Tuesday, June 07, 2005

The champs are here!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com What a game! The Pistons beat the Heat 88-82 in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to the NBA championship. As much as I like Shaq and D.Wade this was the result I wanted because the Pistons are my boys!

I've been a Pistons fan since 1988 when they lost to the Lakers in the finals. Cant say I was really a big Isiah Thomas fan but Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, John Salley and the 'Worm' pre wearing wedding dresses, tattoos and dying of hair, were my boys back then. Hey what can I say I'll back anyone who goes up against the Lakers except maybe Utah.

Now its a new season well actually many seasons hence but I'm still a Detroit fan. Rasheed, Ben, Rip, Tayshaun and Chauney are now my homies so I was just hoping that they could pull it off in game 7 because although they are the reining champs they've been treated as the underdogs all series long lost in the glamour and glitz surrounding 'Flash' and the 'Diesel'. Also the stats really didn't support Detroit winning a game 7. The team that wins game six (Detroit) usually has a hard time winning game 7 according to the stats and the team with the home advantage (in this case Miami) wins game 7 something like almost 9 of every 10 times. Oh well so much for stats.

Actually although I watched the game I'm not sure how Miami imploded. Its like they just ran out of steam in the middle of the 4th after leading by 8 at the beginning of the 4th quarter. I was getting upset when Larry Brown put in Elden Campbell and he then missed those free throws, I thought it was over. I guess the injuries finally caught up to Miami. Still a win is a win and the champs will find a way to win when its necessary so kudos to Detroit. Hope you boys get some love and some respect now because the fans seem to have seen last years championship as some sort of aberration. Maybe they cant fathom that in this era a team with no top tier superstar could possibly contend and win a championship. The prevailing wisdom after all is that you get your two superstars and surround them with role players in order to win.

And the ongoing saga with Coach Brown and whether he will leave Detroit and go be Cleveland's GM at seasons end has got to be distracting to the Detroit players so God knows how they stayed focused to be able to win this game.

Oh as an aside even if I wasn't a Pistons fan before this series I had to back them here. Why? No frigging way was I going to back a team with Alonzo 'I wont report to Toronto because I'm really really sick' Mourning in it. Yea I have had sympathy for his illness which I wont trivialize because it is a serious thing but being sick and never playing for the team you were traded to then forcing a release so you can play for a contender while still getting basically all of your contract paid is just some foul ish in my opinion. Then the same dude who was so sick all season and we here in Toronto were hearing could barely play looks like he's been reborn playing for Miami. Dude was a blocking machine! What gives? Shame on Babcock for granting him his wish and his money. Zo, I hope you retire now, accept it you are not winning a championship.

Image hosted by Photobucket.comOk so onto the finals. San Antonio vs Detroit. This is the matchup of two of the best teams in the league and two of my favorites. Also two of the most underrated and disrespected (considering their records). How can we forget that besides the Laker 'Dynasty' San Antonio and Detroit are the only teams to win a championship since 1999. So why aren't these two teams thought of more highly? Is it the lack of personality? Aside from Rasheeds occasional antics the Pistons have no drama queens. No quote machines here, no superstar attitudes. Duncan is like a mild mannered Clark Kent type although putting up superstar numbers. Where are the arrogant Kobes and the trash talking Shaqs?

The Spurs have been consistent since Duncan arrived! They've been a top tier NBA team since 1999. I mean big up to Steve Nash and his Phoenix team and all that but dude until you and Amare play some D you guys wont get to a finals. The Spurs with the 'Big Fundamental' Duncan are just rolling. They play good ball. They've been doing that for years. Duncan, Ginobli, Mr Eva Longoria, Horry these guys can play. This is going to be some matchup. Yea it might not be a high scoring finals , it may not be that exciting but the Spurs will play some good ball.

Spurs- Pistons. The NBA might not be happy with this matchup, the fans may not tune in but I'm loving it and after all it is all about me lol. So the only problem here is I like both of these teams. I really don't have a team to cheer against as I'd be happy if either team wins. Can the champs repeat? Can Duncan win a championship without David Robinson? Only time will tell. So who do I cheer for? I'll cheer for some good basketball but as much as I like Duncan I'm going to back the Pistons here.

6 comments:

Angry Dog said...

Though I'm a Lakers fan at heart, I have to say that this has been a most exciting season and I can't wait to see the Spurs go up against the Pistons...I'm backing the Spurs this year :).

Abeni said...

Missed the game last night but its good that Detroit won.Should be a good matchup with Spurs

Nat said...

wow we posted almost simultaneiously thig morning. Well you can hear the other side of the story on my blog lol.. i am soo dissapointed that we are going to be subjected to a 7 games series where the name of the game is "DEFENSE" not basketball.

Don Tate II said...

Man, I wish I was a basketball fan so I could relate to all this stuff I've been reading the past day or so. Seems like I'm missing out on something. But from an artists point of view, cool logos and a nice sense of color and balance on the Pistons logo! *cheese*

Amadeo said...

Go Ravens...oh it's not football season yet. Someone wanted to hurt me last night cause I wasn't watching the game.

Jdid said...

@angrydog - lakers fan?? uhhh. lol,
@abeni - you missed the deciding game cuhdear
@nat - well defense is part of basketball
@nikki - go Pistons!
@Don Tate - Actually I realized that those are the old logos, the new ones are I guess "sleeker" more new age
@amadeo - you didnt watch?
@Big N - maybe they will maybe they wont, I think its going to be a close series.