Suddenly, there is a series.
As quickly as they rolled over in San Antonio, the Detroit Pistons have risen from the grave to knot their best of seven series at two. While it may surprise some that the Pistons have dominated the Spurs in consecutive contests, it should come as no surprise how the Pistons have executed their game plan.
Through the first three quarters of Game 3, the Pistons and Spurs tussled for position, neither being able to extend a comfortable cushion. The Spurs could not find a way to shut down the Pistons on the defensive side of the ball they way they could in the earlier contests. The Pistons, with the crowd rallying behind them and the momentum seemingly ready to burst, could not press their foot to the throats of the Western Conference champions.
Since then, Detroit has found the jugular.
Say what you want about Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal, but the league MVP could very easily be Ben Wallace. If for no other reason then Ben is still playing. Wallace won't give you the offense, but he will give you all the intangibles, along with being the heart and soul of a team that will live and die on the success of their defense.
The Pistons should consider themselves a rare breed in the sense that the better defense they play, the better their offense seems to function. No one player has leapt off the stat sheet offensively. A balanced attack with no legitimate threat beyond the three-point arc has been their calling card. However, after two games in Detroit, the defending champs have put up more points in a game than the Spurs had previously allowed to any Finals opponent, and have accomplished that feat in successive games.
The fact that the Pistons only turned the ball over four times in the span of 48 minutes has to be one of the most remarkable stats in playoff/Finals history, especially given the opponent. Taking that a step further, the Spurs had five turnovers in the less than the first six minutes of the game.
Larry Brown has for the most part stuck with the seven-man rotation, including Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter. McDyess has resembled the player that all NBA franchises wanted just a half a decade ago. Furthermore, who knew that Lindsey Hunter could still dunk a basketball? It's apparent that the crowd loves when the "Human Victory Cigar" (Darko Milicic) enters the contest, but seven men are all Larry Brown needs.
An All Points Bulletin has been issued for the whereabouts of Manu Ginoblli and Tony Parker. More so than any other player in the league, Tim Duncan relies on his supporting cast to supplant his consistently solid efforts. If Mr. Longoria cannot get to the basket, and Balki Bartakamous can't stay on the floor, this series is over.
It's clear at this stage that Brent Barry is no more than a second-rate role player, but his apparent lack of desire to do anything but spot up for an open three is a crucial determent to the Spurs' title hopes. Devin Brown may not be able to give the Spurs the perimeter threat posed by Barry, but he will make up for it with his hustle and defensive intensity. At this stage of the series, the Spurs would be better suited with Brown in the lineup and Barry on the bench.
Heading into Game 5, the D-Train must be favored. When it heads back to the lone-star state, this series is still a toss up. If the Spurs' defense can play the way it did for the first 11 quarters of this series, the title will be theirs. If Ben Wallace can repeat his dominating performances, the title will head back to Detroit.
Luckily for basketball fans, this almost three-month journey to crown a champion will be worth the wait.
Off the Court
On the heels of yet another professional sport/business locking out its athletes, it is impossible to let the commercial propaganda plaguing this Finals series go unnoticed. Whether it be the incessant caterwauling of Rob Thomas, or flip ads lining the table begging you to watch "Empire," the Finals have been boiled down to yet another disgusting display of American capitalism.
The Gatorade Cooler Talk, the Bud Light Starting Lineups, the Chevy Game Reset. What happened to just analyzing a game without the need to have it sponsored by Summer's Eve?
As the years go by, the Larry O'Brien trophy appears in more places than Carmen San Diego. It used to just be visible while being clenched in glee during a champagne laden post-game celebration. Now, its on the jerseys, the floor, the aforementioned flip table, as well as in inflatable form during pre-game introductions. When will the trophy be sponsored by Fred's Trophies and More?
Another sport will refuse to entertain you, the fan, while they squabble about how to spend your money. If advertisements begin to appear on jersey's or on the floor themselves, you the fan will not see one benefit except knowing where to purchase tires at a reasonable rate by looking at the back of Tony Massenburg's jersey. Ticket prices will not go down, you will still pay the same amount for fan gear, and rest assured, beer will remain at its astronomical price.
While the NBA boasts the excitement of the Phoenix Suns, the phenomenal talents of LeBron James, and the basketball fundamentals of the combatants appearing in the Finals, they want to shut it down.
I guess we'll always have the NFL...
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