Detroit to win the East

[Cie]

Larry Brown and his group handled Shaq last season. Shaq looked hobbled to me last night.

Prince and Hamilton will present bigtime probems for Miami. Detroit moves the ball better and they move without the ball better than Miami. Butler will have a hard time trying to check Prince. Eddie Jones will have to chase Hamilton all day long, thus Miami will likely lose out on his 13 pt/g contribution. Billups is thick enough to muscle inside and dish against the bigger Wade.

Of course, at 6'4" 215, with lightning quickness and explosiveness, Wade is a problem for every team he faces. And Shaq is an obvious force, but team play should prevail here.

Any thoughts???

Cie:weed:

 

[DIRTY Diapers]

agreed... Nice points. Also, I now think Wade is the most explosive player in the NBA, and that includes L. James.

 

[Scott4USC]

I really like the bet at first glance and thought about betting this as well but are couple things that bother me about Pistons.

Yes Pistons won the NBA Championship last year. But they beat a Laker squad who was a 2-man show. Heat are not a 2-man show. Remember, Lakers were without Malone (when he played he was like 60%), and the role players for lakers SUCKED. Shaq was overweight and would have 1 good game followed by bad game and would get tired late in game. Kobe was not shooting well whole series. Pistons had HUGE advantage at pg position where Lakers had NOBODY to stay in front of Billups. Lakers also had lack of inside presense. Miami doesn't! Plus Pistons had huge free throw disparity wheter it was due to bad officiating, bad/lazy laker defense or combination.

Pistons won't have those advantages against Heat.

Wade is great and currently playing great. Shaq is the huge question mark but he is in much better shape NOW than he was with Lakers. I gotta feeling Shaq is sleepwalking through these first 2 rounds of playoffs and will go all out in eastern finals. This is a player who needs to be motivated and will play hard only when he has too. This is how Shaq plays. He will coast as far he can. Now I know he is injured but something tells me he will be alright next round against Pistons. What I am saying is Shaq will coast by if he knows it won't effect the outcome. I think he knows Heat will win first 2 series regardless how well he plays.

Heat have role players who are athletic and role players who will MAKE open shots. Pistons didn't really play great defense against Lakers last year in finals. Lakers role players missed open shots all day long. Pistons played defense against Shaq but more specifiically KOBE. Maybe that was there gameplan. But I do know that the role players for Heat will make open shots.

I just don't think Pistons are as great as many think. They are good, maybe even great. But this Heat team reminds me a lot of Lakers except the role players are not old and they don't suck. Plus when detroit beat Lakers malone was out and detroit was not real dominating in the playoffs last year prior to finals. IMO, the jury is still out on how good these Pistons are. Beating the Heat with Shaq not playing like he is injured, would certainly impress me. Biggest question is whether Shaq really is injured or just doing enough to win.

Maybe you and many others think Lakers/Pistons series is irrelevant (prob. is) but I see a lot of similarities and advantages to HEAT and disadvantages to Pistons.

 

[Hoops]

Scott- You are severely underestimating how good Detroit was last year and how good they are this season.

This year's squad isn't as deep as last year's, but their starting five is the best all-around starting five in the league...by far.

 

[kegray1]

Can someone tell Rashweed it is still ok to post up every now and then.
Why do Rashweed and Webber think they are great jump shooters??
Weed is solid, but he is needed down low at times and he is nowhere to be found because he is outside the 3 line waiting for the ball.

 

[kegray1]

Way to finish strong tonite Pusstons

 

[pt1gard]

might be good wake up cal for LB and pistons ... i gotta think Deet wins one in Indy ... If we recall, Deet had hands full with Indy and nets LY ... Only rolled on disorganized Lakers with gunning Kobe ... Give credit to Indy, they are gritty and Foster & Reggie played great!

What do you guys think of games in INDY?

gl
gregg

 

[repoman]

This just may be a long series. Could be very helpful to Miami to give Shaq some rest.

 

[Jalen45]

det in 5.

they take 2 in INDIANA. pacers win one game, and now everyone is on their nuts like this is going to be a close series. bookmark this thread folks and comeback later on see how stupid your posts are about the heat and indy. hoops was the only person on here to make any sense. this detroit team is way better than it was last year. the heat will give them problems but if you dont think the experience of winning it all last year with the same better starting five as last year vs the young inexperienced heat is good enough, then you need to read up on basketball a little more. the pistons shot poorly in the second half tonight, you cant win every game, and i hope they arent expected too. watch this series go 5 games, and the pistons will be ready for the heat. i cant wait.

 

[Its Gravy]

D'oh...homerism...peter gammons? what huh

 

[soul train]

game 3 ,pistons -2.5 ,detroit should cover that with ease :grins: indy is entitled to 1 win

 

[Jalen45]

soul train youre right, they are.

detroit minus 2.5 looks too easy.

 

[soul train]

soul train youre right, they are.

detroit minus 2.5 looks too easy.

looks good jalen,pistons are strong,they will prevail

 

[Its Gravy]

-2.5 looks like bait and someone is biting the hook

 

[Jalen45]

its gravy.

lets go fishing and see what happens. you are honestly considering taking the pacers in game 3? or are you on a "no-play"? because detroit will win game 3, theres no question here. they will not play like they did in the 2nd half last night. not with larry brown coaching this team. you would be throwing money out the window if you are taking indiana with the points friday night. please dont embarress yourself on this message board by making such a stupid bet.

thanks

det in 5

 

[HPark1]

Detriot in 5 is silly. Indiana has a great chance to win this series. Tinsley is causing all sorts of problems with his penetration and if he could find his shooting touch (a miserable 4-19 from the field) it will cause further issues for the Pistons. Even with Tinsley's poor shooting and O'Neal missing several easy baskets inside Indiana still won by a comfortable margin at Detroit. If you look at last night's boxscore you can say Detriot played their usual game but it was nowhere good enough.

This one is headed for 7 games. Considering the odds betting Indiana for the series or in the individual games is the only way to go. Detriot being favoured in Indy is pure value. 22-19 road team vs. a 25-16 home team. Indiana is also on the rise now with everyone in decent health.

 

[DIRTY Diapers]

I agree that Detroit in 5 is silly. But you honestly cannont think the Pacers will in this series. I know this team more than anybody - Actually took the Pacers +9 and on the ML for a small wager last night.

Detroit dominated the first half then got bored. Pacers have too much heart not to be taken seriously, but they are overmatched talent wise w/o Artest. Foster (who I personally love) will not have a game like that the rest of the series. Tinsley - played well - but he is always inconsistent with his jump shot. Detroit will continue to leave him open.

Indiana is normally a good home team. But do you honestly think if the Celtics can win every game at Conseco - The Pistons wont. The Pistons will win definitely win one, maybe two at conseco.

Pistons will win in 6...

 

[Scott4USC]

This is an example why I don't think home court is an advantage (unless it goes 7 games). Who goes into a series hoping to win it in 7 games? You go into a series hoping to win it in 6 games or less.

Games 1 and 2 are sorta feel em out type games. Maybe pull few surprises and throw new stuff out. When series goes to games 3 & 4, there is less surprises. That is where the home team has the real advantage.

I think Pistons would have been MUCH better off if Indiana had home court advantage. Pistons certainly would have won at least 1 of the first 2 games @Indiana. Then they come home for games 3 & 4 where they can make the adjustments and have home court advantage.

If Pistons swept Indiana @IN in games 1 & 2, then they def. would close out series in a sweep. Indiana now has confidence and hope to hang or win this series because they coming back to Indiana. Be much different if they were coming to Detroit.

The better and more talented basketball team would have easier time winning games 3 & 4 at home vs winning games 1 & 2 at home. Just my opinion.

I think Detroit wins this series in 6 games because of the loss last night. Indiana will win 1 of there 2 home games.

Still not overly impressed with Detroit.

 

[Jalen45]

detroit had their struggles last year in the playoffs with the eastern conference and look where it landed them? the title.

what bothers me the most is that indiana wins one game and people act like they have a shot at this series. the better and more talented team will win and its hands down, hands down, the detroit pistons. home court will not matter in indiana. detroit is going to take 2 there and come home in 5 and win it.

"Tinsley is causing all sorts of problems with his penetration and if he could find his shooting touch (a miserable 4-19 from the field) it will cause further issues for the Pistons"
-hpark1

---so your saying the pistons were able to stop allen iversons penetration and BETTER shooting percentage, but tinsley is just going to be too much for them?? are you out of your mind? tayshuan prince and the 2 wallaces are going to have trouble with jamaal tinsley? come on man, get real.

jermaine oneal is the only player on indiana who is going to give them a chance offensively and defensively. he is a very good player.

can people just seriously stop saying indiana has a shot in this series because they won ONE game in detroit. the same bullshit happened against philly when the sixers won a game, everyone had hopes of maybe a 7 game series , and there was that one guy on here who kept betting sixers moneyline. i would love it if you guys put your money where your mouth is and bet the pacers to win this series or even bet with them for the rest of the way.

im disgusted how anyone can think they have a shot. morons.

 

[Cie]

im disgusted how anyone can think they have a shot. morons.

Dude-- Chill out. I agree with much of what you say, but you are starting to sound like Scott4USC. People are allowed their opinions, and my opinon is that Det wins this series in 5 or 6 before beating Miami in 5 or 6.

GL:weed: