Write On Sports LLC - "The Pistons will win the NBA title" by Jake Lloyd

The Pistons will win the NBA title

2007-05-18 17:17:29 | By: Jake Lloyd

Read the headline. I'm not joking.

As long as Rasheed Wallace plays like he did Thursday night, he can do all the arm-flailing, feet-stamping, eyes-bulging complaining he wants.

The Pistons will still win.

Behind a 16-point, 13-rebound performance from Wallace, a 23-point gig from Richard Hamilton, a 21-point, seven-assist exhibition from Chauncy Billups and a 17-point, nine-rebound showing from Tayshaun Prince, the Detroit Pistons rolled to a 95-85 win over the Chicago Bulls in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Thursday.

Detroit won the series 4-2.

And you can expect the Pistons to win eight more games these playoffs, with the final W resulting in the franchise's fourth NBA championship.

Seriously.

Pundits can talk all they want about the Eastern Conference being the "Leastern Conference," about the East being the WNBA compared to the West. Go 'head. Keep the ball rolling.

But, um, which conference has won two of the last three titles? Yeah, that would be the (insert demeaning name).

As a whole, yes, the East is awful/terrible/pitiful/disgusting. Anyone who sat through/threw up during/held their nose during the New Jersey-Cleveland Brick Festival in Game 5 the other night (an 83-72 New Jersey victory in which the Nets scored six fourth-quarter points) knows what I'm talking about. But the Pistons are above and beyond the best team in the East.

And the best team -- when they feel like it -- in the NBA.

Thursday's win over the second-best team in the East -- the Bulls -- exemplified the Pistons' greatness.

For one, they have two unguardable players in Wallace and Prince. Wallace can shoot over anybody, whether it's a deadly 3-pointer from 25 feet or a midrange jumper, which he showed Thursday in sticking the dagger in the Bulls' heart. Prince, with his 83-foot arms, can shoot his little jump hook over any defender, except maybe Tim Duncan or Amare Stoudemire -- but if either of those players was assigned Prince, who would guard Wallace/Chris Webber/Antonio McDyess?

Wallace's free-throw line jumper and Prince's hook gave the Pistons an 85-73 lead with just over two minutes left Thursday, finishing the Bulls' season.

So with those two guys playing, the Pistons are pretty good. But wait, there's more...

How about the most consistent backcourt in basketball, including the most clutch outside shooter in all of the NBA?

I'm convinced -- you can't leave Billups open. He will killlll you. Especially when he is situated at the top of the key, he is the most lethal 3-pointer shooter in the game. Furthermore, because of his strength, he is a mismatch against almost any team. He can back down the opposing point guard on any possession, either creating a rather easy fadeaway for himself or drawing a double team (which usually opens up Wallace for a 3-pointer).

But Billups is not perfect -- at least not from the field. When he has a poor shooting night once in a black moon, like Thursday, when he shot just 3-for-12 from the field, he usually makes up for it at the free throw line. As in knocking down all 14 of his attempts from the stripe.

Billups is the leader, the assassin.

Hamilton is Mr. Consistent. While Wallace's offensive outbursts are here and there, Hamilton brings it every night. In every Pistons game, you can ink in two things -- Billups will hit a 3-pointer and Hamilton will curl around 15 screens to shoot midrange jumpers.

Which he makes at a pretty decent clip. On Thursday Hamilton shot 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line. Not too shabby. And, like Billups, he can create for himself whenever he needs to. He may stand just 6-foot-7 and weigh a lithe 193 pounds, but Hamilton can – deceptively-- shoot over anybody.

Yeah, his release is quicker than a cheetah on steroids.

That ability to create a decent shot is a trait of all of Detroit's starters -- even the hobbled Webber, wfeed his teammates. As Wallace said after the victory, the Pistons are at their best when they move the ball. But if, perchance, a player gets stuck with the ball and an expiring shot clock, there's no one guy -- no Steve Nash -- who rushes to get the pass. All the players have confidence in each other.

With such a five-pronged offensive attack, an experienced (and deep) bench and a defense that is as good as its collective effort (see Game 5 vs. Game 6: 108 vs. 85 points), the Pistons, when they exert themselves, are the best team in the NBA.

And I doubt there will be any more relaxing. At least not in the Finals. They might be able to get away with a one-game respite against either the Cavaliers or the Nets, but not against the dominant Western Conference.

When Wallace might even cut out the histrionics and just play ball.

OK, that's a stretch. But as long as he does the latter, the Pistons should be celebrating come mid-June.