I say in my brief bio that, although I support most of the teams in Detroit, I am not a homer. I not above saying whatever flaws my local teams have (or had). For example, I think the combination of 80 year old Dominik Hasek and 75 year old Chris Osgood could hurt the Red Wings. But this post is not about hockey. It's about the Pistons, and an all too common enemy of their recent teams: the lack of fire.
"Eastern Conference Contenders"
1. Celtics (Garnett, Allen and Pierce are hungry for a ring)
2. Pistons (if they overcome complacency, the biggest threat to Boston)
(Taken from NBA Award Winners & Playoff Predictions, April 1st by me)
I've made no secret that I think the Pistons' biggest enemy is their complacency. They'll get into a solid lead, then think that lead is insurmountable. Last night, in their first round series (game 1) versus the 76ers, they did it again, taking a 15 point lead, then deciding to fall asleep at the wheel. Philly roared back and stunned them 90-86 to take the game at the Palace. While this hardly means the Pistons will get bounced early, it's a troubling sign when the same flaws pop up this early on in the playoffs.
To make matters worse, the TNT people said they didn't hustle (or Philly outhustled them) throughout the second half. Magic Johnson said as much at halftime of the Celtics/Hawks game. That same trait manifested itself last year against Cleveland and the year before against an inferior (compared to 2005) Heat team. And it has cost them a chance at two more titles.
In my series about the 50 greatest NBA teams (according to me), I ranked the 2004 Pistons 31. Some people thought (or may think) that's too high. But I put them there because that team had the fire to win. They weren't more talented than the Lakers, but they were more determined than them to win. And they not only won, they smashed the Lakers in 5 when no one thought they could. Where did that teams' fire go?
And is it a coincidence that they have been bitten by the complacency bug since Flip Saunders replaced Larry Brown? While Saunders isn't the taskmaster Brown was, I thinlk it goes beyond Saunders. This team saw Brown become opportunistic when he bolted to the Knicks, and they felt "As long as we take care of ourselves, we'll be O.K.". But Saunders deserves some blame because he doesn't command respect the way Brown did; Brown had a good track record as a coach, whereas Saunders had a so-so run with Garnett in Minnesota. So that could be a factor.
Bottom line: the meaning of this loss goes deeper than the box score. The fact the Pistons have shown their colors again should give fans in Boston great hope for a (possible) conference finals matchup. If the Pistons don't wake up soon, they'll be remembered as a team that just couldn't get the job done.
I think the Wings can win with Osgood in the net but not with Hasek. For a career, I think Dom was even better than Roy, but his best days are long gone.
As for the Pistons, have to agree. Far too often they seem to just go through the motions feeling they can turn it around at any time. What they really need is a team leader who is more concerned with victories than being everyone's best friend. I say this not as a hit on Billups, but to explain an overall problem that no one wants to be the bad guy and take a strong leadership role.
A common topic among Piston fans and commentators is who would win between this team and the Bad Boys. The Pistons of Isiah, Dumars, Laimbeer and the like would not tolerate half-assed efforts.
Although it looks like a bad sign, it could also be a very good sign as it may show the pistons that they are not as good as they think they are and force them to play with that fire that they have been so desperatly lacking. However this may be wishful thinking becauss, as previously stated, they have faced this problem all year long and it doesn't appear to have motivated them.
Downs'
If the Pistons shoould lose the series then look for Dumars to show Saunders the door.
Saunders is so lifeless and doesn't seem to possess any drive. And it's mirrored in the way that the Pistons lost to the Sixers. If they can't regain tyhat they'll end up losing the series altogether.
I am David Downs, and I'm a sports nut who loves basketball and football and am open to good discussion about any sports subject. I am a Detroit sports fan, but I not a homer. Expect frequent vents on subjects that irritate me, and also expect the utmost respect for anybody's opinion, even if they disagree with me. Because, after all, that's what these blogs are all about, aren't they?
