Detroit Pistons: Looking into The Crystal Ball

The Detroit Pistons, the number one seed in the Eastern Conference the last two years, came into the 2007-2008 not really knowing what to expect, but this team has just kept trucking along this season. It seems as though the Pistons have flown under the radar most of the season, and with their recent eight game winning streak they find themselves only three games back of the Boston Celtics for the Eastern Conference lead.

Though the Detroit Pistons have three all-stars this season in point guard Chauncey Billups, shooting guard Richard Hamilton, and recently named Rasheed Wallace, their stats are hardly overwhelming. Nevertheless this team consists of a solid core of talented veterans that compliment each other perfectly. The Pistons, this season, are once again the class of the National Basketball Association in defense surrendering only 89.3 points per game (ranked 2nd in the NBA - only 0.3 points behind guess who? the Celtics!). The only thing that concerns me with this team, at least this season, is that they have had a few fourth quarter letdowns. When the Pistons take the lead into the last stretch of the game, they should have the tools to put the game away.  Beyond this season and next season, the current core of veterans will be too old to keep the Pistons in position to contend for the NBA Championship in 2010 and beyond.

Outlook & Predictions:  I think the Pistons go 60-22 making them the Eastern Conference's #2 Seed.  Ultimately I think it will come down to the Detroit Pistons vs. the Boston Celtics and in a seven games series, if the Celtic's three superstars are healthy than the Pistons will be beat in the Eastern Conference finals.