Season Preview: Detroit Pistons

Continuing onwards, with this regularly updated preview of my own making. Listen to me if you want, don't read if you don't want, all in all, I probably have more fun writing these than you do reading them. Skeets probably has more legitimate information passing through if you're really scrapped for quality reading.

Detroit Pistons

Starting 5:
PG- Chauncey Billups
SG- Richard Hamilton
SF- Tayshaun Prince
PF- Antonio McDyess
C- Rasheed Wallace

Off the bench
Guards: Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Lindsey Hunter, Juan Dixon
Forwards: Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Walter Sharpe
Centers: Kwame Brown, Trent Plaisted

I don't know, maybe they'll give Fabio (Walter Hermann) some playing time. For those fantasy buffs out there, some people were hoping that Hermann would get more playing time after his performance in April in the 2006-2007 season. Granted it was garbage time for a floundering Bobcats season, granted that they played some pretty defensively weak teams (Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Raptors, Wizards, and an injury riddled, pre-Marion Heat), however, during the course of the month he averaged, 19.88 points, 5.55 rebounds, 0.88 assists, 1.11 steals, 0.22 blocks, and 2.77 treys per game, that's not a bad line. All of this on a 57% FG average, 52% 3pt FG average, and 85% FT average over the nine games of the month. I mean this guy played for the Argentinian national team, we know he can make shots. That being said, he saw nothing but the bench for the entire next season, especially with the development of Jason Maxiell, and the continued improvement of Amir Johnson, who I look for to get playing time. As much as I want to see Hermann get another 30 point, 9 rebound on 80% FG and 75% 3pt shooting, perhaps there's a reason he doesn't see much time on the court.

However, regardless of whether or not Fabio gets to wave his long, flowing hair around on the hardwood instead of on the bench, this club is fairly solid. They don't have a plethora of incredible talent, no one that puts up major All-Star type lines every night, but they have players that contribute in their own little way, and they have chemistry. Billups, Hamilton, and Prince have been together since the 2002-2003 season, Rasheed Wallace later joining for the 2003-2004 championship team, and then Antonio McDyess joining the squad later in 2004-2005. So, for the last four seasons the starting five have been playing together, four of them for four and a half seasons, three of them for six. That's a long time to be playing together. While they are getting older, they've still been the team to beat, having gone to the Eastern Conference Finals for the past 6 years. Joe Dumars has also been something of genius, developing young talent like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey while maintaining the core which has led to the team's success.

All in all I expect the same solid ball that I've seen out of this club for the past 4 years, and despite the coaching change, I don't really expect a Michael Curry to change too much of how the team functions (except maybe get rid of the absurd no double team defense Flip Saunders had). While they're getting older, like the Boston Big 3, they're not at a point where any of the players are going to feel the effects of that age, maybe McDyess and Wallace (both 33), but I think Prince's development as an offensive threat can offset that. All in all this club is a perennial contender, they're just quiet about it.

I see another high 50s to 60 win season. Unless another fluke like Cleveland in 2007 happens again, I see them in the Eastern Conference Finals at the least. I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in the Finals either though.