Cross
02-10-2007, 07:30 PM
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – From the beginning of training camp in October, the Detroit Pistons have lived by a simple mantra: "Don't peak too soon."
The memory of a 64-win season gone awry in the playoffs was all too vivid for Chauncey Billups, Flip Saunders and the rest of the team. After winning 37 of their first 42 games, the Pistons soaked in all the 70-win talk that dominated the national media, but none of it mattered when Detroit faded badly in the postseason, almost losing to the Cavaliers in the second round before bowing out to Miami in the conference finals.
So in an almost a perverse way, Piston players have taken great joy in their slow march forward this season. Detroit has been content to hang around the leaders in the watered-down East, winning a game or two here, losing a few there and all the while waiting to turn it on later in the year.
But that laissez-faire attitude had Joe Dumars worried. The Pistons' general manager knew what a dangerous path that could be for his team, wondering if it would be able to kick into gear. So when Chris Webber became available as a free agent, Dumars figured adding the veteran big man would give Detroit the edge it needed. He was exactly right.
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As soon as Webber was signed after his release from Philadelphia, things changed for the Pistons. Webber was welcomed with open arms in his hometown, both by the fans and his teammates. He stepped into the starting lineup and became an immediate force, passing the ball beautifully and blending in well with one of the NBA's most unselfish teams. And Detroit – as a team – found a spark that it hasn't had all year. The renewed energy and commitment surfaced immediately, and since Webber became a starter, the Pistons have taken off, winning nine of 11 games.
Webber has been a perfect fit in Detroit for a number of reasons. First, he excels in Saunders' preferred style of play. The Pistons work at a slow tempo, executing in the half court offensively by taking care of the ball and running Saunders' many sets to perfection. They lead the NBA in fewest turnovers at 12 per game, which allows them to control the pace of the game.
Secondly, Webber is a brilliant passer out of the post, and Detroit has lacked a true post player for years. For most of the season, the Pistons have been at the bottom of the NBA in points in the paint, relying heavily on jump shots. Webber, at 33, isn't the offensive force he once was on the block, but he's still capable of being a threat in the lane. Saunders made a point of running plenty of plays through Webber right away, allowing C-Webb to get comfortable with finding Detroit's many offensive weapons.
Thirdly, Webber arrived with something to prove. Having been cast off as an overpaid malcontent by the 76ers and presumably ready for the NBA scrap heap, he was motivated to prove he could still play and to capture the championship that has eluded him. The Pistons have given him the opportunity to do both. He played 40 minutes Thursday night against the Lakers, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists as Detroit rolled to a 93-78 victory.
It appears that the Pistons are beginning to rev their engines. The fact that they're 10 games off of last season's pace doesn't mean anything to them. The only thing that matters is that they play their best ball come May and June. And with Miami and most of the Eastern Conference struggling, Detroit is poised to regain its claim as the best team in the East – especially now that Webber is in the fold.
Of course, the key is to not peak too soon, and with the playoffs still a couple of months away, the Pistons might want to slow down a little and maybe even lose a few games. With the way they're playing now, though, that's not going to be easy.
If you have time read this, not that bad of an article
The memory of a 64-win season gone awry in the playoffs was all too vivid for Chauncey Billups, Flip Saunders and the rest of the team. After winning 37 of their first 42 games, the Pistons soaked in all the 70-win talk that dominated the national media, but none of it mattered when Detroit faded badly in the postseason, almost losing to the Cavaliers in the second round before bowing out to Miami in the conference finals.
So in an almost a perverse way, Piston players have taken great joy in their slow march forward this season. Detroit has been content to hang around the leaders in the watered-down East, winning a game or two here, losing a few there and all the while waiting to turn it on later in the year.
But that laissez-faire attitude had Joe Dumars worried. The Pistons' general manager knew what a dangerous path that could be for his team, wondering if it would be able to kick into gear. So when Chris Webber became available as a free agent, Dumars figured adding the veteran big man would give Detroit the edge it needed. He was exactly right.
ADVERTISEMENT
As soon as Webber was signed after his release from Philadelphia, things changed for the Pistons. Webber was welcomed with open arms in his hometown, both by the fans and his teammates. He stepped into the starting lineup and became an immediate force, passing the ball beautifully and blending in well with one of the NBA's most unselfish teams. And Detroit – as a team – found a spark that it hasn't had all year. The renewed energy and commitment surfaced immediately, and since Webber became a starter, the Pistons have taken off, winning nine of 11 games.
Webber has been a perfect fit in Detroit for a number of reasons. First, he excels in Saunders' preferred style of play. The Pistons work at a slow tempo, executing in the half court offensively by taking care of the ball and running Saunders' many sets to perfection. They lead the NBA in fewest turnovers at 12 per game, which allows them to control the pace of the game.
Secondly, Webber is a brilliant passer out of the post, and Detroit has lacked a true post player for years. For most of the season, the Pistons have been at the bottom of the NBA in points in the paint, relying heavily on jump shots. Webber, at 33, isn't the offensive force he once was on the block, but he's still capable of being a threat in the lane. Saunders made a point of running plenty of plays through Webber right away, allowing C-Webb to get comfortable with finding Detroit's many offensive weapons.
Thirdly, Webber arrived with something to prove. Having been cast off as an overpaid malcontent by the 76ers and presumably ready for the NBA scrap heap, he was motivated to prove he could still play and to capture the championship that has eluded him. The Pistons have given him the opportunity to do both. He played 40 minutes Thursday night against the Lakers, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists as Detroit rolled to a 93-78 victory.
It appears that the Pistons are beginning to rev their engines. The fact that they're 10 games off of last season's pace doesn't mean anything to them. The only thing that matters is that they play their best ball come May and June. And with Miami and most of the Eastern Conference struggling, Detroit is poised to regain its claim as the best team in the East – especially now that Webber is in the fold.
Of course, the key is to not peak too soon, and with the playoffs still a couple of months away, the Pistons might want to slow down a little and maybe even lose a few games. With the way they're playing now, though, that's not going to be easy.
If you have time read this, not that bad of an article