<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In yet another gratuitous shot at Detroit, the NBA decided to continue its playoffs after the Pistons were eliminated. The league has given no reason for its decision, though one source indicated that "nobody liked those dudes anyway." Pistons fans must be horrified, offended, angry ... and watching. Miami and Dallas will conclude the Finals this week, maybe even tonight, and let's take a worldly view of the series: How does it reflect on the Pistons? When Miami lost the first two games to Dallas, then fell way behind in the fourth quarter of Game 3, did you think that was horrible, because that meant the Pistons lost to a team that was nowhere near as good as Dallas? And when Miami rallied and took a 3-2 series lead, did you think that was great, because the Pistons probably lost to the eventual champions? These questions fall into the same category as "Does this make me look fat?" and "Why haven't you paid taxes since 1996?" There are no right answers. The Pistons are not finished. I mean, yeah, sure, they are finished for the season. But if they re-sign Ben Wallace, they will still be one of a handful of teams with a chance to win the title next year. I know it's fashionable to think the Pistons are through -- they will basically bring back the same roster that lost to Miami. But remember: This season, with basically the same roster as the year before, the Pistons jumped from 54 to 64 wins. Why can't they jump from conference finalist to champions? None of their top six guys is truly old. If Carlos Delfino and Jason Maxiell and Dale Davis and Tony Delk can contribute more (and I don't know if they can, but it's possible), and the starters are rested and focused, why not? There might be something to this theory that the Pistons were worn out. At first, I thought it was a lame excuse: During the regular season, the Pistons didn't have one player in the top 43 in the league in minutes per game. Flip Saunders has pointed out that he has five All-Star quality players, so they should all get All-Star-type minutes. That's logical. But the Pistons have played a ton of postseason games in the last four years, and maybe it caught up with them. Nothing else makes sense. People can talk about how Dwyane Wade beat the Pistons, and Wade is certainly an extraordinary player, but I don't buy that explanation alone. We all knew Wade was great. Most of us picked the Pistons anyway. The Pistons missed so many open shots against Miami, it defied logic. Rip Hamilton, arguably the best shooter in the NBA, couldn't hit a 15-footer if you spotted him 12 feet. They just looked worn out. And, just as importantly, the Heat played great and obviously deserved to win the series. Maybe next season somebody else will look worn out, and the Pistons will play great. See, I'm watching these Finals, and here is what I see: Wade ascending to the elite of the elite. Dirk Nowitzki dominating at times, disappearing at others. And two teams that are excellent, but not that far ahead of the Pistons (or San Antonio or Phoenix, when Phoenix is healthy.)</div> Source
