Eulogy.

Cleveland 102, Detroit 84; Eastern Quarterfinals, 0-1 (like it matters)

My relationships with the teams I follow are bizarre. Michigan football is far and away my first love. If I could pick any single team of mine to win a championship, it would be them. I've been "aware" of and followed the Red Wings for the longest. My earliest memory of any of my teams is the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals, with the Red Wings getting swept by New Jersey. Since then, I have seen four Stanley Cup Championships, and I immensely hope that a fifth is a couple months away.

And yet, I haven't felt "closer" to a team than I have to the Detroit Pistons over the past seven years. Which it makes this even harder to say: the end has arrived.

I suppose it's already come and go, because the Pistons I watched vanquish the Lakers and battle valiantly to the end against San Antonio have been gone for some time. Some of the faces and names may be the same, but the sum of the parts has long since departed. We tried to convince ourselves that Larry Brown was replaceable. We tried to convince ourselves that Ben Wallace was expendable. The truth is, no part of the machine that produced back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships could be replaced. When you build something that is based on chemistry and teamwork above pure talent and skill, you can't lose any of those parts and expect a favorable outcome.

Back in 2001-2002, Detroit was still very much Hockeytown. The splash arrivals of Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull and Dominik Hasek made the Red Wings the odds-on favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. Adding those three to a lineup that featured names like Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Lidstrom, Larionov and Chelios meant that anything short of a championship would be deemed a failure. Ultimately the Red Wings lived up to those expectations, surviving a scare against Vancouver, winning the blood feud against Colorado in the Western Finals, and vanquishing the Hurricanes in the Finals. Hockeytown, indeed.

But on the undercard to the Red Wings in the spring was a scrappy, imperfect bunch of basketball players in Auburn Hills. After a 32-50 season in 2000-2001, the Pistons ditched the abysmal teal jerseys and went back to the trusty red, white and blues. It was a ragtag lineup that most general basketball fans would scoff at: Chucky Atkins, Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Curry, Clifford Robinson and Ben Wallace. Of those five, only Stackhouse looked the part of an NBA star. And yet with the mentality of backstreet brawlers, the Pistons muscled their way to a 50-32 record, a Central Division title, and the 2 seed in the East. They won the first two games against Toronto at home, and then dropped the next two in Canada, setting up a decisive Game Five at the Palace. I remember it well. Stackhouse was awful until the end, and the end was all that mattered, because the Pistons had won 85-82 and won their first playoff series since the tailend of the Bad Boys era in 1991. They quickly bowed out in five games to the more experienced Celtics in the second round, but it seemed like the franchise that had toiled in mediocrity for over ten years was finally looking up.

It was in 2002-2003 that the Pistons began to show signs of something special - along with a flair for the dramatic. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton replaced Atkins and Stackhouse in the backcourt. Another 50-32 record, another division title, and the #1 seed this time. And yet it looked like it would all be for naught, as Orlando jumped ahead of them 3-1 in the first round. That's when we got to see that resiliency that would endear these Pistons to our hearts. When their backs were to the wall, they responded with ferocious vigor fit for a champion. They throttled the Magic in Games 5 and 6, setting the stage for another elimination game at the Palace. The Pistons revved their engines and blew Tracy McGrady away, 108-93. The Game 6 win in Orlando would be the first of eight straight Game 6 victories for the Pistons.

The second of those eight would come in the next round against Philadelphia. They still had problems on the road, as they again lost a 2-0 series lead in Games 3 and 4 in Philly before escaping by the skin of their teeth back home in Game 5. Chauncey won us over in that Game 6, returning from a badly sprained ankle to score 28 - including nine on three triples in OT - and lift the Pistons to the conference finals, 93-89. Despite being the 1 seed and having homecourt, the Pistons were underdogs against New Jersey. The Nets were the defending Eastern champions, and they played like it. They won two nailbiters in Detroit and two laughers in Jersey. In a swift four games, the Pistons were done.

We all know how it went from here. Exit Rick Carlisle, enter Larry Brown. It was ugly, unattractive basketball. And it worked. Throw Rasheed Wallace into the mix at the trade deadline. They played backseat in the Central Division in 2003-2004, as Indiana won 61 games and claimed the one seed, while the Pistons finished 54-28. After easily dispatching of Milwaukee in round 1, the Pistons' pride was tested as they once again met up with New Jersey. Those damn road jitters struck again. After two dominating wins at home, Detroit got absolutely dusted in New Jersey. Game 5 was one of those games where you always remember where you were at when it was going on. Me? I was bowling with my then-girlfriend. I HATE bowling. I hated it then, I hate it now. I eventually stopped bowling and ended up watching the Pistons on one of the TVs they had there. As the 4th quarter wound down, it seemed like the Nets would get away. I was disgusted, so I turned away and drifted back toward a lanes. A few moments passed before a roar went up from the same group of people who had also been watching the game. I turned and ran back to see replays of this:

Like I said, everybody who watched remembers where they were when that shot went down.

Of course in the end, the Pistons lost the game in three overtimes and were down 3-2, having to win in a place where they had been blown out four straight times over the past two postseasons. It was here that I developed a bizarre, weird superstition: I withdrew. I didn't watch. I wasn't bailing on my team or anything. I just had the amusingly naive notion that if I didn't watch it, they wouldn't lose and be eliminated. I haven't the faintest idea how I came up with that. I don't apply it to any of my other teams. And of course, I can never make it last. I was a sophomore in high school at the time and I had some useless project or something to work on, so I stayed away from any TV. And even then, it didn't work. I lasted most of the game, but I eventually caved and put it on - and saw the last couple minutes of an 81-75 win. THIS was that fabled "Pistons Basketball" everyone talks about. On the road in an elimination game in a place they had no luck at coming off the most gut-wrenching of losses...and they got the job done. And then like they did to Orlando the previous year, the Pistons held no quarter in Game 7 at the Palace, this time to the tune of 90-69.

To outsiders, the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals were an abomination, a display of offensive ineptitude that set the sport back for years. Neither the Pistons nor Pacers broke 90 in any game. Four times, the losing team didn't break 70. And yet, for my money, it was one of the most exciting and gritty series I've ever seen. Was it bad offense? Sure, probably. But it was also excellent, excellent defense. The entire series was really summed up near the end of Game 2 in Indianapolis, with, in my opinion, the defining image of the last eight seasons of Detroit Pistons basketball.
Nowadays I often rant to friends and family about the Pistons. Last year after their season ended I was downright poisonous, cursing them for not playing "Pistons Basketball". When people would ask me what that is, the image above is what I tell them. Tayshaun Prince's block on Reggie Miller won Game 2 for the Pistons, and it symbolized everything that these Pistons were about and built upon. Defense. Hustle. Determination. Never giving up.

The Pistons split the first four with Indiana before blowing them out 83-65 in Game 5 in Indy and gutting out a grueling 69-65 win in Game 6 at the Palace. We all remember what happened after that. The Pistons dominated the Lakers in every facet. Honestly, maybe that's why they hold some sort of special place in my heart. Michigan football is always expected to contend for championships. The Red Wings are always expected to hoist the Cup. Hell, even the Tigers in 2006 were expected to roll over the Cardinals in the World Series. But the Pistons in 2004 were decided underdogs against the Hall of Fame Lakers, and took them apart with brutal, deadly efficiency. That might be the only time in my life my team wins a championship as an underdog.

It's sad to think that that was the pinnacle. Five seasons have passed since that glorious June night where the Pistons reigned as champions. The next season was sort of crooked. The expected championship hangover was there, but it was compounded by the Malice at the Palace between the Pistons and Pacers and the constant, never-ending rumors of Larry Brown looking for other jobs. They eventually picked it up, duplicated their 54-28 record, and reclaimed the Central Division crown. They dispatched Philadelphia in round 1, retired Reggie Miller and Indiana in round 2, and then, for the third straight year, went on the road for the Eastern Finals, this time against Miami. It was this series that produced one of my proudest moments as a Pistons fan. After splitting the first four, the Pistons lost their cool and were dusted in Game 5, again facing elimination. They responded cooly in Game 6 at home with an easy 91-66 win. Game 7 was in South Beach, and the odds were definitely stacked against Detroit; history is almost unanimously on the home team's side in Game 7. And the Pistons won anyway. 88-82, to be precise. Going into hostile territory against Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade in a win-or-go-home situation and coming out the other side as conference champions...I don't know if I've ever been prouder of a team of mine. When my brother, who was living here at the time, returned home, I just gave him a bro-hug and said "they did it." Nothing else had to be said.

Everybody knows what followed. Four games, four blowouts, a 2-2 tie with San Antonio. Game 5 being considerably closer. Rasheed leaving Horry is something I guess I have to live with. It's one of those sports moments that never leaves you. All big sports fans experience some. There are always games or moments that haunt you throughout the years, like you're just randomly doing work or watching TV one day years later, and suddenly it pops into your head. For me, there are a handful. The Michigan/Texas Rose Bowl. The 2006 Michigan/Ohio State game. Forsberg's OT goal in Game 5 of the 2002 Red Wings/Avalanche Western Finals. And Robert Horry's shot. In a way, that shot stings me more than Game 7 of that same series does. Weird, I guess. But I was just...lost after that game. As the game went deeper and deeper into the 4th quarter and overtime, my brother and I gradually got closer to the TV screen, first inching toward the edges of our seats, and then up to our feet and still moving closer to the screen....until Horry's shot sent us both into fits of despair. When it was over, I wandered the neighborhood. That's become a tradition of mine, too. I can't stay at the scene of the crime whenever a gutshot like that happens to one of my teams. So I just walk. In this case, it was like, 12:30 at night. And I just walked.

Per my other unusual tradition, I stayed away from Game 6. It was one of those frustrating nights where it's hot out, but not hot enough to justify having the air conditioner on, so I ended up sitting by myself in my pitch black living room with the lights out to keep the heat down. And of course, I caved. I ended up turning it on with like, 90 seconds left, in time to see Rasheed drain a shot from the perimeter. The image of Chauncey looking at the ABC camera with a look of supreme confidence on his face and one finger extended on his hand after the game still lingers with me. I was sold. They were going to do it. They were going to defy the odds and finish the Spurs deep in the heart of Texas.

It almost happened, too. They led by nine midway through the 3rd quarter of Game 7. It was tied after three quarters. And the defending champions finally succumbed. Part of me is almost afraid that this is the fate that awaits the Red Wings this year. That the pressure to repeat and having everyone gunning for you and having to face tight game after tight game will finally catch up to them at the end.

The "Pistons" as we grew to know them died that night in San Antonio. Their last shot at glory, their chance to repeat as champions. When it ended, so did they. The relationship between Larry Brown and the Pistons ownership was fractured beyond repair. To this day, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why he wanted to leave. He had the perfect job. A group of players that would go to war for him, that had completely bought into what he taught them, that had delivered a championship for him. And yet he wasn't content. Maybe it's just the way he was wired. But for whatever reason, he flirted with too many jobs, and couldn't stay. And for that, I hate him. And I miss him. And I hate him because I miss him.

At the start, hiring Flip Saunders looked like a genius move. The players were motivated by their loss in San Antonio, the fire still there. The motivation to "get the belts back" was there, so the defensive intensity would remain while Flip's offense pushed them. Nobody was complaining after a 37-5 start. But the truth was, the loss of Larry Brown was the death knell to the Pistons' title hopes. Flip couldn't get through to the players, because deep down, the players felt like he wasn't needed. I don't know if it was ego fueled by chips on their shoulders from being slighted earlier in their careers, but for whatever reason, the players put it in their heads that they could operate by themselves, without a coach's leadership.

The 05-06 Pistons finished 64-18, the best record in basketball. That was one of their goals, as they felt that if Game 7 in 2005 had been in Detroit and not San Antonio, they'd be going for a three-peat. But the fact was, they were burned out. Flip was a terrible bench manager, and he had alienated the starters even further by running them ragged. Combine this with the growing sense of entitlement in the players and the thought that they could police themselves, and you get a ticking time bomb. It didn't go off in the first round, as the Pistons dealt Milwaukee away in five games. But after winning the first two games against Cleveland with relative ease...the lights went out. The Pistons dropped the next three, and were suddenly up against it against a team that featured LeBron James and little else. Even with their killer instinct slipping away in front of our eyes, the Pistons went to the well and pulled out another gritty one, beating Cleveland 84-82 in Game 6, forcing another Game 7 at the Palace. And like past Game Sevens against Orlando and New Jersey, the Pistons took no prisoners, holding the Cavs to a stunning 23 second half points in a 79-61 win.

But they were done. They had senselessly toyed around with Cleveland, taking their foot off the gas and needing seven games to win a series that should've been over in five. Miami was fresher, and Pat Riley coached circles around Flip, who was in way over his head. After splitting the first two, the Pistons were drilled twice in Miami, and faced elimination at home. Their reign as Eastern Champions was ending, and in front of the home crowd for the final time, Ben Wallace laid claim to his kingdom. The bell tolled for Big Ben one more time.



But that was the end. There were no dramatic Game 6 heroics this time. From 2003 to 2006, the Pistons won eight Game 6s in a row against Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Indiana, Indiana (again), Miami, San Antonio and Cleveland. Six of those eight were on the road, and five of them (all on the road) staved off elimination and forced Game 7. But that luck ran out in the 2006 Eastern Finals, as Miami crushed the Pistons 95-78, ending the Pistons two year run as Eastern Conference Champions and ending Ben Wallace's tenure as a Piston. Big Ben couldn't stand Flip, he didn't respect him, and in the end, he took Chicago's blood money and left. He could've sat atop the Detroit sports throne with Stevie Y and Barry Sanders. Instead he left. And while Larry Brown took the Pistons' soul with him when he left, Ben Wallace took the heart. He took the defense. He took the sledgehammer.

And yet still, somehow, the Pistons convinced their fans that things would be different, that they would regroup and be better. Flip utilized the bench more. The starters got less minutes and would be fresher come playoff time. Chris Webber was added in January in a move many compared to the addition of Rasheed Wallace three years earlier that put the Pistons over the top. The record was only 53-29 compared to the previous season's 64-18, but the Central Division and #1 seed was still Detroit's. And the early returns in the playoffs were excellent. The Pistons breezed past the Magic in a four-game sweep, something they hadn't accomplished in their multi-year run yet. In the second round the Pistons revved their engines, beating the Bulls 95-69 and 108-87 in Games 1 and 2. They then staged a huge comeback in Game 3 in Chicago, erasing a 16-point halftime deficit to win 81-74. Seven games, seven wins. One sweep, with another imminent.

And then the lights went out. The Bulls buried the Pistons again in Game 4, and this time they stayed buried (102-87). In past seasons, the Pistons would circle the wagons, regroup, and pummel the Bulls in Game 5 back home. This time? The lights were still out, the Bulls humbled them 108-92. The Pistons did finally gather themselves and dispatch Chicago 95-85 in Game 6, but here's the difference between Larry Brown's Pistons and Flip Saunders' Pistons: where LB's teams would fight and scrap and deliver the killing blow when it was there (7-1 in games where they could eliminate their opponent), Flip's teams would lose focus and get lazy and eventually have to scramble.

What SHOULD'VE been the nail in Flip's coffin was the 2007 Eastern Finals against Cleveland. The Cavaliers were still pretty much LeBron and a bunch of guys. After two close wins at home, the Pistons were in good shape. Except where the fatigue issue killed them against Miami in 2006, in its place was mental fatigue. The Pistons had become mentally weak. They were soft. There was no killer instinct. And they lost Games 3 and 4. And they lost Game 5 in spectacular, meltdown, double-OT fashion, thanks to Flip's ridiculous defense that allowed LeBron to destroy them. Shame on Joe Dumars. How could you justify keeping someone so obviously incompetent?

This was one time I DID bail on my team. I was filled with rage and betrayal. I knew it didn't matter if I watched or didn't watch - the Pistons weren't winning Game 6 in Cleveland this time. And I was right. In the past when the chips were down and their backs were against the wall, the Pistons would flex their muscles and punch the other guy in the mouth. But this time, just like the previous season in Miami, the Pistons folded. Cleveland won, 98-82. The addition of Webber had failed. Two years, two meltdowns from Flip. And yet he was retained.

I was pretty bitter by this point. I had lost faith in Flip. And yet still, once again, they managed to hook me back in, because Boston was the talk of the NBA. The Celtics, with their "Big Three", won 66 games, while the Pistons were a stout 59-23. I looked at that and thought, okay, they're the underdog again. The chip is back on their shoulder. They'll be out to prove something.

Wrong. They lost Game 1 in the first round to Philadelphia, fell down 2-1, and needed a miraculous comeback from 14 down to win Game 4. That seemed to wake them up, as they won Game 5 by 17 and Game 6 by 23. Against Orlando, they lost by 27 in Game 3 and fell behind by 15 in Game 4, but Chauncey was hurt early in Game 3 and missed Game 4, so I excused that too. Besides, they rallied to win Game 4 and won Game 5 to win the series on another brilliant block by Tayshaun Prince. And the fatigue wouldn't matter, since they ended up waiting around for Boston to finish Cleveland in seven games.

In an ironic twist, it was rust that got them in Game 1. They came out flat and looked lost. So they DID lose. And then they showed some of that old Piston grit, manning up and stealing home court with a 103-97 win in Game 2 at Boston. Now consider this: Game 3 of the Eastern Finals was on the same night as Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals with the Red Wings hosting Pittsburgh...and I opted to watch the Pistons. And they opted to get blown off their own court. Those weren't the same Pistons. The old Pistons that I knew would never squander homecourt advantage like that.

They bounced back again, blasting the Celtics in Game 4. But this was so typical of a team coached by Flip - there was no consistency. The light would flicker on and off. They fell behind by 17 in Game 5 before trying to rally, only to lose by four. I was incensed. How dare they. How dare they try to come back, like they were toying with everybody. And then came the final nail, in Game 6. Up until then, throughout the run that started in 2003, the Pistons had never been eliminated on their home court. And here they were, facing elimination, trying for one final gasp to preserve their legacy - and there it was, a 10 point lead on their home court in the 4th quarter.

And there it went. 29-13 Boston in the 4th. 89-81 for the game. 4-2 for the series. What the Pistons proved in that 4th quarter was that they had indeed lost any semblance of a heart in the three years under Flip. He was done. They were done.

And now here we sit. 39-43, the 8 seed. One beatdown from the top-seeded Cavaliers down, three more to follow. Larry Brown's gone. Ben Wallace is gone. Chauncey Billups is gone. I'm not going to cast stones at Dumars for the Billups trade. The timing was bad, it should've been done before the season, but that's moot. I WILL criticize him for two atrocious hires. Flip Saunders stripped this team of its balls. Michael Curry is in way, way, wayyyyyy over his head, and I'm sure he'll be retained because of some excuse like the trade messed with the chemistry. That's true, but it doesn't excuse Curry for having no clue how to run a rotation. And these players don't respect Curry any more than they respected Flip. They WANTED Curry to be the coach because they still feel like they can run things themselves. Except they don't squawk about it anymore. There are no more Guaransheeds. There is no more bravado in the newspapers about everything being okay. Maybe three years of coming up short has humbled them. Or maybe the reality of 39-43 and being completely overmatched by LeBron has finally reached them. Maybe they finally know that it's over.

Once Cleveland finishes the Pistons, Iverson will walk away, not welcome back and not wanting to come back. I'm sure it's guaranteed that Rasheed will walk too. He's aged, and to be blunt, he has poisoned this team. He put them over the top in 2004...and has done nothing but drag them down since. He continues to hover near the perimeter when he should be in the paint, he was exposed by Garnett last year as having lost a step on defense, and his attitude has left a stain on the entire team. He must go, and like Flip, he will have been gone a year too late. In the three previous seasons, Rasheed has vanished into oblivion in the decisive Game 6s that eliminated the Pistons. Ever since he arrived, the Pistons have gone as he has gone. And now he must BE gone.

What else? There are some nice young pieces in Stuckey, Bynum and Maxiell. Prince and Hamilton still have some years left, but will they be back? There will be an absurd amount of money available for Joe Dumars to use. For me, it boils down to this. Joe D built a title contender. And, and this may not be popular, but he has also had a hand in tearing it down. He sees these guys all the time, he knows the ins and outs. And he still kept Flip in place too long. He kept Rasheed. He put Curry in after Flip. So now, he must fix what he has done. He has a plan, you can be sure of that. He knows who's going to be available with all that money out there to spend. He knows who he wants. All that matters now is getting them. This version of the Pistons is dead. The Pistons themselves don't have to be. It's up to you, Joe D.

In the heyday of 2004 and 2005, I would stay up til around this time, 5:00, 6:00, 6:30 in the morning, and I would wait for the Free Press to arrive, because I couldn't wait to read the front page and the sports section. I loved seeing the headlines and reading the articles. I'm a packrat, so I've kept them all over the years, tucked away. I began to associate these warm spring nights and mornings with the Pistons and reading about them in the paper.

So here's to the Pistons. Here's to the Fro. Here's to the bell tolling after a block. Here's to 20-rebound games. Here's to Mr. Big Shot. Here's to the mask. Here's to Roscoe. Here's to that lanky, long-armed twig from Kentucky. Here's to Mason. Here's to one of the most intimidating venues in sports. Here's to the pyrotechnics and the sirens. Here's to the thundersticks. Here's to "Goin' to Work." Here's to Larry Brown calling timeout late in the 4th quarter of Game 7 in Miami just to tell his team that he loves them.

Here's to Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace - the five warriors that put on those red, white and blue jerseys and went to work. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them.

Here's to those spring nights and mornings, waiting for the paper.

In memorium: Detroit Pistons.

Nope, no fancy picture this time. Just solemn realization and resignation.

This is how the Detroit Pistons will be remembered. Not necessarily by actual Pistons fans, but by the majority of people that watch basketball. People aren't going to remember the ultimate "team" beating the Lakers in 2004, or pushing the team of the decade to the 4th quarter of Game 7 in 2005.

What people will remember is a team that started 37-5 flaming out spectacularly in the conference finals in 2006.

What people will remember is LeBron James making this team look like a bunch of slow, old fools in Game 5 in 2007.

What people will remember is the most inconsistent, schitzophrenic team in recent sports history falling behind by 17 in the second half of Game 5 in Boston only to rally within one before losing by four and then staking a ten point lead at home in the fourth quarter of an elimination game before having the chair pulled out from under them and losing.

Face it, folks. This is as far as this Pistons team can go. Flip Saunders should and hopefully will be unemployed shortly. He will be the scapegoat. Make no mistake, he shoulders a gargantuan part of the blame for these past three years. He ran the starters into the ground and as a result they tuned him out in 06. He didn't double team LeBron because he was scared the WalMart employees and used car salesmen posing as LeBron's teammates would beat them, so they left Tayshaun Prince and Jason Maxiell on islands, with predictably disastrous results. This time around he's not the main culprit, but look at the Game 6 box score. Antonio McDyess, 2-3. Three shots? Really? That's what this offensive genius can draw up? Three shots for Dyess? 10 minutes for Theo Ratliff is about five too many.

But no. If you want to point fingers, lets start pointing fingers at the players that put on those jerseys and play the game. Lets point fingers at Chauncey Billups, who was a ghost in the conference finals until the final two games, and even then, despite a cushy 29-6-6 line, missed open shots in the fourth quarter tonight. Lets point fingers at Tayshaun Prince. Yeah, it was painfully obvious that he had nothing left by about Game 4. That'll happen when you're called on to guard the other team's best player while not having a true backup. But it got to the point where he was essentially Ben Wallace out there, a complete black hole on the offensive end of the court.

But finally, lets point a lot of fingers at Rasheed freaking Wallace.

Game A: 4-12, 2-5, 10 points.
Game B: 5-14, 0-2, 11 points, ejection.
Game C: 2-12, 0-6, 4 points, 5 fouls.

Game A is Game 6 in Miami two years ago. Game B is Game 6 in Cleveland last year, and Game C is Game 6 tonight. The last three times these Pistons have faced elimination, Rasheed Wallace, the one who likes to talk the most about this team never being scared and loving pressure situations, has been a complete ghost. For all his talk, all his arrogance, he has vanished when the chips are down for three years in a row.

This is the end of an era. If Joe D has a brain (and he does), Saunders is a lock for the unemployment line, but will that be enough? Is there a coach out there that can unite this same bunch of players? Michael Curry is an interesting candidate, but is he ready? Avery Johnson's out there, but he clashed with his players in Dallas. Could he work?

I don't have the answers for that, but what I do believe is that a simple coaching change won't get this done. I have individual issues with Rip and Chauncey as well (especially "Mr. Big Shot", which is a frivolous nickname by the way), but I truly think it doesn't matter what coach is brought in - this team will never win another title with Rasheed Wallace as the starting forward. They have ALWAYS gone as he goes, and he is the most inconsistent player in the NBA. I have all these grandiose scenarios in my head that involve Rasheed being traded and Elton Brand being brought in, but I don't think any of them are realistic.

Dumars has some brutal decisions to make, but he has to make them. In my opinion he hasn't taken nearly enough flack for the Darko fiasco, which has set this franchise back years. There are all kinds of hypotheticals about what this team would've been like with Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh, but they're all senseless and impossible to analyze. But there isn't any doubt we'd be in better shape with one of them than with what we got with Darko, which was a whole pile of nothing.

This is probably the most important offseason of Dumars' tenure. Rip and Tayshaun are locks to return. Chauncey signed that deal after last season, and is probably untradeable. McDyess will be back if he wants to be. Lindsey Hunter will probably retire, and hopefully they'll slap a suit on him and put him on the bench as an assistant coach. Maxiell and Stuckey are locks to return as well. That leaves guys like Rasheed, Jarvis Hayes, Juan Dixon, Amir Johnson, Theo Ratliff. Ratliff might retire, Hayes is a lock to be let go, Johnson will be back, and Dixon could go either way. And then there's Rasheed. He's entering the final year of his deal, is there any team out there willing to trade for someone like Rasheed simply to get money off the books?

On April 20th, I wrote this post, declaring the Pistons to be gutless. They tried proving me wrong with their rally in Philadelphia, winning in Orlando without Chauncey and stealing Game 2 in Boston.

Well, after tonight, let no one ever question their hearts again. With a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter of an elimination game, the Pistons proved to everyone just how much heart they have.

None.

Damn you.

Boston 106, Detroit 102; Eastern Finals, 2-3

No, I'm not going to rant and rave. I've done enough finger pointing and accusing and blaming for the Pistons' failures. There's no point in doing it anymore. I've run out of anger when it comes to the Pistons. I tried to avoid them tonight. I tried my goddamndest. With the Red Wings getting outhustled in Pittsburgh, I stuck with them, desperately trying to avoid the game in Boston. I settled for watching Hal Gill literally throw Tomas Holmstrom into the net and not get called for a penalty.

And still, the urge to check the Pistons was too much, so I flipped it. And what did I see?

Boston 84, Detroit 67.

I scoffed, and turned it back to the final minutes of the Red Wings' loss. I stuck around NBC for postgame hockey crap, while periodically checking the Pistons' score, because they're like fucking crack cocaine. They're so addictive, but in the end, they'll kill you. And everytime I turned it back to check, the deficit was smaller, until finally I couldn't look away any longer. Those goddamn bastards had lured me in again, and I wanted desperately to believe. A 17 point lead was down to 102-101.

And in the end, Chauncey missed a shot, Rasheed missed a shot, and the Pistons lost, again.

Damn you. Damn you for not being blown out. Damn you for luring me back in with a spirited comeback and then not finishing the job. Damn you for pushing me to the point where I don't have any anger left inside.

Do the honorable thing, Pistons. Roll over and die in Game 6 on your homecourt. Throughout this magical run of 6 straight conference finals, the elimination game has never occurred at the Palace. In 03 it was in New Jersey. In 05, San Antonio. In 06, Miami and in 07, Cleveland. Let this era of Detroit basketball be laid to rest where it began, in Auburn Hills. Don't you dare lure me back in by winning Game 6. Don't you dare try it. Fuck you if you win Game 6 and then lose Game 7. I despise you for what you've done; if you're going to lose, lose. Don't make an art out of it.

I feel bad for guys like Antonio McDyess and Rodney Stuckey. McDyess is doing everything he can to pull the rest of the starters through the malaise. He's trying to pull Tayshaun through even though Tay's legs are shot and he's out of gas. He's trying to pull Chauncey through even though his hamstring is injured. He's trying to pull Rasheed through even though the dude's mind is fried and he got another technical tonight. And Stuckey's too young to be fazed by the malaise. He doesn't know that a prerequisite for being a Piston is showing up 50% of the time and then desperately making a valiant comeback to tease the fans.

I've got nothing left. I've tried everything. I tried to believe this year was different. I tried to distance myself from them to avoid the heartbreak that was delivered tonight. I don't know what else there is for me to do. I've got no energy left. No energy to call out any of the coaches or any of the players. After yet another Pistons debacle, and they come in all shapes and sizes, I've got nothing left in the tank, and nowhere left to hide because of the Cup Finals being off until Saturday now.

Maybe I'll read a book Friday night or something.

Gods and Ghosts.

Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 0; Stanley Cup Finals, 2-0

The Gods. For the second straight game, the "21st Century Edmonton Oilers" had no answers. The New Gretzky and his sidekick Evgeni Sulken haven't disappeared during the Stanley Cup Final. They've been swallowed up and thrown into the wood chipper by the Big Red Machine. If you recall, I said before the series started that the Wings would win, possibly in five and perhaps in seven. I may not have given my Red Wings enough credit. Two smothering games and 7-0 later, the Wings are halfway to the Cup, and based on these first two games, I find it hard to believe a change of venue is going to cure all that ails Pittsburgh. They ARE 8-0 at home in the playoffs, and they have won something like 16 straight at the Igloo dating back to the regular season, and god knows they could be in for a slew of power plays after their coach Michelle (yes, I spelt it that way on purpose) Therrien spent the entire postgame press conference whining like a sniveling crybaby about the Red Wings getting away with all kinds of obstruction. Hey, Michelle, take off your dress, and talk about what adjustments you can make to solve your team's offensive ineptitude. Find a way to cure Evgeni Sulken's sudden allergy to the puck. Oh, wait, I forgot, you already tried mixing things up, and the end result was Gary Roberts resorting to thuggery by taking a shot at Johan Franzen's head and Ryan Malone smashing Henrik Zetterberg into the boards well after the whistle. As it was going on, I wondered aloud how the Penguins could lose their composure so badly, but when I saw the postgame presser and realized what a bitch their coach is, it made sense. Start booking your tee times, Michelle. Or should I say, tea time?

Detroit 94, Boston 75; Eastern Finals 2-2

The Ghosts. What I'm about to say will be viewed as excessively pessimistic (also known as my modus operandi), and no one hopes I'm wrong more than me, but here goes:

What happened at the Palace Monday night was a complete mirage.

Make no mistake, the Pistons thoroughly outplayed the Celtics in Game 4. They went on a run late to make the final margin 19, but it should've been that big for the entire game. Yes, the Pistons were more physical than even their usual style of play dictates, but many of the fouls the refs were calling were just atrocious. Boston fans say it was the refs finally cracking down on all the hand checking the Pistons were doing, Detroit fans say it was the refs looking out for the NBA's golden boys, making ticky tack fouls to keep them in it. I'm not crying conspiracy; I'm not. But a lot of the fouls were lame, and I'm glad the Pistons revved it at the end to make the final score indicative of the thorough beating they laid on the Celtics.

Now, with that said, I'll repeat myself - it was a mirage.

I've grown weary of the dog and pony show these Pistons put on each night. This whole "flipping the switch" thing makes me sick. It seems obvious now that they do not have what it takes to win the NBA title. One night they're making crisp passes and running a fluid offense at one end and constantly harassing the ball and blocking passing lanes with swarming defense at the other, and the next night the offense is offensively stale, a lot of iso dribbling and jump shooting to go with lackluster, gutless matador defense that escorts opposing players to the rim for dunks and layups. This is the Eastern Conference Finals, people. If they haven't "flipped the switch" to the "on" position permanently by now, it's not going to happen. You want to look at Game 4 as a turning point, and you want to believe the same fiery Pistons that stole Game 2 in Boston will do the same in Game 5, but it ain't gonna happen. This is the most schitzophrenic team in any American sport going today, bar none, and that will never win a championship. Ever.

Antonio McDyess deserves a lot better than this. He's the only one you can point a finger at and say, "Look at that guy, he brings it every single night, leaving his heart on the floor." Yes, it's true, these Pistons fear no venue, there is no opposing crowd that can rattle them, and certainly no imaginary faux Garden mystique that's going to magically carry the Celtics past the Pistons. But the fact is that for two of the four games in this series, 50 freaking percent, the Pistons have no showed it completely. Once is abominable enough, but to not show up ready to come out guns a'blazing in Game 3 with a frenzied Palace crowd two nights after you stole all the momentum...that told me all I needed to know about these Pistons.

DetNews's Rob Parker mentions in his latest column that the same scenario played out in the 2004 East Finals between the Pistons and Pacers, with each team winning on the other's court while splitting the first four games before the Pistons won Game 5 in Indianapolis 83-65 before winning the East at home in Game 6. Is it possible that the same thing could happen here? Sure. Am I hoping for it? You bet your ass I am. But what you call pessimism, I call realism, and realistically, what have the Pistons shown that makes anyone think they have what it takes mentally to win three straight against Boston? They haven't even put together back to back good games yet.

They had the Celtics right where they wanted them. 1-1, two games coming up at the Palace. They had them. And they let them off the hook. And it's going to spell doom for them.

Good Times, Bad Times.

Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 0; Stanley Cup Finals, 1-0

Boston 94, Detroit 80; Eastern Finals, 1-2

Not much to say, really. The Red Wings, despite getting hosed on another BS interference call on Holmstrom, curb stomped Pittsburgh in Game 1, while the Pistons performed another goddamn vanishing act. I hate to make it sound like I'm taking credit away from Boston...but the Pistons ghosted it in the first half, and it was plainly obvious, and there's no fucking excuse for it. Chauncey Billups, 1-6, 6 points, 4 assists. Tayshaun Prince, 2-11, 4 points. Rasheed Wallace, 12 points on 13 shots. As a team, 1-13 from three point range. Outrebounded 44-28. And yet I'm sure in the next two days we'll be treated to more "we'll be alright" and "ain't nobody here nervous" quotes.

Let me put it this way, in simple terms: I'm not angry about the Cup Finals and Eastern Finals being on at the same time for the next two games anymore. I'm happy. Because my decision of which team to watch was made infinitely easier tonight.

I am so tired of this.

Boston 88, Detroit 79; Eastern Finals, 0-1

You might as well disregard the last post, because the Pistons surrendered any pre-existing advantage they had tonight. That whole "rust" thing that I tried to downplay? The Celtics jumped out to an 8-0 lead. I find it amazing that the Pistons outrebounded Boston in terms of offensive boards, because I swear every time I saw the Pistons jack up shot (usually ill-advised), I saw not a single blue jersey trying to box out for positioning in case the shot missed, just 3-4 Boston players.

It gets really old seeing Rasheed not show up until the second quarter. It gets really old seeing Rasheed throw up garbage threes. My favorite part of tonight was when Rip stole the ball from Pierce in the corner and threw the ball down court - right into the hands of a Celtic. But then, the defense forced a stop, Chauncey got the ball, dribbled right down the floor and threw up a terrible three that had no chance.

It's time for Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace to man up. This is the Eastern Conference Finals for christ's sake. Chauncey looked terrible tonight - 3/6, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 turnovers - if he's still injured, it's his responsibility to tell the coaches and training staff he isn't good enough to go, but he's not going to do that, because no matter how much Detroit fans want to deny it, Chauncey Billups is one arrogant motherfucker. He was a ghost last year against Cleveland, and he was a ghost tonight in Game 1 in Boston. If he's on the court, he better damn well step his game up, because anything less is hurting this team's chances of advancing.

This isn't about any metaphorical "switch" that the Pistons flip on and off. This is about desire; fire in the belly. I thought they had gained some of that back in the final two games against Orlando, but it was completely absent tonight. Could that be attributed to the week off? Or Chauncey being injured or even rustier than the rest of the team? Maybe. I guess we'll see in Game 2. But this lackadaisical, ho-hum bullshit has got to stop. 15 assists is about TEN too few for a team that is based on being unselfish and making the extra pass.

We're going to learn a LOT about the 2008 Pistons Thursday night. I don't give a crap about Boston's road woes in the postseason. If the Pistons mail it in Thursday night figuring Boston sucks on the road and they'll just get those two back at the Palace, then fuck it, this team is dead. I want to see a hungry, desperate team on Thursday at the Garden. I want to see a team that actually backs up all the things they say to the media. Rasheed Wallace said that he realizes this could be the final run for these Pistons. Well Sheed, ACT LIKE IT. If you believe this is your final chance at a title, get down on the blocks and attack Kevin Garnett. Take control of this team by the throat. Instead of being stoic and yawning during timeouts, get in your teammates' faces. This team has ALWAYS gone as Rasheed goes. Well Roscoe, it's time to go to work.

These Pistons will not beat Boston if they lose Game 2. I don't care how Boston plays away from home, you're not going to beat them 4 times out of 5. It's time to finally see what kind of guts and heart they have. 3-6 shooting nights from Chauncey Billups are unacceptable. It's time for SOMEONE to grow a pair and call these players out. I don't care if it's Saunders, I don't care if it's Dumars, I don't care if it's HR Pufnstuf with Tedy Ruxpin. It's time to stop blowing smoke up the asses of these guys, and cuss them out, because they just had a week off and lost by 9 to a team that played a Game 7 on Sunday. If it takes Flip Saunders calling them a bunch of pussy ass bitches to piss them off and make them play angry and actually want it, so be it. They already hate Flip anyway; they don't respect him at all. (Note: I think we all know Flip is incapable of doing what I just suggested.)

The light went on for the Pistons at halftime of Game 4 in Philadelphia. Maybe it burned out during the week off, but they need to turn it back on immediately, because the Celtics aren't going to wait around.

Seven reasons the Pistons can beat Boston.

1. The backcourt. Rajon Rondo is inconsistent, and Ray Allen has been invisible. Is it possible that Rondo puts it together and Allen snaps out of his funk? Sure. But it's more likely that Rip Hamilton keeps up his hot streak from the end of the Orlando series and if Chauncey Billups is 100%, his defense should keep Rondo in check.

2. Detroit doesn't fear the Garden. These are still the same players that won Game 7 in Miami, won two of three games in Indiana in 2004, and won Game 6s on the road down 3-2 in New Jersey, San Antonio and Cleveland. The Celtics have been great at home obviously, but there's nothing the fans can do that will rattle the Pistons.

3. So far, Flip Saunders has sucked less. There was absolutely no excuse for Atlanta to push the Celtics to seven games. Doc Rivers' coaching on the road was atrocious. Putting Ray Allen on Joe Johnson was on par with Flip not doubling LeBron in Game 5 last season. His rotations have been horrible, and he has single handedly tried to destroy the confidence of his bench players. Flip made some mistakes in the first three games against Philadelphia, but since then has done everything right.

4. The Pistons are the underdog. I can't stress this enough. All season long, the Pistons have been playing second fiddle to the Celtics in the East. Ever since Garnett and Allen arrived in Boston, it's been assumed that the Celtics would meet the Pistons in the Eastern Finals and prevail. Now is the Pistons' chance to do what they do best - prove everyone wrong. There's no chance of them losing focus against the team that's been everyone's darling since last summer. That of course doesn't mean it's a lock for the Pistons to pull the upset, but if they lose, it isn't going to be because they got bored.

5. The week off matters. While the Celtics have spent the first two rounds facing Game Sevens, the Pistons have made relatively short work of the Sixers and Magic. The Philly series was more stressful than it should've been, but the Orlando series was a quick five. You could argue the week off could make the Pistons rusty, but I doubt it. If anything, the rust would last what, 5 or 6 minutes? After that rust is irrelevant. Meanwhile, the Celtics did not get any extra time off, and are coming off the emotional high of a Game 7. Will they be able to match the emotional intensity of the Pistons in Game 1 of the Conference Finals?

6. Rasheed. Will Boston put Garnett at risk by putting him on Rasheed? If not, does anyone really think Kendrick Perkins can successfully cover him? I don't know what goes on in Doc Rivers' head, but although the urge to put the Defensive Player on the Year on the Pistons' best post player is tempting, the possibility of KG expending too much energy on defense or getting into foul trouble will probably lead Doc to putting him on McDyess. The only player that can take Rasheed out of the game is Rasheed.

7. Desperation. The Pistons realize this could be the final hurrah for the core of Chauncey, Rip, Tayshaun and Rasheed. Age is going to start catching up to them, and they can't take anything for granted anymore. I could just be thinking wishfully, but I want to believe the mistakes and screwups from the past two years will be corrected this time around. The Pistons know what's at stake.

So, like I said, Pistons steal a game in Boston (you have to think it'll be tonight if ever), win both games at home, lose Game 5 at the Garden, and win the East at home in Game 6.

Here's to being right. Go Stones.

Maybe the third time's the charm.

In 2006, the Detroit Pistons, fueled by vengeance and the desire to atone for their Game 7 defeat in San Antonio that ended their run as NBA Champions, revved out to a 37-5 start under new coach Flip Saunders. They had maintained their championship level defense and implemented Flip Saunders' offense at the same time. They cooled off as the season progressed, but still finished 64-18 and were the favorites in everyone's mind to get back to the Finals and reclaim what was once theirs.

But behind the scenes, turmoil reigned supreme. Despite all the offensive flashiness, Ben Wallace, the face and heart of the franchise at that point, was being frozen out of the offensive gameplans. He, along with Rasheed Wallace, became very disenchanted with Saunders. The "team" that had won the Eastern Conference two years running was fractured. Combine that with Saunders' suspect rotations and running the starting five into the ground, and you had the ingredients for diaster. After winning the first two games, the Pistons were pushed to a unnecessary seventh and deciding game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. The Pistons prevailed in the 7th game, but the damage was done. Ben and Sheed were pissed off and Rip Hamilton's jump shot was barely reaching the rim because he was gassed. The Pistons were taken out by Miami in the Conference Finals, four games to two. The 95-78 loss in Game 6 in Miami would be the last time Ben Wallace ever wore a Pistons jersey.

In 2007, the Pistons were a question mark. Ben Wallace had signed with Chicago and nobody knew if Flip could keep the rest of the team together. Those questions were dealt away with, as the Pistons finished the regular season 53-29, again claiming the #1 seed in the East.

They swept the Magic in the first round with ease, and took the first three games from Ben Wallace's Bulls in the second. And then, much like what happened against Cleveland in round 2 in 2006, the Pistons lost their focus. The Bulls blew them off the court in Games 4 and 5, and led Game 6 at halftime. The Pistons buckled down and eventually won the game, but a disturbing trend was developing.

That trend returned in the Eastern Finals against the Cavaliers. The Pistons won the first two games at home, but their mental toughness was fading. In both Games 3 and 4 in Cleveland, the Pistons led after three quarters, and both times, they let it slip away and they returned to Detroit tied 2-2. It was that fateful Game 5 where it was obvious now that these Pistons weren't the same ones that won the East in 2004 and 2005. Flip Saunders had a ridiculous fear that if they paid too much attention to LeBron James, Cleveland's role players would beat them (to Flip's credit, this would happen in Game 6). So he gave orders to not double LeBron. The result? LeBron James scoring Cleveland's final 25 points and beating the Pistons single handedly 109-107 in double overtime. I skipped Game 6, I didn't need to watch; I knew the outcome. The Pistons were finished. Cleveland pounded them 91-78 in Game 6, and for the second year in a row, the Pistons' hubris led to the underdog celebrating the Eastern Conference Championship. And while all this was going on, the Pistons were once again fighting with each other as well as fighting the opponent. Chauncey and Rip were bickering. Rasheed was doing his usual thing of tuning in and out. Oh, and the dictionary definition of "loser" was in the starting lineup and playing little to no defense and yelling at coaches who tried to adjust what he was doing.

Fast forward to present day. It's May 19th, 2008. The Eastern Conference Finals are going to start tomorrow night. The Pistons are going to be there. For the sixth year in a row, the Pistons will battle for a spot in the NBA Finals. You can look back at what history says to try and predict how they'll do, but first, be very careful when looking at the 2003, 2004 and 2005 teams. Well, you can throw out 2003 altogether; that was a young, inexperienced, Rick Carlisle-coached team that went up against the defending Eastern Champion Nets and got swept. And while I will reference 2004 and 2005, it's more important to look at 2006 and 2007 to see where we're at now.

1. Flip Saunders is still the coach. This is debateable about whether or not that's a good thing. Flip made horrible, horrible decisions in the postseason in 2006 and 2007 that had direct impact on the Pistons hitting the golf course earlier than expected.

1a. Mental toughness and focus. It might be overblown, and it doesn't fall ALL on Flip's shoulders, but the focus and killer instinct of this team is a legitimate factor. In 2006 they took the pedal off the gas after going up 2-0 on Cleveland. The result: they fell behind 3-2, scrambled to win in 7 games, and had nothing left in the tank for the Miami series. In 2007 they went up 3-0 on Chicago only to lose the next two and scramble to win Game 6. In the next round, they went up 2-0 on Cleveland and took the pedal off the gas. This time it finished them, as LeBron went crazy. This year they weren't even ready to play from the start. They completely blew Game 1 to Philadelphia and got blown out in Game 3. Since that point, they are 7-1, including some serious gutchecks. What do I mean by "gutcheck"? Being down by 10 at halftime of Game 4 of a series you trail 2-1, only to go gang busters in the second half, win by 9, and win the next two by 18 and 23 to clinch the series. Or how about watching a 10 point halftime lead of Game 2 against Orlando evaporate under the firestorm of seven straight Magic triples in the 3rd quarter, only to persevere in the 4th? Or losing Game 3 of that series by 25 while your point guard suffers an injury that would sideline him for the rest of the series, only to bounce back in Game 4, erase a 15 point 3rd quarter deficit, hit a clutch shot in the dying seconds and play some serious defense to win by one on the road? Or rallying in the 4th quarter of Game 5 and having your best defender seal the series with a signature block in the final minute to earn a week off before the Conference Finals?

I'm here to tell you now: Since halftime ended in Game 4 in Philadelphia, these Pistons have been absolutely perfect. And I mean everyone, including the coach whose name is the subject of a category on this blog associated with failure. In Chauncey's absence against Orlando, Flip pushed all the right buttons with Stuckey and Lindsey. Rip and Tayshaun carried this team past the Magic with Chauncey on the sidelines. And look the result. Instead of scrambling to beat the Cavs in 7 after leading 2-0 or scrambling to beat the Bulls in 6 after leading 3-0, the Pistons haven't played in almost seven days, while God's Gift to Basketball, the Boston Celtics, have been pushed to seven games by both of their opponents; they haven't won on the road yet.

Up to this point, things could not have gone better. The Pistons are the ones rested and ready to go, while Boston has no time to rest before the high pressure of the Conference Finals begins. And here is where I'll reference 2004 and 2005: in those years, the Pistons weren't the favorites. Indiana and Miami had homecourt, as opposed to the Pistons having it against Miami and Cleveland in 2006 and 2007. The Pistons were the underdog, and as cliche as it might be, these Pistons thrive when they're picked to lose. Sure, some doubt has crept into the minds of all the talking heads since the Pistons have for the most part breezed through the first two rounds while the Celtics are 8-6. But the fact remains: since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived in Boston, the Celtics have been the media darlings. They won 66 games, Garnett won Defensive Player of the Year, and ESPN has run 1000 commercials with the Big Three the Big Two and Ray Allen. The national media is drooling at the thought of a Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals. I think Stuart Scott is stockpiling hand lotion for the event.

Simply put: The Pistons are viewed as just another speedbump in the Celtics' path to the championship. And everyone that wears or supports the red, white, and blue (Pistons' colors, not America) could not possibly love that anymore.

Atlanta didn't come close to winning in Boston. Cleveland came close to winning in Boston three times. Detroit is substantially better than both of those teams. If the Celtics don't wake up on the road, if Ray Allen doesn't wake up period, if Doc Rivers does his best to suck harder than Flip Saunders, the Pistons are going to win this thing, and for the first time in forever, I'm optimistic.

Pistons steal one in Boston (I'm guessing Game 1), they win Games 3 and 4 in Detroit, Boston wins Game 5 back home, and the Pistons win the East by winning Game 6 at home.

Either later today or tomorrow (before Game 1) I'll do more of an analytical viewpoint that supports my prediction. Go Pistons.

(Oh, and I'll probably have something to say after Game 6 in Dallas tonight. I just hope it doesn't go under the "debacles" or "rants" categories. Hell, I might have to create a new category if the Wings lose. Jesus.)

Fight or Flight.

In 1915, Walter Cannon coined the term "fight or flight" to describe the reaction of an animal's nervous system to a threat to prepare the animal to either attack the threat or flee from it.

In less than two hours, we will see what fight or flight response these Detroit Pistons have. Is there too much damage to be repaired? Has their current coach ruined things so much that the focus and willpower that the team once possessed has deteriorated to the point of no return?

Or is there another level left? Can these Pistons summon up the intestinal fortitude to fight off a crippling 3-1 deficit? Can Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace shut up for once in their lives and just play basketball? Instead of posturing and spreading false hope in the newspapers, can the two richest players on this team earn that money? Chauncey Billups disappeared against Cleveland last year, and has not returned yet. Can the Chauncey Billups that scored 40 and 37 against Orlando in Games 6 and 7 in 2003 return? Is he still in there? Or has the ego smothered him beyond all repair? All of these players were so much better with a chip on their shoulders. Chauncey was better when he didn't have an NBA Finals MVP trophy on his mantle. When the world saw him as the lottery pick that played for six teams in six years, he proved the world wrong. And now that he is seen as one of the better point guards in the league, he has let up, his determination waning.

Rasheed Wallace was better when he was still seen as a malcontent, as a cancer. When Larry Brown harnessed the inferno that is Rasheed, he excelled, putting the Pistons over the top and delivering the final piece of a championship team. And now that his title has changed from "team killer" to "team leader", his focus fades in and out more than ever. His disappearing acts come at all the wrong times.

Is there anything left? Does this team have what it takes to rally together one last time? Or are they so blinded by the sense of entitlement? They feel it is their god given right to duel with the Celtics to the end, to see who is the Beast of the East. And yet here they sit, one loss away from a 3-1 deficit. This 3-1 hole wouldn't be the same as the one they faced against Orlando in 2003 when they had a starting five of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Clifford Robinson and Michael Curry. That team was still learning how to win, how to face adversity. This team has faced it all, and because of that, they've gotten bored with it. They still believe they can flip the switch and dispose of Philadelphia with a sweep of their hand. What is it going to take for them to realize that it doesn't work that way? What has to happen for them to see that talent isn't everything, that it's about heart and hustle, too?

It breaks my heart that we could possibly be witnessing the final days of this Pistons team. I don't know what goes on in Joe D's head, so I don't know what he's thinking as he watches this series. Does he think a change in leadership is what's required to right the ship? If so, Flip Saunders will be gone very soon, and that's all kinds of good. But is it possible that Dumars sees this as the end of the line for these Pistons? If so, there's some brutal decisions to make in the offseason. Do you dare break up the team that has been the benchmark in the Eastern Conference for five years running? Or do you view it as the team that has underachieved for two years straight, possibly going on three?

I don't envy Joe Dumars. If the Pistons' fate is to fold against Philly, then something will change. Coach, players, who knows? I have my own mad scientist masterplan for the Pistons if Joe D does decide to blow it up after the season, but I'll save those thoughts for a more appropriate time.

Until then, it's time to see if these Pistons have any fire left.

Fight or flight. It starts tonight.

Attention, Detroit Pistons.

Philadelphia 95, Detroit 75; Eastern Quarters, 1-2

It's your legacy on the line. For the first time, I saw something from the Pistons tonight that I never thought I'd see. I've appallingly grown used to seeing them lose interest in games, disrespect their opponents and get outhustled. But I never thought I'd see what I saw tonight.

I saw them roll over and die.

Someone please alert Chauncey Billups that the playoffs have started. I'm sick of them acting like they're God's gift to basketball. Newsflash, Pistons: You are not nearly as amazing as you guys think you are. Nobody gives a shit that you won 59 games. What matters now is that you've blown one game and gotten blown out in another. Have you no fucking pride?

That's a laughable question, actually. The Pistons have plenty of pride. Plenty of ego, anyway. So goddamn cocky. Billups said Game 2 wasn't a must win. Good thing, because he hasn't shown up yet. Game 3 tonight: 2-11, 11 points, 7 of them at the free throw line. Rasheed Wallace, 1-6, 2 points.

I've invested enough emotion in this team. If they're going to posture in the newspapers and then mail it in on the court and get run out of the gym by the 7 seed, then I'm going to quickly lose interest. Before the game, ESPN showed the monkey that plays the Pistons' coach giving his pregame speech. Awe inspiring stuff, really. I think maybe one player was paying attention to that doorknob. I'm beating a dead horse here, but Larry Brown was never ignored by these players. They respected him, they followed his lead, they fought their asses off for him. For Flip Saunders, there is no emotion from this team, no fire, no nothing. Just a bunch of egos and hubris. Instead of being treated to an awesome 7-game war between Boston and Detroit, we're halfway toward the Pistons' most spectacular flameout yet. I suppose I could say there is solace to be taken in the fact that if said flameout occurs, the chances of Flop Saunders returning are about the same as the chances of the Boren family being invited to Schembechler Hall for dinner.

I'm also beginning to wonder though, what coach is out there that can reign the raging egos in? It's sad to say, Dumars may need to consider blowing this thing up. I'm not sure we're at that point yet, but the arrogance of these players is out of control, and unless the perfect coach comes along, there won't be another alternative.

I miss the days in 2004 and 2005 when I could stay up until 4 or 5 AM and sit on my porch enjoying the warm spring mornings while the sun came up, waiting for the Free Press to be delivered so I could read about the Pistons scrapping out another playoff victory. I miss the days of 69-65 wins over the Pacers to reach the NBA Finals. I was never prouder to be a Pistons fan than I was when they won Game 7 in Miami in 2005.

And right now, I couldn't be more ashamed. I could never be more ashamed than to admit I'm a fan of a team that quit in a postseason game; a fan of a team that got pounded into submission, and then rolled over.

That's the Way.

Detroit 105, Philadelphia 88; Eastern Quarters tied, 1-1

Detroit 19, Texas 6; 9-13, 4th place; 7-3 in last 10

Is it over? No. Will it be? Yes.

Philadelphia 90, Detroit 86; Eastern Quarterfinals, 0-1

Flip Saunders sucks. He sucks hard. He sucks harder than many females who choose to make money in the adult industry. That would be fine, if Flip Saunders wasn't being paid NOT to suck.

This is probably a kneejerk reaction; god knows I'm still really pissed. But in watching the Pistons shit away a 15 point 3rd quarter lead and losing their 5th playoff game in a row, I learned something.

This "team" is gutless.

They might man up and win this playoff series, maybe even the next. But when Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton are missing free throws in the 4th quarter, Tayshaun Prince is missing a wide open jumper to tie the game, and Rasheed Wallace blows what was essentially a layup to tie the game, that shows me that this team doesn't have that edge anymore. The balls to the wall, lay it all on the line mentality that won this same nucleus of players two Eastern Conference Championships and one NBA Championship is gone, and it didn't leave with Ben Wallace; it left with Larry Brown. It left with that homely looking old fellow who professed his love for his team in the heat of a timeout in Game 7 in Miami three years ago. Larry Brown's Pistons would never blow a 15 point lead in the 2nd half of a playoff game. Larry Brown's Pistons would never play the type of defense being shown in the above photo. Larry Brown's Pistons wouldn't get booed off the court at the Palace.

Flip Saunders, you're no Larry Brown. You're just a flop. You're Larry Coker. You were given the keys to the Ferrari by Daddy Dumars, and you're crashing it. Instead of cruising in the fast lane winking at chicks, you're bumbling around like the fuckup that you are. You've taken the team that lost the most gut-wrenching of games to New Jersey in triple overtime in 2004 only to rebound and win on the road in Game 6 and turned them into a pack of mutts. You've taken the team that won crucial Game 6s in Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Indiana, Indiana (again), Miami and San Antonio, and turned them into a team that got blown off the court in Game 6s in Miami and Cleveland.

Don't worry, it's not ALL on you. The players have whimpered like whipped dogs when faced with adversity now. The thing is, they didn't act like that until YOU got here. They were an actual TEAM when Larry Brown coached them. When Larry Brown coached them, they delivered one world title and two conference titles. What have you brought? A whimpy defensive mentality, a fractured locker room, and back to back playoff fold jobs that leave us with disgusting tastes in our mouths for the summer.

Is it over? No. Not yet. After all, it's only one game. They could come out and go gangbusters on Philadelphia in Game 2 and win by 30. They could still win the series.

Will it be? You betcha. The other shoe will drop eventually. If not against Philly, then against Toronto or Orlando. If not against them, then against Boston. Nothing has changed. Well, that's not entirely true. The "fatigue" excuse is gone. Good job, Flip. You did the right thing resting the starters down the stretch and infusing the young talent on the bench. But you didn't do jackshit for that whole "holier than thou" attitude that the players have. The attitude they developed after Larry Brown left.

LB's not coaching anywhere at the moment...is it too late to sack Flop and bring in LB for the postseason? Sort of like, a closer in baseball? Flop's got nothing left, where's the hook? Send in LB from the bullpen!

The Long and Winding Road.

June 23, 2005. There aren't really many moments in sports involving teams I favor that haunt me, anymore. Even unspeakable fiascos like Appalachian State don't haunt my nightmares. The last I'd say I still ponder on a regular basis is the 2006 Michigan/Ohio State game. Aside from that, the list is pretty short and exclusive: the 2005 Rose Bowl, AKA the Vince Young Show; Game 5 of both the 2002 and 2007 Western Conference Finals in the NHL, both 2-1 losses for the Red Wings to Colorado and Anaheim, respectively (the Wings won the former series, but that individual game persists nonetheless).

And then there's June 23rd of 2005. That was the date of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I could say Game 5 haunts me too, since it does to an extent, but Game 7 in 2005 was the worst. The Pistons somehow found a way to bounce back from Robert Horry's body blow in Game 5 to win Game 6 in San Antonio. They even staked a 9-point lead in the 3rd quarter against the Spurs in the final game, before being tied headed to the 4th.

Everybody knows, of course, what happened after that. The Pistons ultimately lost Game 7 81-74 and relinquished their crown as NBA Champions to the Spurs. They came as close to repeating as champions without actually doing it. For the longest time, I blamed Larry Brown, who would be removed as coach soon after Game 7 ended in Texas. I rationalized it in my own mind that the storm Larry Brown had created with the constant rumors of him talking to other teams about job openings had finally caught up to the players, and the distraction had cost them immortality. Looking back, three years later, I know now that I was wrong. It wasn't Larry Brown's fault they lost the Finals; it was his fault they got there in the first place.

After the loss to the Spurs, the Pistons vowed to atone for the defeat. The championship belts Rasheed had made for them after winning it all in 2004 were gone, and they were determined to get them back. Under new coach Flip Saunders, they stampeded to a 37-5 start. They finished with a league-best 64-18 record; among those 64 wins being two triumphs over the Spurs. Headed into the playoffs, they were universally seen as the best team; no one saw any conceivable way any team could beat the Pistons four times.

But the cracks were already there; the team that had been buried in praise for being the ultimate "team" and doing things the right way was immeasurably fractured under their new coach. Ben Wallace, the leader and face of the franchise, had become a black hole in the Pistons' locker room, and the rest followed. That, combined with Saunders' running the starters into the ground equaled the Pistons losing focus, having to scramble to beat Cleveland in seven games and then getting almost effortlessly tossed aside by Miami in the Eastern Finals. Ben Wallace's final game for the Pistons ended in a blowout.
Ben Wallace left after the season, opting for the riches of Chicago over the loyalty in Detroit. In retrospect this was a brilliant move by Joe Dumars; Wallace is a shell of his formerly dominant self, and is a financial black hole in addition to being essentially useless on the court. Still, the Pistons did their best trying to fill the void, and in January 2007 they signed Chris Webber to join the starting lineup. Many saw it as a move comparable to when they acquired Rasheed Wallace for the stretch run in 2004. Things seemed to work though, as the Pistons appeared to pace themselves more, finishing at 53-29 and still getting the #1 seed in the East.

And still, Flip Saunders' influence on the team derailed them in the playoffs. The Pistons coasted to a 7-0 start to the postseason, sweeping Orlando and staking a 3-0 lead over Chicago. And just like in 2006, they lapsed mentally and let their foot off the gas. The Bulls beat them down in the next two games, and the Pistons had to scramble to finish them off. They did win Game 6 in Chicago to win the series, but the toughness and discipline the team exhibited over Larry Brown's two seasons was gone. If Larry Brown had been the coach, after losing Game 4 in Chicago, the Pistons would've punched the Bulls in the mouth and muscled up for some ugly 75-70 win in Game 5 and been done with it.

Almost predictably, the same thing happened in the Eastern Finals against Cleveland. After a pair of ulcer-causing victories in the first two games, the Pistons lapsed and never recovered. The infuriating tendency for these Pistons to just assume they'll win because they're better than the other team is unacceptable. The players should be held accountable for that to an extent, but this did not happen under Larry Brown; it popped up when Flip Saunders took the job. Things bottomed out in Game 5 back in Detroit; after losing both games in Cleveland, the Pistons were almost willing participants in the crowning of LeBron James. The Eastern Finals ended after that; Detroit never threatened Cleveland in Game 6, and for the second year in a row, they had to watch another team celebrate an Eastern Conference Championship at their expense.
In my opinion, this is Flip's final chance. This Pistons team is better than either team that went to the Finals. The starters are more focused than ever before, and more importantly, they're fresh and hungry. Flip did all the right things down the stretch this season, resting the starters while letting the bench gain valuable experience. This version is deeper, and hence, better. Only two things stand between the Pistons and the Finals: Boston, and Flip Saunders. If this team loses to any team in the East besides the Celtics, Flip Saunders should be fired the next day. The time for excuses are over, and I pray that Joe Dumars realizes this. The window for this nucleus of Pistons to win another NBA title is still open, but it is closing. They can't be put to waste because of some clown who doesn't know how to manage a playoff rotation and can't call good defensive sets. Guys like Jason Maxiell, Theo Ratliff, Lindsey Hunter, Jarvis Hayes, and the rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo deserve significant time in these playoffs. Maxiell brings an intensity to the court that no one else on the team can match. Ratliff and Hunter bring invaluable experience, especially on defense. Hayes and Stuckey are streaky, but extremely deadly when they're feeling it on offense.

If this team's fate is to lose a Game 7 in Boston after a war of a series, so be it. I'll grudgingly accept that. But if they lose in the second round because they lost focus against a team like Orlando or Toronto, or they lose to the Celtics in 6 because they let their foot off the gas, that should be strike three on Flip, and he should be drop kicked out of here. I hate sounding like that, because it's so arrogant, and I sincerely hope the actual players don't have the same sense of entitlement. But it's what I believe; there is not a single team in the East aside from Boston that can hang with the Pistons, and even then, Pistons-Celtics should be a coinflip. If and when it comes down to that for the Eastern title, I love the Pistons' chances, because nobody else does. In the eyes of many, the Eastern playoffs are merely the Boston Invitational, just like the past two years were the Detroit Invitational. These players, especially the Fab Four that have been with this team since the start of their run, Chauncey, Rip, Tayshaun and Rasheed, are extremely prideful. They rise to the occasion when everyone expects them to lose. In 2004, New Jersey and Indiana were too tough. In 2005, the Heat was too explosive. The Pistons handled those teams. It's time for them to take care of business again. It's time for Detroit Basketball to return.
It's time to raise hell, Detroit.

While we're on the topic of local teams crumbling

The NBA and NHL playoffs loom, and apparently Detroit has good teams in these sports. I say apparently, because for the past couple years it seems like both the Red Wings and Pistons have left their fans with very "WTF" feelings headed into the summer. The Red Wings led Anaheim in the Western Conference Finals 2-1 last year, and failed to capitalize on Chris Pronger's suspension. Even in Game 5, they were about a minute from winning before Hasek finally succumbed to the Ducks' barrage; Anaheim then won in OT, and took the Wings out in Game 6. The Pistons steamrolled Orlando and held off Chicago in the first two rounds and put the James Gang down 2-0 before Flip Saunders decided to mess everything up, culminating with his patented matador defense in Game 5. I didn't even watch Game 6 after Cleveland won Game 5 at the Palace; the Pistons were beaten.

All that a year after the Red Wings were ambushed by Edmonton in the first round and the Pistons burned out in the playoffs as Pat Riley ran circles around Flip Saunders. In case you can't tell, Flip Saunders is not my favorite person in the world. I remember hating Larry Brown's guts after 2005. I rationalized it in my own head that the Pistons would've beaten the Spurs in Game 7 if the Larry Brown soap opera hadn't distracted them. I know now that's not true. Larry Brown is/was the basketball equivalent of a whore, constantly flirting with everyone else, even in front of his current date. But at the end of the night, he always went home with the Pistons. He loved his players, and they loved him. They went to war for that sad old man and came as close to winning back-to-back titles as you can without actually doing it. At the time though, I was so happy to see him go. I was sick of his disloyalty. Nobody was giddier than me when Flip Saunders came in and the Pistons started 2005-2006 37-5.

And then they stalled a bit, and Ben Wallace flipped out (see what I did there?), Rasheed tuned out, and the Pistons flamed out. Nothing was sadder than seeing Ben Wallace leave the arena in Miami wearing his Pistons jersey for what would turn out to be the final time. I've got no love for Ben Wallace, really. He did what every other greedy athlete did and he took the money instead of staying with the team that made him. Notice how nothing good has happened for him since he left. His most famous moment in Chicago is having the fans turn on him because he wined and dined with the Pistons before the series started last year. The Bulls traded him to Cleveland, and he's been plagued with back injuries since; he had to be helped off the court last week in Detroit as the Pistons flexed their muscles and slapped the Cavaliers silly.

I'm probably taking it for granted, but I've grown used to the Red Wings and Pistons dazzling us with their awesome regular seasons. I'm ready for them to shine in the spring again. I guess I'm spoiled. The Pistons' last title was 2004, the Wings' 2002. And yet it seems like it's been forever. The cinderella run by the Tigers in 2006 came up just short, and Michigan's football team...well, yeah. I genuinely believe both the Red Wings and Pistons are completely capable of winning it all in June of 2008. So what's holding them back?

Toughness. This is more of a bugaboo for the Wings. The trademark of their championship teams in 1997 and 1998 (and to a lesser extent 2002, that team was more loaded than maybe any other team in history) was their grittiness. Guys like Brendan Shanahan, Joey Kocur, the Grind Line. Don't get me wrong, I like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and they did play well in the playoffs last year, but they have yet to prove that they're able to grind with the best of them in the postseason. The Red Wings constantly outshoot their opponents something crazy like 45-20. And what do they have to show for it? They try to be too pretty in the playoffs, they don't do the little things, they don't show enough hustle. It doesn't help that neither Hasek nor Osgood is really elite anymore. Now, with all that said...the surprising run to the WCF last year and the continued success this year (aside from an abysmal February) has me cautiously optimistic. I'll admit I haven't watched the Wings as much as I would've liked this season, but I'll be damned if I miss a second of playoff action.

Flip Saunders. At the risk of sounding like a real jerk, in my opinion it was Flip Saunders that held the Pistons out of the finals in 2006 and 2007, not Dwyane Wade or LeBron James. Don't get me wrong, those two were amazing in the Eastern Finals those two years, but is there any doubt from anyone that a Larry Brown-coached defense would've done infinitely better in defending them? Would Larry Brown have been a mental midget in Game 5 against Cleveland? No, he would've done whatever was necessary to make sure LeBron either had to give the ball up, or had to shoot over two or three defenders. Instead, Flip chose to leave Tayshaun Prince alone on LBJ. The result? The media's stroking of "The King" increasing tenfold as Cleveland won the Eastern Conference Championship. So what's changed this year? Well, for one thing, Rasheed Wallace seems to be much more subdued and focused this year. It seems like the fire is back in his belly. Oh, and the team has gotten a very, very refreshing injection of youth, and Flip is actually embracing it. Maxiell burst onto the scene against Chicago in the Semis last year, and this year he's joined by rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo and veterans Juan Dixon, Lindsey Hunter and Theo Ratliff. Don't underestimate Hunter and Ratliff. They can provide very solid defense off the bench. Another factor that cannot be overlooked: Boston has the 1 seed and all the expectations. In 2004 and 2005, the Pistons entered the Eastern Finals underdogs to the Pacers and Heat, and ended up ousting both of those teams. In 05 and 06, the Pistons were the 1 seed and were expected by everyone to roll through the Heat and Cavaliers en route to the Finals. End result: shocking upsets! Now it's probably not entirely a coincidence that the wins came under Larry Brown and the losses came under the idiot, but it's no secret that guys like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace thrive when people say they're going to fail.

Also, the strategic advantage of being #2: If the Eastern Finals pit the Pistons against Boston, odds are the Celtics will have had to go through the Cavaliers. That's not to say a Pistons' potential second-round matchup against Orlando isn't challenging, but ousting "The King" is a much more taunting task than beating Superman.

I'll probably do individual previews for each league's playoffs when all the seedings and matchups are finalized, so keep an eye out for those.

Go teams!