NBA Playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

Everyone should know by now that the road to the NBA Finals in the eastern conference is going through Cleveland, as long as they win in the first two rounds. With that being said, the first team that gets the chance to test Cleveland’s 39-2 home record mettle are the veteran Detroit Pistons.

 

If there was ever a first round matchup featuring two teams you could believe would be playing in a conference final rather than as soon as the first round, this is it. The Detroit Pistons have been reeling all season and have a losing record and no Allen Iverson. That’s not so bad though since they play better without him.

 

They still have their veteran core in Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and even Antonio McDyess. They also still have the same man-play approach to defense that allows for little scoring and emphasis on forcing opponents to play inside and make free throws.

 

On top of all this favorable detail, they also have a lot of experience matching up against Cleveland… too bad they don’t have enough beating them though.

 

In the last few years, the Lebron James versus “Bad Boys 2” saga has gotten progressively more favorable for Cleveland. The first time they ever met, the Cavaliers had lost the first two games in Detroit. When Cleveland won game three, then prompting Rasheed Wallace to say “We ‘gon bust dey ass in game four,” the Cavs turned things around and won the next two forcing a decisive game seven which the Piston manned up and won.

 

In all honesty, the Detroit Pistons, ever since losing to San Antonio in the NBA Finals, have been the kings of disappointments. The next season when they Pistons faced off, they ended up losing a back-breaking game 5 to Cleveland when Lebron scored his teams’ final 27 points, again, in Detroit. That time, the Cavs took advantage and won game six to get into the finals.

 

What is the difference between this Pistons team and those two? No Chauncey Billups and no in his prime Ben Wallace. So, in all honestly what’s to say that the Pistons, all though very savvy, are ready to beat the Cavaliers four times? Nothing.

 

The Cavs should win this series, even if it goes to seven games.

Allen Iverson will not be resigned by Pistons, so he will take his celebrity and endorsements into free agency next year!

In a strange turn of events the Pistons had decided to trade Chauncy Billups for Allen Iverson during this NBA season. This trade to many seemed silly considering they traded their superstar Point Guard for a hot shot offensive scoring SG, while they still had Richard Hamilton on the team. Others, however thought that they may have been setting themselves up for the free agency class of 2010 and today It seems that was the case. After the recent comments by coach Michael Curry it become evident that the Pistons have no interest in Iverson past this season. Curry said, “It just didn’t work; it didn’t blend well…There was a lot to do with guys changing roles and accepting different roles you have to play. It’s unfortunate things didn’t go as we thought they would.” Curry then told the media that Iverson will sit the remainder of the season. Michael Curry on Saturday night, during his pre-game conference in Philly said, “Hopefully, the time off will get his body back to top condition and be prepared for free agency,” So no matter what the pistons are going to move on, leaving Allen Iverson and his Reebok Sponsorship to the open market!

The State of Detroit

The Pistons have been on a downhill slide ever since Allen Iverson got injured two months or so ago. Without Iverson they have gone 9-18 and dropped down to a below .500 record, which is something they haven’t been this late in the season for over five years. On top of being Iversonless, they’ve had stretches without Rasheed Wallace, and even Richard Hamilton. Even right now starting point guard Rodney Stuckey is out for some time!

 

Right now, they are 36-39 and a looking at a seventh seed in the eastern conference playoffs. And with about seven games to go they better watch out, because they are only half a game ahead of the eighth seeded Chicago Bulls, and just two and a half in front of the ninth seeded Charlotte Bobcats. So they are in danger of not even making the playoffs if they really don’t get off their schneid.

 

On top of that, even if they do get in, things aren’t looking up. They will face Cleveland or the Celtics as a seven or eight seed right now, and with the Pistons not having home court advantage in any round, that does not bode well.