Thus far, the Eastern Conference Playoffs have gone according to seed, and we have the matchup that (most) everyone wanted to see… Boston vs. Detroit.
At first glance, this simply looks like a battle of two experienced, defensive-minded teams. The Celtics have a trio of stars – Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen – along with been-there/done-that guys like James Posey and P.J. Brown. On the flip side, there’s the Pistons’ foursome of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace, who already have a ring and have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals 54 straight times.
Heading into the playoffs, one would have to give the edge to the Celtics. After all, they won 66 games and no one can match their hunger. Conversely, the Pistons have seemed bored at times, and given their play against the Sixers and Magic, they were a legitimate threat to make an early exit.
But here we are, a month later, and I’m giving the edge to the Pistons. The Celtics have yet to win a game on the road. Boston fans might say, “So what? We have home court advantage. We don’t need to win on the road.” But after dominating the Hawks in Boston, the C’s looked a little shaky against the Cavs in two of the four home games in the semis, including Game 7. The Celtics almost look too hungry. It’s as if Garnett and Co. have so much wrapped up in a title run that it’s impossible to play loose.
I’m not sure how well Boston will score. The Pistons will defend Pierce with Prince, who is one of the best defenders in the league. His long arms can bother any shooter, especially one that isn’t that adept at going to the hole. Rip is a tireless defender, but he’ll be most effective by running Ray Ray ragged through countless screens on the offensive end. Then there’s the Garnett/Wallace matchup, which should be a beauty. These are two of the most competitive players in the league and KG’s intensity should bring out the best in Rasheed.
I think the series may come down to just how much Billups can dominate Rajon Rondo. It’s not a given that Chauncey will have his way, but he has far more experience, so he should be able to win that matchup handily. Rondo prides himself on his defense, so if he can hold Billups down, the Celtics will have a good shot to win the series.
The wildcard is bench play. Detroit is much improved in this area with Jason Maxiell (who has started at times) and Rodney Stuckey, who got some great experience when Billups missed time in the Orlando series. It’s tough to tell who’s a threat on Doc Rivers’ bench, since he changes the rotation so much. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with Eddie House or if he goes back to Sam Cassell.
I’d like to see the Celtics in the Finals as there will be plenty of compelling storylines, regardless of their opponent. They do have home court advantage and are a slight favorite to win the series, but I think they finally drop a game at home and Detroit wraps it up in six.
