I’m sorry to say this but I am not a witness, because what I saw the last five games were not the Cavaliers playing championship caliber basketball, it was the Pistons playing college caliber basketball.
Call it cockiness, call it confidence, call it what you will, but I like to call it the swagger of a champion. It’s the same swagger the Yankees and Red Wings have ever year when they go down in flames, and it’s the same championship swagger the Lakers had in 2004 when they nearly got swept by the Pistons in the NBA Finals.
Even with that championship swagger on the faces and in the minds of the Pistons, don't expect history to repeat itself.
In the first seven quarters of the Cavs-Stones series the Pistons put to sleep any notion that LeBron James would do what Michael Jordan couldn't in his first try-beat the Bad Boys. Since then however, the Pistons offense looked like it needed an oil change. Scoring under 85 points each of the last three games, the usually supercharged Pistons are now idling, and relying solely on their defense to win games.
Granted the Cavaliers are playing above themselves and King James is at the epicenter of their battles, but still, the Pistons are hardly playing like the heart-of-"stea"l champions we've come to known over the last three years.
The talking heads of sports talk shows and newspapers are already speaking of the King reigning the Eastern Conference playoff castle but, the anguish in the Pistons eyes tells me that it's a little early to call this thing.
The Players Have Heart:
The problem many of the perennial powerhouses in other sports face is that many of their players have already won championships. This is the case with the Red Wings and the Yankees. There isn't much difference with the Pistons except for the role player Antonio McDyess. TNT captured a great outro to their game five telecast zooming in on the anguished face of Antonio McDyess. The shot which seemed to last for about 10 minutes showed that the "Dice Man" is not ready to call it quits, and while other teammates have won their titles, it doesn't mean they are ready to mail it in either.
Each and every Pistons player still has something to prove. Rasheed Wallace has to prove that his loud mouth guarantee didn't jinx his team. He also owes his team a big game performance after his defensive lapse against Robert Horry in last years finals basically led to another Spurs championship.
Although he'll never be chosen as the league MVP, Billups needs to prove that he deserves to be mentioned as a candidate. Billups is known as Mr. Big Shot but they don't call him that for heaving up ill-advised three pointers with three minutes remaining in a close playoff game. Billups is better than that. I know it, you know it, and LeBron James knows it. It's just about proving it.
Ben Wallace needs to prove that he has the work ethic and determination to help his team win another close playoff battle after he basically cost them the game with two missed free throws late in game five. And let’s not forget the coach who has worked so hard, but never won a title. Wouldn’t it be nice if his team could flip the switch and put themselves into playoff overdrive?
Playoff struggles:
During their three year Eastern Conference dominance the Pistons have had their share of slip-ups in the playoffs. In 2005, it took the Pistons six games to defeat the Pacers before winning a seven game series in the Eastern Conference finals. In the conference semi-finals in 2003, the Pistons took a 2-0 series lead over the Nets before losing three straight. Facing elimination the Pistons defense took over, and won the series, and later, the NBA Championship. And how can we forget 2002, when it took the Pistons seven games to defeat the downtrodden Orlando Magic.
Sure the Cavaliers are better than the Magic, but are they better than the 2003 Nets team that gave the Pistons fits? Or the 2005 Heat and Pacers teams which also held leads over the heavily favored Pistons? The answer is an emphatic no. The Pistons have trailed or been tied in just about every playoff series since 2003. Each and every time they have battled back in the clutch and won key games.
Don’t get me wrong, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are a good basketball team, but they aren’t a championship caliber team, which means if they beat the Pistons it will be because the Pistons didn’t play well, not because the Cavaliers played well. But maybe that’s just the championship swagger of a fan talking.
In any case, after game five Wednesday Billups repeatedly told reporters he isn't concerned that the Pistons are down 3-2 in the series and facing elimination. I've watched enough Pistons basketball the past few seasons to know, if Billups isn't concerned, that's good enough for me.
Jon Gunnells is a journalism senior at Michigan State University who is not a Witness. He can be reached at gunnell@msu.edu
Its times like these that make me wish my apartment had a third television in the living room. Lost, the greatest television show on earth is on, and so is the big game. So while I will be watching Sawyer, Kate, John and Jack fight off the bearded island hermit, I will also be glancing to the other television where the best team in the league will be representing Detroit. On top of that, the Pistons are also playing the Cavaliers in a pivotal game five. So if you didn’t catch it the first time, that means I need a third television so I can watch the Pistons in addition to the Tigers and Lost.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the “Stones” and I’m glad they can represent the state well so I can give out of town bloggers a hard time, but come on the Tigers haven’t been this good since 1989. At this time in 1989 I wasn’t even four.
There has to be a small minority of fans like myself, who care more about the Tigers than the Pistons, and to the majority we may seem insane, but at least we know what’s going to happen with the Pistons. Sure they struggled in Cleveland, but does anyone really think the best defensive team in the league won’t be able to stop LeBron for a third straight game? Me neither. The Pistons will finish off the Cavs in six games making my decision to watch another deep version of Lost much easier. Speaking of Lost, where does it rank among the best television shows on right now?
Here is my list of current favorites:
1. Lost
2. The Sopranos
3. The Simpsons
4. Family Guy
5. Teachers (a great new show on NBC)
6. Curb Your Enthusiasm
The thing about Lost is, it reads like a good book. Every episode ends like a chapter you just have to read again. But lost has taken television writing to a whole different level with interactive websites and all that jazz, so really, for me to skip that to watch the Pistons would be insane. Lets be honest, we know what’s going to happen in games five and six, but nobody knows where Walt is, or if they are going to fight the others. We also don’t know why Hurley hasn’t lost any weight, or why Michael shot Libby and Anna Lucia.
The answers to these questions are what keep me up every night. Anyway, I think it is almost time to get myself in my body groove on the couch. Go Tigers, Go Pistons!
Jon Gunnells is a journalism senior at Michigan State University who is addicted to Lost. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu
As promised here is an update of the Gunn Show’s first ever All in the Family NBA Prognostication challenge:
After the Suns came back to defeat the Lakers, things got ugly for my mom. Her only chance of beating me was wiped out with the Suns victory. With that I will give you, my loyal readers, an update of how things look so far.
The Gunn Show 7, The Gunn Show’s mom 5
As you can see, although it is a very tight race, I still hold a two point advantage. But because my Mom has the Lakers making the Western Conference semis, two points are all I need to ensure my victory.
What ended up hurting my mom the most were the close series between the Pacers-Nets, the Suns-Lakers and Wizards-Cavaliers. She got all three wrong, but in her defense, so did a lot of great basketball minds. Those match-ups could have gone the other way and she could have gone 8-0.
My only slip up was my prediction that the Pacers would beat the Nets. I miscalculated and thought the Pacers would be a better playoff team this year not the Nets. Oh well, nobody is perfect.
I will say, although the pick was ridiculous, it could have led her to the promised land in the form of a big victory over her son.
Anyway, valiant effort mom, you still know more about sports than most of my friends.
Jon Gunnells is a journalism senior at Michigan State University who is pretty sure his mom knows more about baseball and college football than your mom, and probably your dad too. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu
Over the past week, the talking heads of sports journalism have debated over who deserved the 2006 NBA MVP award in the newspapers, on the radio and all over the internet. The MVP controversy even appeared at the NFL Draft this past Saturday when former USC running back LenDale White donned a Chauncey Billups tee-shirt with the phrase "got robbed" scripted on the chest.
While some defend thedecision to give Phoenix guard Steve Nash his second straight award, fans and analysts continue to lobby for the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James and White's cousin, Billups.
Why Nash deserved the MVP: Behind 18.8 points, and 10.5 assists per game, Nash’s numbers topped even that of Chauncey Billups. With injuries to superstar teammates, Nash helped dictate the tempo of the Sun’s games in a teammate- friendly, pass-first based offense. He improved his stats from last season, when he also won the MVP award.
Why Nash didn’t deserve the MVP: Based on pure stats, Nash may not be the quintessential league MVP- he’s probably closer to third banana. While he edged out Billups by the narrowest of margins in points and assists, he couldn’t touch Billups or his three point swagger. In April Billups destroyed Nash for 35 points and five assists, and four rebounds. That same day, Nash only mustered 13 points. Nash also averaged 17 points less per game than Kobe while only tallying six more assists per game. His six more assists per game would all have been needed to be converted in the form of three pointers for his offensive output to surpass that of Kobe’s.
Why Billups deserved the MVP: Unlike his hair, his points per game (18.5) and assists (8.6) stacked up pretty well against Nash. His on court leadership and three point prowess helped the Pistons become invincible at certain points of the season. In a game earlier this spring, Billups scored 11 points in a little over a minute to secure a come from behind win against the Grizzlies. It wasn’t always pretty jumpers and fancy passes, but it was always consistent through the lane, from the line and behind the arc. His 4.1 assists to turnover ratio is probably the most telling stat of all.
Why Billups didn’t deserve the MVP:His offensive numbers were even further away from Kobe’s than Nash’s and even though his division was deeply talented, the rest of the Eastern Conference was not. Much of Billups’s success can be attributed to his four starting teammates who are arguably better than any supporting cast on any other team. Reliable back up guards also made it possible for Billups to get the rest he needed, so he could shine in crunch time. Kobe, Dirk, Nash and LeBron did not share that luxury.
Why Kobe deserved the MVP: He took an irregular cast of underachieving characters and turned them into a 45 win team. In case you missed it he averaged 35 points a game and earned his second straight scoring title. He also dropped 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. Some people label him as a ball hog but he also averaged 4.5 assists per game, the second most on the Lakers. Besides, what is he supposed to do, roll over and let his team lose to the bottom feeding Raptors?
Why Kobe didn’t deserve to win the MVP: He had no viable options around him which raised his scoring output and made his offensive accomplishments look much better. He got suspended for a few games mid-season which translated into two losses for the Lakers. MVP’s don’t do that.
Why Dirk deserved to win the MVP: Although there really aren’t stats to show it, his defense drastically improved while his offensive stats stayed in place. Even with a long, awkward last name, Dirk averaged over 26 points and nine rebounds per game – the most rebounds of the bunch. His offensive output topped that of Nash and Billups even among a starting five that all averaged over 10 points per game.
Why Dirk didn’t deserve to win the MVP: His offensive counterparts were arguably as productive as the Pistons starters at some points. In terms of points per player, Dirk’s next five options were better scorers than that of Billups. His 2.8 assists per game, were nothing to write home about.
Why LeBron deserved to win the MVP: In terms of individual impact, nobody has had a greater affect on his teammates than King James. His overall athletic ability cannot be rivaled by Dirk, Nash or Billups. His 31.4 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game gives him the second best complete stat line of the bunch. More importantly, his team probably wouldn’t be in the playoffs without him. The same cannot be said about Dirk, Nash and Billups.
Why LeBron didn’t deserve to win the MVP: His assist to turnover ratio is only half that of Billups, and his teammates lent a strong helping hand when it comes to scoring. The clutch factor was also not in the King’s favor this season. According to 82games.com, LeBron was 3 for 17 on game winning shots this season, well below some of the league leaders like Carmello Anthony.
As you can see, a case can be made, or not made, for any one of the five best NBA players of the 2005-2006 season. No certain player excelled in every category and no certain player wasn’t the best in a unique way. Since they each brought a different style of play into a different team environment the only way to truly judge the league MVP, would be to pull a switch-a-roo, but obviously that will never happen. The talking heads of sports journalism can argue until they are blue in the face, but as far as far as Dirk, LeBron, Nash, Billups and, Kobe go, there was no clear cut winner or loser.
Jon Gunnells is a journalism junior at Michigan State University who thinks Kobe should have gotten the nod for the MVP award just because his nickname is Mamba. He can be reached at gunnell2@msu.edu
