NBA Finals Preview and Prediction
It is often said that defending a championship is one of the hardest things to do in professional sports. Therefore, we give proper kudos to the Detroit Pistons for returning to the NBA Finals, after a gutsy run through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Pistons had to slug thru several difficult series under constant media speculation about the fate of their wanderlust-suffering coach. They are professionals (except when Rasheed Wallace loses his mind, God bless him) and, in the words of their coach, “they play the game the right way.” With that said, we think the Spurs will beat the Pistons in five games, rolling to their third championship in the past seven years.
Many tout the Spurs as the most boring team in basketball. And, there can be a solid case made that future first-ballot hall of famer Tim Duncan is the basketball equivalent of Pete Sampras – you’ll be amazed by his greatness if he doesn't bore you to death. Night in and night out, Duncan laces them up and goes out and does whatever it takes to win. He may lack charisma and a colorful public persona, but nobody can deny Duncan’s overall excellence and leadership. He may not be the best at specific areas of his position (Grateful Red Bill Walton passed better, Moses Malone banged the boards more effectively, etc), but he is arguably the most well-rounded power forward in the history of the league. He does it all and does it well. He stands on the verge of winning his third title in his first eight years in the Association. That would put him in the same league as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Enough said.
And while the Spurs are led by Duncan, they are not a one-man show. Tony Parker controls the pace of his team’s offense much the way Isiah Thomas did in the 80’s for the Pistons. Manu Ginobli, although a bit of a flopper, plays his heart out – diving for loose balls, defending his man tightly the entire game and driving amongst the trees in the paint with blatant disregard for his body. Bruce Bowen defends harder (and more obnoxiously) than anyone in the league, and the acquisition of Nazr Mohammed from the Knicks (we never said Isiah could run a team from behind a desk) gave the Spurs another inside presence they desperately needed to make a deep run against Ben Wallace and his Pistons or Shaq and his Heat.
Meanwhile, the Pistons enter the Finals having barely escaped the wrath of Superman and Flash, and to be quite honest, had Dwyane Wade been near the top of his game in game seven, the Alamo City would be preparing for a visit from The Big Aristotle. The Pistons’ last victory came after narrowly escaping the wrath of the aging Reggie Miller. They have a formidable starting five, but once Larry Brown goes to his bench, the herd thins quickly. And, in the (updated) words of Rick Pitino, “Isiah Thomas isn’t coming thru that door. Joe Dumars isn’t coming thru that door.”
Experts will tell you, with regard to almost every team sport, that defense wins championships. And these two teams are undoubtedly two of the best defensive teams since Thomas’ Pistons of the 80’s and 90’s, which featured the ruthless Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman. But the defenses may work to cancel each other out; so defense alone will not get the job done. The Pistons have one style. They like to control the ball and grind away at the other team on the defensive end. The Spurs, to the surprise of many and the consternation of three specific teams in the Western Conference – the Nuggets, Sonics and Suns – adapt easily to the style of their opponents, while still being able to play their game. They banged with Denver, went small against Seattle and ran Phoenix to death. So, while there are a bevy of All-NBA Defensive players in this series, don’t expect every game to be played in the 70’s. The Pistons will not be able to take the Spurs out of their game.
We expect the Spurs to handle Detroit rather easily. And for those who are expecting a thrilling seven game series, remember, there have only been three game sevens in the Finals over the past 26 years. So be prepared to begin the water cooler discussion sometime next week, “Are the Spurs now a dynasty?” (Of course, if the Pistons win their second consecutive title, there will be dynasty talk in the Motor City, as well)
And, if you do not agree with our analysis, two words: Robert Horry.
We wonder what are your predictions for the Finals? Get in now, because you can only say, “I told you so,” if you tell us so.
Enjoy the games.
