Detroit Pistons Odds to Win the 2008 NBA Finals
The Detroit Pistons have been the most consistent team in the Eastern Conference over the last five seasons with a reserved spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. But in 2006 they were taken out by the Miami Heat and in 2007 they were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is Detroit’s run at the top on the decline or can the Pistons make another run at a title this season. Get Jimmy’s take right here as he weighs the 2008 Detroit Pistons odds to win the NBA Finals.
Why they’ll win it all:
The Detroit Pistons have been the best defensive team in the Eastern Conference in recent history and they are having another great season on the defensive end. They rank second in the NBA in points against, giving up just 90.4 ppg. They are third in the NBA in field goal percentage defense (44.0%), and second in three-point percentage defense (33.7%). There’s no question that it takes good defense to win championships. The Pistons are the most experienced playoff team in the Eastern Conference and that definitely plays to its advantage against some of the younger teams they’ll see in the early rounds. The Pistons also have very good balance. They are the NBA version of the Kansas Jayhawks if you will. Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Price, and Antonio McDyess make up one of the most complete starting lineups in the league. And Chauncey Billups gives the Pistons a go-to player in clutch situations who has proven himself time and time again in the postseason.
Why they won’t:
While the Pistons defensive numbers are still good, it is obvious that their interior defense is not what it was when big Ben Wallace was piling up Defensive Player of the Year awards. His presence was greatly missed in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals as Lebron James was able to get to the basket at will. The Pistons haven’t been as good offensively as they have been in the past. They rank 17th in the league in points per game and just 13th in field goal percentage. Also, the Pistons have struggled on the defensive boards due to their lack of interior toughness. They rank just 25th in the league in defensive rebounding and that’s not going to get the job done. Rip Hamilton is currently banged up. It appears he’ll be alright for the postseason, but this is not a team which can afford an injury to any of its key guys. Arron Afflalo and Juan Dixon have filled in for Hamilton while he has been out but neither player comes close to filling his shoes. The biggest reason why they won’t win it all this season is because they likely must go through Boston which has home court advantage.
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