Why Detroit will win

I’ll be the first to admit it’s a fearful forecast. I’ve been wrong before so it won’t be a total shock if the Detroit Pistons don’t win the National Basketball Association (NBA) title this season.

But I’m sticking to my prediction, shaky as it may be. Before the playoffs began, I stuck my neck out and picked the Pistons to go all the way. I said so here and in my spot in the Blog Squad section of the nba.com website.

A few readers phoned, texted and e-mailed saying they agreed. Some said I’m giving the Pistons too much credit or I’ve gone bananas or I’m biased against West teams. I’m just happy that fans are taking the trouble of sharing their opinions, one way or the other.

I chose Detroit because the Pistons are unforgiving in defense which, as you know, wins championships. In the regular season, Detroit and San Antonio were the league’s top defensive teams, holding opponents to an identical average of 84.26 points. The Pistons also limited opponents to .413 shooting from the field (second lowest, next to Houston’s .412) and a league-low .302 from three-point distance.

During a 10-day stretch last March, Detroit set a new NBA record by holding five straight opponents to less than 70 points. The previous mark since the shot clock was introduced in 1954 was two. In order, the five losers were Portland, Denver, Seattle, Chicago and Philadelphia. New Jersey would’ve been the sixth victim but Nets forward Aaron Williams sank a tip-in with 1.1 seconds left to escape the ignominy in the Pistons’ 89-71 victory.

Rasheed Wallace’s arrival is the reason why I’m upbeat about the Pistons’ chances. Detroit went 20-6 in the regular season since he joined from Portland via Atlanta last February. The Pistons’ defense got tighter because of the long-armed, 6-11 Wallace. After acquiring Rasheed, Detroit rolled to a 12-3 surge—–the same record it compiled after 15 games when the Pistons signed Mark Aguirre in 1989 and went on to clinch the title. With Rasheed in the lineup, Detroit walloped Indiana, 79-61, and New Jersey, 89-71. Without him, the Pistons lost three straight to the Pacers and two of three to the Nets. It’s no secret that for Detroit to make it to the Finals, the Pistons must overcome both the Nets and Pacers.

In the second round of the playoffs, the Pistons face the Nets. I’m assuming, of course, Detroit survives Milwaukee. The winner of the Pistons-Nets series goes up against the league’s No. 1 team Indiana—expected to steamroll the winner of the Miami-New Orleans series in the second round.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, in his fourth season at the helm, has built a team that’s raring to relive the Detroit title years of 1989 and 1990 when the Bad Boys reigned supreme. Dumars was part of the Bad Boys gang that made physical and hard-nosed defense its trademark.

It was Dumars who dismissed Rick Carlisle, despite leading Detroit to two straight 50-win records, and brought in Larry Brown from Philadelphia to sit on the Pistons bench this season. He felt Brown, the US Olympic coach in Athens this August, had the experience Carlisle lacked to lead the team to the Finals.

The Wallace Boys—Rasheed and Ben—are a frightening combination on defense. Writer Sam Smith said they’ve made the Pistons "fearsome" at trapping, pressure defense and blocking shots.

Assistant coach Mike Woodson said, "Rasheed is the best big man I’ve seen in terms of defending pick-and-rolls and help-side defense—he’s great at trapping the ball to the point where you can’t get the ball across court where teams want to get the ball."

Four Pistons averaged in double figures in the regular season—Rip Hamilton (17.6), Chauncey Billups (16.9), Rasheed (16.0) and Tay Prince (10.3). Ben Wallace, Memo Okur and Mike James shot over nine a game.

Clearly, offense isn’t Detroit’s strong suit. The Pistons averaged only 90.1 points—24th in the league. It’s defense that makes Detroit click.

"Everybody feels like we have each other’s back," said the Pistons top perimeter defender Lindsey Hunter. "Ben and Rasheed aren’t worried about going to help because they know we’re going to peel back and pick up their man."

Brown’s cast is solid from top to bottom. James, like Hunter, is a defensive specialist. Corliss Williamson, once the league’s Sixth Man awardee, is a scorer and rugged enforcer. Elden Campbell is a 7-foot, 13-year veteran who’s as tough as nails. Darvin Ham is another enforcer in the Williamson mold.

Williamson was fined $5,000 for a flagrant foul 2 against Brad Miller in a Sacramento game last February. Brown himself was fined $7,500 for failing to leave the court without a fuss after his ejection in a Clippers game also last February. Those were tell-tale signs that the Bad Boys are back in Detroit.

The Pistons play Milwaukee in Game 4 of their first round playoff series this morning (Manila time). Detroit won Game 1 handily, 108-82, as three Pistons posted double-doubles, the first time the team accomplished the feat in the playoffs since 1991. The Bucks took Game 2, 92-88, to wrest the homecourt advantage but Detroit took it right back, 95-85, in Game 3. The Wallace Boys combined for 32 of the Pistons’ 52 rebounds (compared to Milwaukee’s 36) to key the Game 3 triumph.

It’ll be a hard climb to the top for the Pistons but if there’s a team that’s ready to go all the way, it’s Detroit. Dumars has assembled a unit that’s intimidating, physical and determined. Now, it’s up to Brown to get the job done.

Postscript: Contrary to newspaper reports (not The Star), Noli Locsin has not been released by Sta. Lucia Realty in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Coach Alfrancis Chua said Locsin in the reserve–not the injured–list so it’s easier to reactivate him. A player in the injured list must sit out at least five games ...PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial disclosed that the recent provincial game pitting Barangay Ginebra and Alaska in Puerto Princesa was another out-of-town sellout with ticket sales amounting to over P1.3 Million. Alaska star John Arigo’s uncle Bishop Pedro Arigo of Palawan was in the crowd. Doctors attending a national orthopaedic convention took a break from their sessions and watched the game. Mayor Edward Hagedorn had the airconditioning in the state-of-the-art coliseum running for three days before the game to make sure of the coolness in anticipation of the huge turnout. "Coach Tim (Cone) told me the conditions were better than in Manila because his team practiced with the air-conditioning on," said PBA commissioner Noli Eala. Ticket sales for provincial games continue to reflect a trend of million-peso gates, justifying Eala’s approach to reach out to the countryside. The inauguration of a Metro Manila city-based junior league has also boosted the interest in the league at the grassroots level. The charts show marked hefty increases in attendance, TV ratings and gate receipts since the start of the Fiesta Conference.