Write On Sports LLC - "Mr. No Shot?" by Jake Lloyd

Mr. No Shot?

2007-05-30 12:24:58 | By: Jake Lloyd

Um, I'm looking for somebody.

Have you seen him? Yeah, the bald guy, with the No. 1 uniform.

No?? You haven’t?? Humpff.

Seriously. Just Monday night my man, Cosey, and I were in a heated debate about who the best point guard in the NBA is. I was vouching for Steve Nash. Cosey was calling Chauncey Billups No. 1.

Maybe not anymore. Just minutes after Billups committed a crucial turnover and took a bad 3-pointer in Detroit's 91-87 loss to Cleveland in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night, Cosey was in my ear, blaming the loss on his No. 1 point guard.

And rightfully so. Stomach this: Billups (23 points; 6-for-16 from the field, five turnovers) was outplayed by a rookie named Daniel Gibson (21 points; 4-for-7 from the field; four turnovers). Daniel who??

With Larry Hughes suffering from injury and not performing well when he can play (he made just one of six field goals Tuesday in 16 minutes), the onus has been placed on Gibson's small shoulders to do a serviceable job alongside a certain LeBron James, and he's done just dandy.

Billups, on the other hand, has taken several steps back this series. Throughout these playoffs, I've considered Billups the best dead-eye shooter in the league, which is why I was startled when he passed up an open 3-pointer in the final two minutes -- which would have cut Cleveland's lead to one -- before driving, getting caught aimlessly in the air, and finally tossing a pass right into the welcoming arms of Cleveland's Drew Gooden.

When Billups finally did shoot, it was a terrible decision. With the Pistons trailing by just three, Billups pulled up in the midst of a traffic jam of arms, hung in the air -- again! -- as if he was trying to draw a foul, and chucked up a low-percentage 3-pointer.

Clank. Cleveland rebounded. Then Cleveland offensive-rebounded... and Detroit had to foul.

And with James making his free throws (he was 8-for-9 Tuesday, including the two clinchers with 4 seconds left), this series is tied at two games apiece heading back to Detroit for Game 5 Thursday.

Hopefully, Billups will at least make a cameo appearance.

He's almost regressed more this series than Michael Vick's reputation this off-season. What had made Billups such an effective leader for the Pistons -- his great decision-making -- has been lacking.

Cleveland deserves some of the credit for focusing much attention on Billups whenever he drives toward the basket. This was very evident on the Pistons' second-to-last possession, when they trailed by four and needed a quick basket. Billups dribbled through traffic for nearly 10 seconds, stopped his dribble in the middle of the lane, then finally found Antonio McDyess with a behind-the-back pass.

Detroit scored when James accidentally tipped in McDyess' miss, but the seconds Billups had killed, killed the Pistons.

PLENTY OF TIME FOR REDEMPTION
Still, as hard as it is to believe, the Pistons retain homecourt advantage in this series as it shifts back to Auburn Hills knotted at two. Despite being outplayed in all four games, Detroit still has to be considered the favorite to advance to the NBA Finals.

But not if Billups continues his dismal play.

Rasheed Wallace may be the Pistons' fiery, enthusiastic, technical-gobbling-up leader, but Billups is their cool, calm and collected man on the hardwood. He's the player who makes all the plays when the most is on the line.

He failed to do this the past two games. Maybe now that even more rests on each game, he'll become Mr. Big Shot again.

If not, Detroit will have more to worry about than the late-game pyrotechnics caused by James.

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