I wake up late today after a long night yesterday, and when I awake, I find the totally expected had happened. No, not that Jason Taylor and Bill Parcells still don't see eye to eye, but rather that the Detroit Pistons had fired Flip Saunders as head coach. Saunders was dismissed after another failure in the Eastern Conference Finals Friday against Boston. Personally, the way game 6 ended, I was more surprised that Saunders wasn't fired then. The Pistons blew a 10 point, 4th quarter lead, and lost by 8. That was enough for me to say "He's finished!".

Is Flip to blame for the repeated failure of the Pistons? Partially. I never saw Saunders as a guy who had the respect of the core players. Remember, he had feuds with both Ben and Rasheed Wallace, and couldn't keep the ridiculous Richard Hamilton-Lindsey Hunter- Rasheed dispute from taking a life all its own before game 6. But the bottom line is that when they hired him to replace Larry Brown, they wanted rings, not near-misses. And for that, he didn't deliver. Enough said.

But the Pistons need not stop there in their attempt to transition the team. There are other things that need to be done if they are possible. They are:

Trade Rasheed: I feel that Sheed is the biggest reason this team has underachieved. Sheed doesn't take this game very seriously, and it shows in his hair-yanking willingness to defer and play passively. Take game 6; he goes 0-fer the three point line, scores just 4 points, and then shows his behind with that towel toss at the ESPN camera (a year after he hits an assistant coach with his thrown jersey in Cleveland). I'm tired of him playing like I do at the local gym! He needs to go.

Give Hunter a retirement check: I'll keep this short; Hunter stinks, period! He can't shoot, which makes him a very limited role player. All he did in the Boston series was play decent D and talk. He doesn't need to talk, and you can get defenders who can shoot. Retire, Lindsey!

Trade one of the backcourt starters: Sounds controversial, doesn't it? Remember when the Pistons made the first of six straight conference finals? That year saw them add Chauncey Billups as a FA and trade then-star SG Jerry Stackhouse to Washington for Hamilton. So why not do it again? Of the two, I would lean towards Billups because Rodney Stuckey seems more like a PG-type, but it wouldn't shock me if Hamilton and his Rasheed-like attitude went, either.

Get these guys to remember how they won the 2004 title: The biggest culprit to these Pistons is their stunning complacency (I've been saying this for three years). Even the ESPN guys said it, and Saunders admitted that the arrogance was their biggest strength and their biggest weakness. After using that thought against the Lakers in '04, they became the Lakers, and it cost them a shot at three more titles. I want to see the fire back in Detroit!

Do I know how to fix the Pistons? I'm not an expert. I just know that all eras, as Detroit News columnist Rob Parker said after game 6, usually end badly. This era of Piston basketball may not be totally over, but changes are needed to alter what has become a stale act around my parts. It may start with a new coach, but this group needs a swift kick in the pants, as well. If they don't change it, don't expect even a conference final in 2009.

Last night, we saw the crowning of a new Western Conference champion. Tonight, the other half of that equation could occur as the Celtics gun for their 20th Eastern Conference title in Detroit. Seeing the dissention in the ranks of the Pistons (Richard Hamilton and Lindsey Hunter weren't happy with Rasheed Wallace embracing Kevin Garnett; I think they're making too much of it) plus their injury woes (now both their starting guards are hurt) makes me worry about their chances to win tonight. Here are some keys:

Celtics keys:

1. Make use of your bench a little more: The Celts bench scored just three points in game 5 (on a James Posey 3). Observe how the Lakers were able to come back against the Spurs even though Kobe, Gasol and Odom were on the bench in the 2nd, Doc. You won't win if the starters are too damn tired to run the offense.

2. Continue to pound the glass: I don't expect Kendrick Perkins to repeat his awesome game 5 performance (18 points and 16 boards), but if he, Garnett, and the rest can maintain the rebounding edge, they'll be in good shape.

3. May this Ray Allen stay, and may the real Paul Pierce step up: Allen needs to continue the reemergence he had the prior game, and Pierce needs to score and pass, not just set up the offense. Garnett will probably get his points, but Pierce and Allen need to, too.

Pistons keys:

1. Play possessed: Tonight is not the night for the complacent Pistons to show up. They need fire (controlled fire, Rasheed!), and to play as though their lives depend on it (their legacy certainly does).

2. Keep McDyess out of foul trouble, and get Prince involved more: McDyess fouled out of the last game, and without his steady presence and reliable shot, they struggled. Prince has been a nonfactor this series, and if he doesn't show life, they're in trouble.

3. Stop bickering, guys!: This issue with Rasheed and Garnett shows some real holes in this team. Hamilton and Hunter should have kept this in-house! Anyhow, if they're still angry at each other, they'll lose for sure.

I predict that they won't be angry, and that this series goes 7. Pistons win by 9.

Meanwhile, Doug Collins appears to be returning to the Bulls bench after being replaced 20 years ago by Phil Jackson. Many might question such a move. I decided to take a look at teams who have rehired a coach after a firing/resignation. Here's the rundown of the coaches, their W-L record in the first run, and then the W-L of their second run:

Dallas: Richard Motta (267-297 from 1980-87, 4 winning seasons, 4 playoff berths; 62-102 from 1994-96, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)

Denver: Dan Issel (96-102 in parts of three years from 1992-94, 1 winning season, 1 playoff berth; 84-106 in parts of three years from 1999-2001, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)

Golden State: Don Nelson (275-260 in parts of 7 seasons from 1988-95, four winning season, 4 playoffr berths; 90-76 in two seasons from 2006-present, two winning seasons, one playoff berth)-*

L.A. Clippers: Gene Shue (78-86 in two seasons from 1978-80, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 27-93 in parts of two seasons from 1987-89, zero and zero)

L.A. Lakers: Phil Jackson (286-123 in five seasons from 1999-2004, five winning seasons, five playoff berths, three titles; 144-102 in three seasons from 2005-present, three winning seasons, three playoff berths, titles TBD)-*

Miami: Pat Riley (334-264 in 8 seasons from 1995-2003, six winning seasons, six playoff berths; 111-135 in parts of three season from 2005-08, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)-x

New York: Red Holzman (388-231 in parts of 10 seasons from 1967-77, six winning seasons, nine playoff berths, two titles; 147-167 in parts of four seasons from 1978-82, one winning season, one playoff berth, zero titles)

Orlando: Brian Hill (191-104 in parts of four seasons from 1993-97, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 112-134 in three seasons from 2004-07, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)

Philadelphia: Alex Hannum (127-112 in three seasons from 1960-63, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 130-33 in two seasons from 1966-68, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)

Phoenix: Cotton Fitzsimmons (97-67 in two seasons from 1970-72, two winning seasons, zero playoff berths; 244-161 in parts of six seasons from 1988-97, four winning seasons, five playoff berths)-y

Sacramento: Phil Johnson (155-185 in parts of five seasons from 1974-78, one winning season, one playoff berth; 81-120 in parts of three seasons from 1985-87, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)

Seattle: Lenny Wilkens (121-125 from 1969-72, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 357-277 in parts of 8 seasons from 1977-85, five winning seasons, six playoff berths, one title)

Washington: Gene Shue (291-267 in parts of seven seasons from 1967-73, four winning seasons, five playoff berths; 231-248 in parts of six seasons from 1980-86, two winning seasons, three playoff berths)

Notations: *= still active, x- the records given for Riley's second tenure were the complete team records during the span; his partial season records were hard to obtain, y= Fitzsimmons' second tenure was from 1988-92 and 1996-97; his stints were lumped together for the complete total seen.

So, what can we derive from that? (1) Only Jackson, Nelson, Riley, Wilkens, Hannum and Fizsimmons had much success during their second go-round, and (2) Gene Shue was really popular with teams.

What will Collins do in Chicago (assuming he takes the job)? He's known as a good short-term winner, but not the coach of a title contender. I see him much like Rick Carlisle in Detroit; he'll make the Bulls a good team, then turn it over to a legit championship-caliber coach, and return to TNT.  That's all I can say. What do you think?

The Boston Celtics have taken a 3-2 series lead after beating the Detroit Pistons 106-102 in what was by far the most compelling game of an otherwise dull-edged matchup. The Celts finally got a great performance by Ray Allen (29 points, 9-15 including 5 threes) and got the best performance of his career out of young Kendrick Perkins (18 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks), plus a good game from Kevin Garnett (33 points and 7 boards), but they almost let their guard down and blew this game. Still, it wasn't enough for Detroit to pull out the win.

The refereeing in this game wasn't good (trying to be politically correct here). The flagrent foul on P.J. Brown against Jason Maxiell was a bad call, and the tehcnical on Perkins must have harkened back to the "zero tolerence' policy; if Perkins did something wrong, it wasn't readily apparent to me. The officiating has been poor throughout the playoffs, mostly in favor of the home team, but it seemed like Ed F. Rush, Ken Mauer (or as I call him, a "Grease" reject) and Mike Callahan were a little slanted towards Detroit. We'll have to see how it goes in game 6.

The Pistons have to be disappointed in the loss, but there were a few positives. Rasheed Wallace had an out-of-body experience; he hit SIX of his nine 3-point attempts! But he was 0-3 from two, and he didn't stop Perkins from asserting himself on the boards, where the C's had a 42-25 edge (11-5 on offense rebounds). Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups combined for 51 points, and the Pistons did make the C's defense look bad numerous times. Plus, the Celtics seemed unable to pass the ball, especially Rajon Rondo; a lot of his passes looked like that teardrop he puts up often!

So, who wins game 6? I give Detroit the edge here; (hopefully) you won't see the complacent Pistons, for their sakes. This team needs to win, or major changes (Flip Saunders will be gone for sure, and players like Wallace and Antonio McDyess could be as well) will occur. Plus, Garnett, Pierce and Allen have a combined one closeout game experience (for their team) in the conference finals (Allen in 2001, and he lost), so they could be nervous. I give it to Detroit.

Final thoughts:

It was great that, except for the argument over flagrents, Jeff Van Gundy was subdued by his standards. I didn't have to mute the TV.

The Celtic bench had just 3 points (on a three by James Posey). That must be rectified if they want to close out in Detroit.

McDyess was plagued by fouls and had just 4 points and 5 boards. Coincidece they lost? I think not.

You know hell has frozen over when Rasheed looks like Reggie Miller from three!

How about Rodney Stuckey missing an important FT, then hitting the intentional miss? #### happens, doesn't it?

Another reason the Pistons are having problems? Tayshaun Prince isn't a factor (8 points, 4 boards). Granted, he has to guard Pierce, but Prince needs to make his presence known on offense in game 6.

Tonight, I just wasted about three hours of my life. Hours that I will never get back. How? By watching the Pistons/Celtics game. This game was as ugly as any game can get, especially for Boston. They shot an abysmal 32% from the field, and not just because the Pistons played great D, but they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn tonight. Nobody shot well on either side except Anotnio McDyess, who had a stellar 21 point, 16 board night. But one scene in this eventual 94-75 sleeper that disturbed me.

It occured late in the game, after the outcome had been decided. Richard Hamilton, who I admire as a player, hit a jumper, then proceeded to celebrate as though the Pistons had won the NBA title! Isn't slapping a bunch of hi-fives with the fans and acting like Jimmy Connors a bit much? This team still needs two wins before they can exude that kind of celebretory attitude. But I find it difficult to understand this team; they always seem to need a kick in the ### before they play like the team they are capable of being. Why can't these guys play like that more frequently?

The real scary thing for the Celtics was that even layups weren't going in for them. That could be a sign that fatigue is catching up to them; they've played 18 games so far, startling when you consider that 26 (by the 2005 Pistons) is the record; the Pistons have only 15 games under their belts, so that could play a role. Still, if, and I think only if, they hold home court, they'll survive yet again. But I just feel that the C's engine is finished, and that the Pistons will take one in Beantown in game 7 to advance to the Finals. If that happens, Rip, for the sake of the fans, don't celebrate like you did tonight; it's just bad karma.

Final thoughts:

Chauncey Billups is hurt, obviously, but Rodney Stuckey is turning into the draft's best find.

McDyess is the Pistons MVP so far this postseason.

Ray Allen's not in a slump; he's officially in a coma.

Did this game take place in the 1950s? There were a lot of fouls on both teams.

Why does Jeff Van Gundy need to make a fool of himself every game (like tonight, he imitated Al Pacino)?

I didn't feel like the C's were ever in this game, even when they were within two. Bad sign of possible things to come.

 

I was going to title this "Random Thoughts about tonight's game", until I saw NiqueDodson took my title. Damn! Anyway, I decided to jot down some of my thoughts as the Celtics and Pistons played their game tonight. Here are some of my insights:

Pregame: Loved the intro for Detroit, where Rasheed Wallace went "We're baaaaaaack!". Good stuff.

1st Quarter:

10:00 mark: Kevin Garnett's fai####ating early scores. Good sign there.

7:54 mark: (Kendrick) Perkins just got a cheap foul. He can't afford those fouls.

7:00 mark: Garnett has two fouls. Bad break.

5:55 mark: Billups has two fouls. It might be (Rodney) Stuckey time.

4:10 mark: It's foulfest on the C's: Allen now has two.

3:49 mark: Paul Pierce needs to stop passing and take command here.

3:14 mark: Why the hell is Jeff Van Gundy talking about baseball?!?

2:54 mark: Sam Cassell looks terrible.

2:19 mark: (Doc) Rivers and (Mark) Jackson just echoed me about Pierce. I'm a genius (lol)!

1:09 mark: Now Van Gundy is talking about MMA! Wtf?!?!

:31 mark: Not another Rasheed no-chance three!!!

2nd Quarter:

9:53 mark: Thank good heavens! Garnett and Allen are back. Pierce stunk!

8:17 mark: Garnett has missed twice. On second thought...

7:35 mark: Now Van Gundy is talking about his teeth! What's next, soccer!

5:42 mark: Is it any wonder that Lindsey Hunter only plays occasionally? He can't score!

5:30 mark: The big 3 have only 10 of the C's 35 points. Outrageous!

:54 mark: Just returned from a bathroom break, and it's now an 18 point lead. What happened?

:40 mark: Billups has three fouls. Oh no!

3rd Quarter:

12:00 mark: Pistons need to step up now!

8:18 mark: I think the Pistons want Ray Allen to shoot more.

6:43 mark: The (Indiana Jones) commercial said game 7; the graphic said game 5. Get your facts straight, ABC!

4:17 mark: Perkins looks great tonight!

2:29 mark: Jackson says the fans should boo (the Pistons). Bravo!

:55 mark: How bad is this game getting?

4th Quarter:

11:33 mark: Is (Richard) Hamilton playing like Billups? He's drawn 100 fouls in the last two minutes!

7:45 mark: The trap is really hurting Boston.

6:53 mark: Another terrible three by Rasheed!

5:31 mark: The Celtics should try to run more and break the trap.

4:28 mark: Stuckey is playing great!

3:38 mark: (Tayshaun) Prince committed a foul. Haven't heard his name all night.

2:17 mark: Now the Celtics are missing FTs.

2:16 mark: Now how, exactly, did Doc Rivers finish 2nd in Coach of the Year voting?

2:00 mark: The Pistons are trying so hard to mount a comeback.

End of game: Too late: Celtics win 94-80.

So, what can we take away from this game? That the dreaded complacent Pistons have once again reared their ugly heads. They dug such a deep hole, they couldn't recover. However, if the trap works like it did at times tonight, they will be in better shape Monday. But Billups is obviously still hurt, and it showed as Stuckey got more time in the 4th. If Billups can't play better, the Pistons are in serious trouble.

As for the C's, while a long awaited road win is good, they still had problems; they showed some complacency in the 4th, couldn't handle the trap, and Allen reverted to his struggles again (although that might be a good omen; the C's have lost every playoff game where Allen has over 20 points). And they have no backup for Rondo; Cassell just looks old, and Eddie House can't handle the trap. So, game 4 will be critical for the Pistons; though they are arrogant about their abilities, they probably won't recover if they fall behind 3-1. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Boston Celtics just wrapped up their second seven game series victory today with a 97-92 win over the Cleveland LeBrons, er, Cavaliers. The game was really defined by the duel between King James and Paul Pierce, in a scene reminiscent of the famed seventh game duel between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins in 1988 (one of the people there for that game; Celts coach Doc Rivers as a Hawk. Go figure). While LeBron scored 45 and kept his team close (many would say unfairly, but still), Pierce came up with a career-defining game at the right time. With Garnett having a quiet double-double (13 points and 13 boards) and Ray allen invisible again, Pierce scored 41 and showed the heart of a champion today.

Now, the Celts advance to the Eastern Finals against the Detroit Pistons, a team that has had nearly a week to rest (especially good for Chauncey Billups) and prepare. Despite the disparity between the teams, both arer playing for their legacies. Boston (and specifically Garnett) are playing for a much-needed title to restore some of the Celtic pride, while the Pistons need a title to stamp themselves as a team to be remembered as more than an interesting footnote. But only one will earn a chance at the ring. With that in mind, let's see where each team stands in matchups:

Point Guard: Doc Rivers finally wised up and played Eddie House over Sam Cassell the last two games of the series, and House played well. He and Rajon Rondo need to step up more against Billups (assuming he's healthy). In the one game the Pistons won over the Celtics, Billups won the game with free throws he drew using his infamous "win it for me, referee!" style. Rondo must take it at Billups (especially early in the series, while Billups is rusty), and as for Detroit, use Rodney Stuckey to spell Billups and perhaps match up on Rondo when Chauncey is out.

Shooting Guard: Hopefully, the Pistons watched how Cleveland neutralized Allen and will use the same style. I think Richard Hamilton has the advantage because Allen will be run ragged at both ends by Hamilton, who was the major key to the Pistons' wrapping up of Orlando in 5 the last round. Maybe the C's will counter by moving Pierce onto Hamilton, but the Pistons win here.

Small Forward: After more than holding his own with LeBron, Pierce faces a different challenge with Tayshaun Prince, who is a much better jump-shooter than King James was. Prince is also a better defender, and won't allow Pierce the space to shoot those jumpers he hit today. Pierce should (and probably will) counter with more drives to the hole, and that will balance things out.

Power Forward: Did you notice that P.J. Brown scored ten points today? Unlike Cassell, Brown has helped a lot in terms of adding toughness and leadership to the front line. Still, all things here begin with Garnett, and the task of defending him will fall to Jason Maxiell and Antonio McDyess. I say let Maxiell be the starter and body him early, then bring in McDyess to take advantage of backups Leon Powe and Glen Davis; he can be a more effective scorer that way.

Center: The biggest key of this series. Why? Rasheed Wallace has the potential to dominate young Kendrick Perkins, who is suseptible to early foul trouble. But it depends on Rasheed's willingness to play a little more on the block; if he's content to hoist awful threes, consider this a wash.

Coaches: This may be the first playoff series where the coaches will have little impact on the series. Niether Rivers nor Flip Saunders is an elite X's-and-O's coach, so it depends on if Rivers sticks with House over Cassell, and if Saunders can stay out of the way of his team.

Prediction: The Celts will win game one because the Pistons are rusty. Then, Detroit wins game 2 (yeah, they'll end the C's home court winning streak). Then, they'll take game 3, but Boston will fight back to win games 4 & 5. The Pistons win game 6, forcing yet another game seven in Boston. Only this time, Billups and Hamilton have big games, and The Pistons win the series in seven games.

Note: I am not homering here; the C's need to win on the road,, and the Pistons aren't a one-man gang (Cleveland) or a weak team (Atlanta). They should win in seven.

I often marvel at how ignorant certain people can be about their favorite sports teams. It amazes me how many different people can give you many different opinions on what the word "fan" means. I am a sports fan (why else would I write a sports blog here?), and in my bio, I say I stand behind most of my local teams. However, I don't allow that to make me oblivious to flaws that may appear. For instance, this blog has been vocal about how the Detroit Pistons have had moments were they appear complacent. At least I have been consistent about my position. On another site where I talk basketball (not your site, Hoffman), however, that got me some terrible smack from another Pistons 'fan'. Hence what inspired this post; to show what a true fan is NOT.

This fool (who shall remain nameless) called me a dumbBLEEP for expressing such views, then said I'd look foolish about "questioning their harts" (if you want me to take you seriously when you smack me, speak proper English) when they swept the Orlando Magic (I hadn't checked that site in a couple of days, so I got it late). As many of you know, the Magic won game three, so knowing that made me actually smile and, for a brief moment, hope that Orlando would spring an upset. After thinking about it for awhile, though, I realized this BLEEPer undermines his 'argument' much the same way PETA does their own; by blindly ignoring the facts in the name of supporting their team. And these types of fans do disservices to the teams they claim to support.

I think many people start off as that kind of fan. I did. Granted, I was not yet a teenager, and kids usually don't know better. But I was once that BLEEPer. I screamed at the TV when the Pistons made mistakes (this being the mid-90s, that happened often). I even went as far as, in 1994, at my first live game, pretending to do 'commentary' for the Pistons/Lakers season opener (the fans were impressed, though)! I loved the Pistons, but was blind to how bad they were. Fortunately, I got older, and became more objective, without losing the passion to root for my team. Some 'fans' don't do that, though, and it's these guys (or girls) who make the rest of us look bad. Even though this next part wasn't spoken from a fan's perspective, what would this guy think of this classic quote if I said it?:

" We played like a bunch of women tonight... We've got some great players on this team, but we don't have the players with the hearts sometimes that we need... And if we don't put our hearts where they belong, we're in trouble"- Larry Bird, after the Celtics lost 137-104 to the Lakers in game 3 of the 1984 NBA Finals

If I had said that about the Pistons, this guy would probably have said I committed a heinous act, and demand my head! But does saying something like this make me less of a fan? In this BLEEP's mind, hell yeah! That makes me a dumbBLEEP! But what makes me cring is this guy's contention that "they played hard, with their harts". Again, I can't respect your smack if you speak like a 3-year old (a tremendous insult... to 3-year olds). And they haven't played with 'their harts' all playoff; they had two lapses against an inferior 76ers team, and since then (before Billups was hurt) had played much better. So don't give me that bull! It's people like you who create this laissez-faire atmosphere that makes the Pistons complacent in the first place!

In conclusion, stupid thoughts from stupid people doesn't make you more of a fan of a team than I am. Being a fan doesn't mean just throwing your support behind them 110%; it means cheering them on and supporting them, while being realistic about what your team is really made of. I like to blog here at Fox because, even though many bloggers admit they prefer one team, they don't allow that to create an unbreakable bias that would make talking about sports painful. I know many of my favorite blogs prefer the Lakers, and that doesn't mean they don't give me good feedback on my blog, and vice versa. Bottom line: if there is a universal definition of a fan, this fool mentioned above certainly doesn't qualify. What a dumbBLEEP!

What do you think? What is the definition of a fan, to you? And do people like this fool above hurt the reputation of fans everywhere? Just drop me a line. Until then, bless all the true fans of sports out there!

 

I know that some coaches feel the burn of the hot seat when their team struggles, but this hypothetical situation is ridiculous. Today, I watched ESPN FirstTake, and I saw an e-mailer say "You know where Pat Riley should go coach next?" (Riley, as many of you know, retired as Heat coach for what seems like the 192nd time recently). His answer: the Detroit Pistons! He says that should light a fire under them. The question is, assuming this were possible, would it?

Riles would no doubt be stoked about coaching a legit title contender, but I wonder if the Pistons would be able to function properly with his system. With all respect to Rasheed Wallace, the one constant with Riley is that he wins with dominant, post-up centers (Kareem in L.A., Ewing in New York, Mourning and Shaq in Miami), and a post-up maven Rasheed is not. And there are no Dwayne Wades on this team; Billups and Hamilton aren't quite as athletic.

Then, consider Riles would probably want power in the organization if he were hired (something similar to what he has in Miami, and something that could be tricky with Larry Brown's expected hire in Charlotte). Would team president Joe Dumars give him carte blanche? Even as mild-mannered as Joe is, I don't think he would take it well if Riley took command. And deep down, I don't think Bill Davidson would take it, either.

So, let's assume those things did happen, and Riles coaches the Pistons. Would they regain championship form? I don't see that happening. It's been four years since they won a title, and the core (except for Tayshaun Prince), is getting older. I think that their window is closing fast, and may shut if they don't win this year. Adding Riley may make things interesting, but not for the better interesting. And even though I suggested that Flip Saunders should get canned if they lose to Philly, Riley wouldn't be the right answer.

Since I've spent a considerable amount of time this weekend to study for my French final today (Parle vous francais!), here are some random NBA thoughts from the weekend:

Cavs win at the buzzer: Once again, DeDoNothing Stevenson and Agent Zero's words come back to haunt them. When will athletes learn that they shouldn't upset the great players? LeBron didn't hit the game winner, but he made the plays when it counted, and that's the reason the Cavs are up 3-1 and likely to finish the series in 5.

Pistons win to even series: I've made two Pistons bashing blogs recently, and since I didn't watch game 4, I'll just say the Pistons needed the win, and hopefully, this will spring them to a series win. But, as always, we'll see if their motivation stays with them.

Spurs get clobbered in Phoenix: This was as ugly a game as you'll ever see from the Spurs. Everything that worked perfectly in game 3 didn't in number 4. Maybe they just took it easy knowing that nobody comes back from 3-0. Let me remind you that the Pistons did the same thing last year against the Bulls, and it may have cost them against LeBron. Let's hope S.A. finishes the deal in 5.

Lakers go for the sweep: Seems ironic that Kobe will win his first playoff series since 2004 in Colorado, where many of his problems began. The Nuggets "defense is optional" play hurt them against a team that can play both ends, and when they get swept, let the catfights (AI vs Melo, AI & Melo vs Karl) begin.

Hawks win first playoff game since 1999: To give you an idea of how long that is, consider this; they beat the Pistons that game, and the starting five was Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Tyrone Corbin, LaPhonso Ellis and Dikembe Mutombo. Nice to see the Hawks manage to avoid the sweep. But this may inspire the C's to start rolling again, so look out!

Houston on the brink of elimination: What a surprise. And to all you Rockets people who cried when I said in February that they wouldn't win a playoff series, I'm not the one to say... oh, never mind. This series did give us the quote of the series, when Tracy McGrady took the blame for everything (The Suns being down 3-0, people getting Budweiser instead of fancy beer), but without Yao to match up, they had no chance. And McGrady will now be 0-8 in 1st round series. What a waste.

Well, there are the thoughts. Hopefully, after today, I'll be able to watch the playoffs uninterrupted. Until then, au revior!

Every pro sports team has its peaks and valleys. Sports, like life, is cyclical. No one is immune to that. For the Detroit Pistons of recent years, their peak, of course, would be their stunning win in the 2004 Finals against a heavily favored Lakers team, destroying the Shaq-Kobe era in L.A.. That seems like so long ago, as last night might have been (or probably was) their biggest valley, as the 76ers smoked them 95-75 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Before I launch my attack, er, give my case, let's look at the game (as horrific as it was). The Sixers controlled this game almost from start to finish. The sad thing is that Detroit held Andre Igudola (2-9 shooting) in check once again. If only they had the same defense on Andre Miller (who scored over 20 points, I don't know the exact figure) and Samuel Dalembert (22 points, 16 boards and two blocks). Chuancey "Mr. No Shot" Billups and Rasheed "I Always Defer" Wallace both had dreadful games (Billups missed all of his threes and went 2-11 or something like that, and Rasheed went 1-6). And other than Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, everyone on the Pistons stunk.

What makes me scream so loud is the sheer arrogance that's always on display from these guys. Billups, one of the NBA's most overrated players (in my opinion), is the major culprit here. After the Sixers won game 1, Billups brushed off worries about the team's fire, essentially saying "We're not worried; we'll win". Then, last night, during the local broadcast (of which I recorded the replay), he said "Last game (game 2), we played Pistons basketball. The thing that really surprised was (the way we played) game 1". In other words, that wasn't Piston basketball. Or was it?

Increasingly, I'm beginning to think that games 1 & 3 really symbolize Pistons basketball. This team gets so arrogant, they think they can flip the switch anytime they want. The irony is that, after claiming they weren't like the Lakers when they won the title, they have become the Lakers. One little problem: that Lakers team had Shaq and Kobe, who could carry them out of trouble whenever they were in it (at least until 2004). The Pistons don't have a Shaq or Kobe. Rasheed may be one of the most passive good big players of all time, and I have to restrain myself whenever he lauches those terrible threes (which he misses more often than not). Billups isn't "Mr. Big Shot" on many occasions, and he would rather shoot FTs than score big FGs (that tactic was what helped Detroit avoid a season-series sweep by Boston, and I think it cheapened the victory). And no one else really registers, because Billups and Wallace are the ones they look to in the clutch.

So, now to how to fix it; I thought after last year, the Pistons might start to dismantle some of the parts that have failed so spectacularly in recent years. In particular, I thought Rasheed would be bought out or traded to begin the transition. Instead, the only player who played any meaningful minutes who left was Chris Webber (not an important piece), and the band continued to play on. This team needs changes if the Sixers spring the upset. First, you deal Rasheed; his value has never been lower for this team. Then, you find replacements for him and McDyess in the starting lineup (McDyess can stay, but he's better off the bench).

Then, you start to work on fundamentals. You hire a shooting coach for Billups to encourage him to actually connect on FGs. Then, the most important move; fire Flip Saunders! The man has proven he can take any good team and make it instantly mediocre (Kevin Garnett can certainly attest to that). Saunders was a questionable hire back in 2005, and isn't any better today. The Pistons need to hire a more fiery leader (whoever that is) and whip this team back into shape. Because I'm tired of this team making that huge BLEEPing sound in the playoffs! And the time has come for mediocrity to not be rewarded!

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.

Let's continue the countdown of the fifty greatest NBA teams of all time (according to me). Here are the teams that just missed the top ten, teams 20-11:

20. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers: This could get me in some trouble, but the Lakers of 2000 were inconsistent at playoff time, and that hurt them to a degree. Still, there's no denying the Lakers of the late 90s were loaded with talent, but even after adding Shaquille O'Neal as a FA and trading for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant, they couldn't get over the hump. They had been swept in each of the two previous playoffs, and change at coach was needed.

The franchise made a bold, but necessary, move to hire former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had won six championships during his tenure. Almost immediately, he decreed that Shaq would be the focus of the offense. "The ball's going into Shaq" said Jackson, "and he's going to have responsibility to distribute the ball". In other words, Shaq would have to lead the team.

Though Bryant missed the first 15 games with an injury, the Lakers didn't miss him too badly, and when he returned, they rolled, as Shaq enjoyed a career season. He finished leading the league in scoring, second in rebounds and third in blocks as the Lakers rolled to a 67-15 record. The highlight of O'Neal season occured March 6th (his birthday) when he scored 61 points against the Clippers. He was also named league MVP.

The Lakers, however, had trouble with the Kings in the first round, as they won the series in five games (marking the first time a Jackson-coached team went the distance in that round). After knocking out Phoenix 4-1, the Lakers met the Blazers, a meeting that seemed destined to happen all season.

L.A. took a 3-1 lead, but Portland responded with two convincing victories, setting up game seven. The Blazers seemed ready to coast after taking a 15-point lead early in the 4th, but L.A. showed the fotitude that had been lacking in prior years. They came back to win 89-84, with a Bryant-to-Shaq alley-oop becoming a defining moment.

The Lakers advanced to play the Pacers, making their first NBA Finals appearence. The Lakers won the first two, then lost at Indy in game 3. Game four saw Shaq foul out in OT, and the Pacers smelled blood. That's when Kobe took over and almost single-handedly win that game. The Lakers won the series in six, with Shaq winning MVP honors.

19. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons: The Pistons certainly didn't begin the 1980s in grand fashion; they ended the 1979-80 season with a league-worst 16-66 record, and had fired (D)ick Vitale early that year. Years later, Vitale claimed he started the ball rolling with that team by convincing owner Bill Davidson to hire more astute basketball minds.

Davidson hired Jack McCloskey as GM, and the pieces started falling into place. Through solid drafting (Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, etc.), trades (Bill Laimbeer from Cleveland) and hirings (Chuck Daly in 1983) the team became a contender. They pushed Boston to seven games in the 1987 Eastern Finals, and the Lakers to 7 in the Finals in 1988. By 1989, the Bad Boys were ready to ascend to the throne.

The Pistons started the season very well, but something seemed to be missing. Three days after the All-Star break, the team surprised many by trading Adrian Dantley to Dallas for Mark Aguirre (conspiracy theorists claimed the move was made because Thomas didn't like Dantley, and he and Aguirre were close friends). Despite the surprise, the Pistons marched to a league-best 63-19 record.

They rolled through the first two rounds, beating a Larry Bird-less Celtics (3-0) and Milwaukee (4-0) before facing the Cinderella Bulls, who finished 6th in the East but had upset Cleveland and New York. The Bulls pulled another surprise by winning game 1 at the Palace. The Pistons repsonded with a hard-fought win in game 2, but after Jordan hit a game-winned over Rodman in game 3, it seemed destiny was on the Bulls' sides. The Pistons would have none of it, however, and won three straight to take the series.

The Finals were a rematch of 1988; the Lakers came into the Finals with an unblemished record (11-0) and were trying to send Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into retirement with three straight titles. The Lakers would be undone, however, by their guards' hamstrings; Byron Scott tore his prior to game 1 (in pratcice); then Magic Johnson tore his in game 2.

Without their backcourt duo, the Lakers couldn't stop the Pistons' trio of Thomas, Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, and the Bad Boys swept the Lakers 4-0 to claim the franchises' first title. Dumars was named MVP.

18. 1964-65 Boston Celtics: Some things are hard to break. The Celtics had won six straight titles, and Wilt Chamberlain had won five straight scoring titles. The league tried to curb this dominance by widening the foul lane (from 12 to 16 feet). The results were the same; Chamberlain won another scoring title, and Boston won another title.

Bill Russell led the league in rebounds for the fourth time (24.1 per game) and added his fifth (and final) MVP of his career. The Celtics broke their own league record by winning 62 games during the season. But a major challenge was put in front of them when the 76ers acquired Chamberlain from the Warriors, meaning that he would have to be dealt with before the Finals.

The Sixers won their series with Cincinnati, setting up a Celtics-Sixers division final. The teams exchanged victories through the first six games, and Boston hung on by one in game seven, when Russell turned the ball over with two seconds left under the Philly basket. He pleaded for help during a timeout, and got it when John Havlicek stoled the inbound pass and Boston ran out the clock (Havlicek stole the ball!!!!!). The Finals seemed anticlimatic by comparison, as Boston beat the Lakers 4-1 for their seventh straight title.

17. 1990-91 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had become regulars in the disappointment column. They had made two straight conference finals, but both times were sent home by the more physical Detroit Pistons. Critics wondered if Michael Jordan could lead his team to a title, feeling he demanded the ball so much, he kept his teammates from contributing.

The 1991 season saw a change in the Bulls that was key to their development. Jordan trusted his team more than in the past, and aided by a breakout year by Scottie Pippen (18 PPG, 7 RPG, 6 APG), the Bulls won 61-21 and won their first Central Division title. Jordan won his fifth straight scoring title (31 PPG), was third in steals, and won his second MVP.

The playoffs saw just how far Chicago had come. The Bulls crushed the Knicks in the first round 3-0 (including a 41 point blowout in game one), then beat Philadelphia 4-1, to get the only matchup they really wanted; another conference final with the Pistons. This time, there was no fear of the Bad Boys; the Bulls hammered the Pistons in a four game sweep, and showed some true colors when Isiah Thomas and several other Pistons walked out before the end of the clincher.

That set up a Finals against the Lakers, and a dream matchup for NBC's first broadcast of the Finals; Jordan and Magic Johnson. The Bulls were the underdogs in this matchup because the Lakers had nine Finals appearences (and five titles) during the prior 12 years, whereas Chicago had little experience.

Game one went to L.A. 93-91 after Sam Perkins hit a late three. The Bulls pounded the Lakers in game two, but the next three games were at the Forum, and many wondered how Chicago could win even two out of three. The Bulls showed otherwise; they won game 3 in OT, harassed the Lakers into 37% shooting in game four, and John Paxson scored 10 of his 20 in the waning minutes of the clincher, as Chicago won all three in the Forum and their first NBA title. Jordan was the Finals MVP after averaging 31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 11.4 APG. So, a scoring champ can't lead a title team, huh?

16. 1974-75 Golden State Warriors: The Warriors had been a mid-level playoff team throughout the late 60s and early 70s. With Rick Barry leading the way, they had qualified for the playoffs in six of the prior eight seasons. After missing in 1974, the Warriors made a unheralded, but key, move by trading future HOFer Nate Thurmond to Chicago for Clifford Ray. The Warriors went on to finish 48-34 and with the best record in the West.

In the playoffs, the Warriors beat Seattle 4-2, then faced Thurmond and the Bulls in the Western finals. The teams fought a largely defensive battle, but the Warriors prevailed in seven games. Still, few expected them to compete with the Washington Bullets, who had won 60 games during the season and had eliminated defending champ Boston in the Eastern finals.

However, with Barry, ROY Jamaal Wilkes and superior depth behind them, the Warriors pulled off the biggest upset in Finals history, sweeping the Bullets four straight. Barry was named Finals MVP, and K.C. Jones' rep never recovered when cameras showed he actually deferred coaching of the team to assistant Brenie Bickerstaff.

15. 1965-66 Boston Celtics: How long can Boston keep winning titles? That was the question on everyone's mind as the seven-time defending champs went into the 1966 season. The Sixers, with Wilt Chamberlain on for a full season, beat the C's in the season series 6-4, which proved to be the difference as they won the Eastern Division by a game over them (55-25 to Boston's 54-26), the first time since 1956 that the Celtics lost the division.

That only meant the C's would need more playoffs than usual to get to the Finals. The 1st round matchup with Cincinnati was tough, as the Royals led 2-1 before the Celtics won the last two and the series. Against the Sixers (and league MVP Chamberlain), the C's had little trouble, beating the rusty Sixers 4-1.

That set up another Finals against the Lakers for the sixth time. L.A. won game one at the Garden in OT, when Auerbach (who had annonced early in the postseason he was reitiring as coach) annonced Bill Russell would suceed him as coach (making Russell the first black head coach of the modern era). The Celts won three straight games and ultimately won the series in seven games. The victory marked their eighth straight title, a record that's highly unlikely to be matched.

14. 1983-84 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had come off a tumultous 1983 season that saw Larry Bird and Kevin McHale feud with coach Bill Fitch, and ended with the teams' first playoff sweeping (by the Bucks 4-0). Fitch resigned shortly thereafter to take the Houston job, and management replaced him with K.C. Jones to bring a more relaxed atmosphere.

The Celtics didn't stand pat on their roster, either; McHale was resigned, and the team acquired Dennis Johnson from Phoenix for Rick Robey. The C's were poised to reutrn to the Finals after a three year absence.

Bird enjoyed a great year, finishing seventh in scoring and winning his first MVP. The C's won 62 games to finish with the best record in the league. They beat the Bullets 3-1 in the first playoff to feature 16 teams, then outlasted New York in seven (each team won at home), and avenging their loss to the Bucks with a five-game ouster in the conference finals (in Bob Lanier's last series).

That set up the ultimate Finals matchup; against the Lakers, allowing the rivalry between Bird and Magic Johnson to be seen on the national stage. The Lakers had never beaten the Celtics in seven previous tries, and were determined to end that in this series.

Game one went to L.A.as their fast break overwhlemed the C's. They looked poised to take game 2, but Gerald Henderson stole a James Worhty pass and scored to force OT. There, Scott Wedman hit the game winner. Still, L.A didn't seem worried, and after pasting Boston 137-104, the experts felt L.A. had it in the bag. Bird then lashed out in the media, saying he and his team "played like women" and basically called them (and himself) sissys. That set the physical tone for game 4, as McHale clothslined Kurt Rambis on an attempted layup, and Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jawed it up. The C's forced OT after Johnson missed two cirtical free throws, then won in OT when M.L. Carr stole an inbound pass and dunked to put the game away.

Game 5 went to Boston 121-103 in a blazing hot Boston Garden (the temp at courtside was 97 degrees at tipoff), but Bird thrived, scoring 34 points and saying afterwards "Aw hell, it was hotter playing in French Lick!". The Lakers won gaem six, but couldn't stop the Celtics in game seven, as Cedric Maxwell had one of his last great games in Boston, with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The C's won 111-102 to run their record to 8-0 against L.A. in the Finals.

13. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers: The Blazers had been created in the NBA's expansion in 1970, and though the team ahd good players like Geoff Petrie and Sidney WIcks, had not made the playoffs in their first six season. Bill Walton, who had much promise after being taken #1 in 1974, had been plagued by injuries. Two major moves made a big difference in 1977.

First, the team hired Buffalo coach Jack Ramsey as coach. Ramsay and Walton shared a common basketball synergy, and it showed on the court. Then, in the ABA dispersal draft, they nabbed Maurice Lucas. Lucas would lead the team in scoring and become the enforcer Walton needed to succeed. The Blazers won 49 and finished second to the Lakers in the Pacific.

In their opening round series with Chicago, the Blazers survived a scare when, in the deciding game three, the Bulls turned the ball over under their basket, giving the Blazers a 106-98 win. They disposed of the Nuggets 4-2, then swept the Lakers in four to reach the Finals.

The Blazers were heavy underdogs against the 76ers, who had acquired Julius Erving from the Nets before the season and who had stars galore. Philly won the first two games convincingly, and many expected a sweep. The Blazers came back with two blowout wins at home, and the Sixers never recovered, as Portland won the series 4-2. Walton had a magnificent series and was named Finals MVP. It was Portlan's only NBA title.

12. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers seemed to need a fire lit under them to excel in the 1980s. In 1986, they had become complacent, and had been stunned by Houston in the Western Finals. After that series, Pat Riley abandoned his big bruiser concept of the season (jettisoning Maurice Lucas and pushing Mitch Kupchak into retirement), and went back to the Showtime premise. Most important, he made Magic Johnson the focal point of the offense.

Johnson had one of his best all-around season, finishing tenth in scoring (a career high 23.9 PG) and leading the league in assists (12.2 PG) to win his first MVP award. The Lakers finished with a 65-17 record, the best in the league.

In the playoffs, they were the only top four seed out West to reach the second round, beating Denver 3-0 in round 1. They dispatched Golden State 4-1, then swept Seattle 4-0 to make the Finals and face the defending champion Celtics.

The Lakers' fast break blew away the C's in the first two games, then Boston responded with a huge win in game 3. Game 4 was a classic; the Celtics led big early, then the Lakers took a one point lead. Larry Bird sank a three to give Boston the lead, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was fouled. He split the free throws, and the second went out of bounds off the C's. Magic took the inbound, made a mini-skyhook over Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, and after Bird missed a three, L.A. won 107-106. The Lakers won the series 4-2, and Magic won his third Finals MVP.

11. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks took the fast track to an early NBA title. As an expansion team in 1968-69, they won only 27 games. Then, in that year's draft, they won a coin flip to draft #1, and selected Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Alcindor made an immediate impact on the Bucks, as they won 56 games and reached the Eastern Division finals. In 1971, under the new four division format, the Bucks were only a few people away from real contension.

Milwaukee's management soon surrounded Kareem with good talent, acquiring former UCLA teammate Lucius Allen and high scoring Bob Boozer. But the major acquisition was obtaning Oscar Robertson from the Royals (where he had a dispute with coach Bob Cousy). With Robertson finishing third in assists (8.3 PG) and Kareem winning his first scoring title (31.7 PG) and first MVP award, the Bucks went 66-16 to claim the Midwest divison and top seed in the West.

In the playoffs, they beat the San Francisco Warriors (in their last season before moving to Oakland) 4-1, then beat the Lakers 4-1 to reach the Finals. There, they faced the Baltimore Bullets, who ahd stunned the defending champion Knicks by winning game seven at Madison Square Garden. But with Wes Unseld injured prior to the series, and Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson getting hurt during the series, the Bucks swept the Bullets 4-0 for their only NBA title. Kareem was named Finals MVP (a feat he would not repeat until 1985).

There's #20-11. Tomorrow is the big one; I'll reveal the top ten greatest teams in NBA history. See ya then!

Continuing my series of lists counting down the 50 greatest NBA teams (according to me), here are the next ten in the list, #'s 40-31:

40. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had won two straight NBA titles, and had just come off the greatest run in NBA playoff history. They now sought to make it three in a row, something only three teams (50s Lakers, 60s Celtics and 90s Bulls) had done. As had become their custom during their run, the Lakers coasted through the season, going 58-24. But the Sacramento Kings swooped in to claim the Pacific by three games. With an intense rivalry between both teams, a Lakers-Kings showdown made for good box office.

The Lakers coasted through the first two rounds, pounding Portland 3-0 for the second straight year, and the Spurs 4-1, before their showdown with the Kings. Sacramento took two of the first three, and appeared ready to take game 4, before an errant shot under the basket bounced to Robert Horry, who sank a three to win the game. The Lakers took the series in seven after Sacramento stopped hitting free throws down the stretch.

The NBA Finals were anticlimatic; the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets, marking the first time the Lakers swept a Finals series. Shaquille O'Neal won Finals MVP for the third straight time, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to win three straight. O'Neal and Kobe Bryant both were first team All-NBA (1st time for Kobe). As it turned out, it was the end of the Lakers' run, as the team was dismantled two years later (but are now poised to regain the title).

39. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had set a league record with 87 wins (including playoffs) the previous season, and what could this team do for an encore? Michael Jordan continued to lord over the league, claiming his ninth scoring title with a 29.6 average. The Bulls had a chance to win 70 games again before a last-game loss to New York dropped them to 69 wins. There were concerns that this team might not have the juice to run to another title.

The Bulls quickly showed those fears should have been unfounded, as they rolled past Washington (3-0), Atlanta (4-1) and Miami (4-1) to reach the Finals. There, they faced the Utah Jazz, who were making their first trip. The series had several memorable moments.

Game one went to Chicago 84-82 as Jordan hit a jumper over Bryon Russell (we'll see them again later in the countdown) after Karl Malone, the regular season MVP, missed two critical free throws. They took game two at home, then lost two straight in Utah. Prior to game 5, Jordan came down with the flu, and there were wonders if he could play, or play effectively.

Jordan would proceed to put on one of the greatest performances in NBA history, scoring 38 points (including a key three late) to lead Chicago to a 90-88 win. Game six featured similar drama, as with the game tied at 86, Jordan jumped in the air... and hit Steve Kerr with a pass. Kerr swished the jumper, and after the Jazz turned the ball over, the Bulls had thier fifth title in seven years. Jordan won his 5th Finals MVP.

38. 1994-95 Houston Rockets: The Rockets had reason to feel good. They had won a dramatic Finals in 7 over the Knicks the year before, and were favorites to keep the repeats going (each of the three previous title holders repeated). But their season was a struggle, as they didn't look like the defending champs.

Then, in February, management made a bold move, trading Otis Thorpe to Portland for Clyde Drexler, reuniting Drexler with former University of Houston teammate Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets still finished 3rd in the Midwest (6th overall) at 47-35, and no team had won a title from that low a seeding.

The Rockets faced division rival Utah first. The Rockets came back from 2-1 down to win the series in five. Then, they faced Phoenix, who had taken them to seven the previous year. Phoenix went up 3-1, but couldn't put Houston away. The Rockets won three straight (including a 115-114 game seven in Phoenix), then dispatched San Antonio in six, to reach the Finals against Orlando.

Game one saw Orlando take an early 20 point lead, but Houston fougght back (aided by a record seven threes by Kenny Smith) to tie it late. After Nick Anderson missed four free throws late that would have sealed it, The Rockets won in OT. The Magic never recovered, and Houston sewpt the series. Olajuwon was named MVP.

37. 1959-60 Boston Celtics: The Celtics were now two time defending champs, and the 1959-60 season saw them firmly establish themselves as the dominant force in the league. Even with the Warriors adding rookie Wilt Chamberlain (ROY and MVP that season), the Celtics finished ten games ahead of Philly with a 59-16 record. In the first playoff meeting between Bill Russell and Chamberlain, the C's had little trouble, winning in six games.

That led to a showdown with the St. Louis Hawks, who withstood a seven game series with the Lakers (in their last season in Minneapolis) to make the Finals. The series went seven, and with Russell scoring 22 and adding 35 rebounds, the Celtics won 122-103 for their third straight title.

36. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had just come off a tumutuous 1981 season, where their title repeat dreams were dashed by Magic Johnson's knee troubles and dissention in the ranks, leading to a 1st round ouster by Houston. While some of the trouble seeds were dumped in the offseason, Johnson and coach Paul Westhead didn't see eye to eye, as Westhead's power philosophy clashed with Johnson's push-it-up style. Westhead was fired after a 7-4 start, and Johnson was actually booed a little in L.A.

The Lakers tried to convince Jerry West to take over as coach, but he refused, and they settled for Westhead assistant Pat Riley (West agreed to sit next to Riley early on to ease him in). Riley pushed the tempo up, and the Lakers (with the help of midseason addition Bob McAdoo) won 50 of their last 71 games to finish first in the West.

The playoffs turned into their showcase. The Lakers rolled past Phoenix and San Antonio in sweeps, leading to a rematch of the 1980 Finals against the 76ers, who survived a seven game series with the defending champion Celtics.

The series was full of blowouts. The closest game was a seven point finish in game one, as Riley and Billy Cunningham outschemed each other. The Lakers won the series in six, with Johnson winning his second Finals MVP. It was the first of five titles for Riles as a head coach.

35. 1978-79 Seattle Supersonics: The Supersonics had come agonizingly close to the NBA title in 1978, losing the seventh game to Washington 105-99 after Dennis Johnson went 0-14 in the game. The Sonics, with coach Lenny Wilkens in for a full season, won the Pacific division with a 52-30 record, and secured home court throughout the West.

In the playoffs, they beat the Lakers in five, then survived a tough seven game series with Phoenix to make the Finals, and once again face the Bullets, who themselves won a seven game finals against the Spurs.

The Sonics lost game one after Larry Wright hit two free throws with no time on ther clock. The loss only inspired the Sonics. With Johnson and Gus Williams scoring over half their teams' points in the series, the Sonics won four straight for their only NBA title. Johnson was named Finals MVP.

34. 1977-78 Washington Bullets: The Bullets had had no luck at all in their two previous Finals appearences. Both times (1971 and 1975) they had been swept. So when they quietly won 44 games and finished second in the Central division (3rd in the conference), no one expected much.

After winning their 1st round series with Atlanta 2-0, the Bullets surprised the Spurs by beating them 4-2 in round two. Agianst the Sixers, who had swept New York in their second round matchup, the Bullets won game 1 in Philly, a crucial victory, and won in six games.

The Finals matchup with Seattle was hard fought. Each team traded victories in the first six games, before the Bullets cliamed the title in game seven, primarily by holding Dennis Johnson to 0-14 shooting. Wes Unseld was named MVP, and it was the only title for both Unseld (984 games played) and Elvin Hayes (1,303 games).

33. 1968-69 Boston Celtics: The Celtics looked like a tired team throughout the 1968-69 season, as they struggled to a 48-34 record, the worst record since Bill Russell joined the team. Russell still was effective as a rebounder (third in the league) and the Celtics had an aura around them that, even without home court advantage, they could win a title.

In round one, they turned back the Sixers 4-1, looking like the old Celtics. Against the Knicks in the Easten finals, Russell held Willis Reed in check, and they took the series in six. Still, few expected them to beat the Lakers, who not only had Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Wilt Chamberlain, but had vengence in their minds for six prior Finals losses to Boston.

The Lakers won the first two games, Boston fired back with two, and the teams split games 5 & 6. Ther seven game was at the Forum, and as fate would have it, the Celtics discovered a agenda program of Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke planned a big celebration with lots of baloons in the rafters and a Chick Hearn interview with Baylor, West and Chamberlain.

The Celtics stormed out and led by double figures after three. The Lakers fought to within two, then Don Nelson (yes, that Don Nelson) hit a jumper that bouned high off the back rim, and in. The Celtics won 108-106. The baloons came down without fanfare the next day. In August, Russell retired. He left with 11 titles in his 13 pro seasons, a record that's unlikely to be matched.

32. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs: Since last year's team is too new to be ranked, this team will have to suffice. The 2003 Spurs came out determined to regain their throne. With the defending champion Lakers looking vulnerable, the West was as open as it had been in four years.

Tim Duncan captured his second straight MVP, finishing 7th in scoring and 3rd in boards. The Spurs won 60 games to finish 1st in the West, and after having some trouble with the Suns in round one, they faced the Lakers, who had ended their season each of the prior two seasons.

The Spurs had little trouble with the shaky Lakers this time; they won 4-2, including a 28 point thumping in the clincher, then beat Dallas 4-2 to reach the Finals against the Nets.

The series certainly wasn't an artistic classic (only once did a team reach 100 points; SA in game one), but the Spurs clawed their way to their second title of the Duncan era. Duncan was Finals MVP, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had their first rings.

31. 2003-04 Detroit Pistons: As the years have passed, it dawns on me just how special this series was. It may prove to be the only title for this era's Pistons, the one time they caught lightning in a bottle, and by doing so, ending a potential dyansty in the making.

Coming off a postseason where they were swept by the Nets, Detroit finished second in the Central (3rd in conference) with a 54-28 record. They smashed Milwaukee in 5, setting up a rematch of the conference finals in round two. The Pistons took the first two games, then the Nets took the next three (including a triple OT classic in game 5) and seemed poised to deliver the KO shot. But the Pistons won games 6 & 7, holding Jason Kidd scoreless for the first time in his playoff career, to face Indiana in the con. finals.

There, the Pistons outslopped the Pacers in six, the signature moment coming in game two, when Tayshaun Prince blocked a Reggie Miller layup attempt to preserve victory. Still, they were heavy underdogs against the Lakers. They not only had won three of the last four titles, but they wanted rings for Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

The Pistons claimed game one, but L.A. won game two when Kobe Bryant sank a game-tying shot and dominated OT. When the series shifted to Detroit, however, the dissenting Lakers, without the injured Malone, couldn't stop the stampede (or Kobe taking bad shots). The Pistons won all three home games (the first to do so since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985) and the title to boot. Chauncey Billups was named MVP, the first player to win the award without a prior All-Star appearence since Dennis Johnson in 1979. Shortly thgereafter, the Lakers were dismantled.

There are the next ten. Tomorrow will be #'s 30-21. See ya then!

A few days ago, I attempted to start a series of posts to start the crowning o####reatest franchise in NBA history. To make a long story short, it was as successful as the Edsel, New Coca-Cola, and Bush' Iraq War policy. It was in the midst of that mess, that a question from Hoffman (whose NBA opinion I hold in good esteem) that the inspiration for another series began.

In the last post I did for my original concept (those have since been erased, to avoid the blog world from being futher confused), Hoffman said "Are these (the teams I created) one-season teams, or a collection of players from all the teams all-time?". That got me to thinking "Why not just do a list of the best single-season teams of all-time? It will be less confusing.". So now, in the first of the series of lists, here are the 50 best teams in NBA history (according to me; it's not a be-all end-all, I'm always right" lsit.

Lets' start with #'s 50-41

50. 1998-99 San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs of the early-to-mid 1990s were seemingly always on the doorstep to greatness. With David Robinson at his peak, the Spurs would win four division titles between 1990 and 1996 (with a Western Conference Finals berth in 1995). Then, in 1997, Robinson got hurt, missed 76 games, and the Spurs went 20-62.

It was that bad season that set the foundation of the Spurs' dynasty to follow, as after they won the lottery, they selected Tim Duncan #1. Duncan paid immediate dividends, as San Antonio won 56 games his first season. In the lockout shortened 1999 season (the major reason they're so low), the Spurs were poised to win a title. They added Mario Elie, who had won two titles in Houston previous to then, and things looked promising.

The Spurs started slowly, going just 6-8 as fans and the media wondered what was worng. But a 31-5 finish brought then a division title (on tiebreakers with Utah) and the #1 seed. Duncan finished runner-up to Karl Malone in the MVP race, but he would own the playoffs.

After beating Minnesota 3-1 to start, the Spurs swept the Lakers (prompting the hiring of Phil Jackson) and the Blazers, with the dramatic Sean Elliott shot in game 2 providing inspiration. That set up a Finals showdown with the Knicks, who became the first #8 seed to reach the Finals.

The Spurs raced to a 2-0 lead, with Duncan averaging 29 PPG and about 15 RPG. The Knicks took game 3, then SA won the next two and the title, with the clinching field-goal scored by Avery Johnson, a castoff of several teams (including the Spurs twice). The win was the first by an old ABA team in the NBA Finals (also the first appearence by such). Duncan was named Finals MVP, and had established himself as an elite player.

49. 1950-51 Rochester Royals: The Kings franchise has suffered from incredible bad luck. The team has moved four times and has made just one appearence in the NBA Finals. This team listed was that finalist, and it was the stopper (briefly) for the NBA's original dynasty.

In the early 50s, the Lakers and Royals were the league's premier attraction. The two teams had finsihed 1-2 in their division races each of the teams' first two years in the BAA/NBA, with the Royals winning in 1949 and Minneapolis in 1950. The teams would finish 1-2 again in 1951, as George Mikan won his third straight scoring title.

In the playoffs, the teams met in the Western Division Finals, but unlike the two previous years, the Royals won 3-1, as Mikan suffered from a fracture of his ankle and wasn't 100%. That set up the Royals to face the Knicks, who made their first Finals as the three seed (out of four).

The series was hotly contested, as the Royals won the first three games, before the Knicks won three straight of their own, forcing the first game seven in Finals history. In that game, Rochester led by 16 early, then fell behind by two late. But Bob Davies hit critical free throws down the stretch, and the Royals won 79-75. The Royals would win the division the following year, but would never make the Finals again, and moved to Cincinnati in 1957.

48. 1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors: The Warriors were an NBA charter team in 1946, and in their first season, they won the BAA title over Chicago. The team would remain a mid-level team through the next decade, before the advent of the shot clock brought them to life. Led by Paul Arizin, Neil Johnston and Tom Gola, the Warriors improved by 8 their win total from the previous year and finished as the Eastern Division champs.

In the Finals, they faced the Fort Wayne Pistons, who won their second straight division title behind coach Charles Eckman (who officiated the first All-Star game). Eckman claimed he didn't actually run an offensive set; he just let George Yardley do his thing. But the Pistons couldn't stop Arizin, who averaged 28.9 PPG in the playoffs. The Warriors dusted off Fort Wayne in 5.

47. 1967-68 Boston Celtics: It appeared as if the Boston run of dominance was over. The 76ers stopped their record 8 straight title run, and with a majority of that team in or entering their primes, it looked like Philadelphia would reign for as long time to come. Too bad no one told the Celtics that.

The season unfolded routinely, as the Sixers won 62 games in the first season where 82 games were played. The Celts finished at 54-28, second in the East. When the two teams met in the division finals, the Sixers raced to a 3-1 series lead, and victory seemed inevitable. But the Celtics won the last three games (two in Philly) to stun the Sixers and advance to the Finals against the Lakers.

The Finals marked the sixth time the Lakers and Celtics met for the title, and like the previous five, Boston won (4-2), taking the final game in L.A. by 13 points. The win proved Bill Russell could coach and play effectively, and that the old dynasty still had life left in it.

46. 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals: The Nationals (who would become the 76ers) made their mark early in their NBA lives as immediate contenders; they made their first Finals in their 1st season (1949-50) and the year before this team, ahd taken the Lakers to seven in the Finals. Then, in the 1954 offseason, the NBA approved Nats owner Danny Biasone's shot clock suggestion. The results were immediate; league scoring went from 79..5 per game to 93.1, and the Celti