

And that concludes what was the busiest day in sports until next weekend, when hopefully the Wings and Pistons continue their playoff runs, the Tigers battle the Minnesota Twins, and the NFL Draft commences. Great time a year to be a sports fan. Not the greatest time of year to be taking law school exams. But, it's all about balancing your time right?

NBA Playoff Preview -- Detroit Pistons v. Orlando Magic

Welcome back Grant Hill and Darko, the Orlando Magic are coming to town. After last night's final NBA games of the regular season (and was it just me or did it seem seem like an extra long regular season?) the 2007 first round playoff matchups are set and the Detroit Pistons will battle an old foe, the Orlando Magic, in the first round.

While on its face the matchup looks favorable for the Pistons, and nobody expects Detroit to have much trouble with Orlando, the Pistons would be wise not to forget the lessons of 2004. The Pistons were the top seed in the Eastern Conference that season too, and they drew a young Orlando Magic team in the first round. Everyone thought it was going to be a cakewalk, and it almost was -- for the Magic. They jumped out to a 3-1 series lead, putting the Pistons on the brink of elimination, before the Pistons woke up, dusted themselves off, and won three straight, disposing the Magic in 7 games. While a full series will likely not be needed this year, if the Pistons take the Magic for granted, or look past them, we may see a repeat of 2003. Or, at the very least, Orlando is going to steal a game or two.

While the Pistons do have an edge over the Magic in practically every category, the Magic do have a lot of talent. Dwight Howard is quickly becoming one of the league's best young big men. He averaged 17.6 points and just over 12 rebounds a game, and is hungry to prove himself in the playoffs. And of course there's always the veteran leadership of a healthy Grant Hill, who, by the way, would look great closing out his career in a Pistons uniform if he chooses to leave Orlando as a free agent this off season. And of course there's Darko, who still has not lived up the hype, but at least showed signs of progress this season. And you know he wants to stick it to the Pistons if he could. But, he likely won't be a factor, and may not play due to an ankle injury.

As for the Pistons, their only real worry is themselves. Being too arrogant, cocky, and the risk of looking right past the Magic and into the next round and beyond. Chris Webber's addition has been a boost and knowing that his time to win a ring is running down, he'll be extra motivated now that he's this close to winning one. The Pistons sleptwalked their way through a number of regular season games, and that won't work in the playoffs, even against a team like Orlando. As my great Uncle Sam e-mailed me last week, The Pistons "can't wait until the last period of every game to turn it on, because teams like Chicago, Cleveland and especially Miami won't fold."

I think the Pistons will be hungry though, after not making it to the finals last season and losing to San Antonio in 2005. I think they realize that while getting to the NBA Finals won't be easy, with Miami struggling for most of the year, and LeBron not quite ready yet, this may be their best opportunity to make it back to the Finals. Pistons in 5 over the Magic.