Pistons just beginning to rev
No matter how many accolades they receive or how much praise they are given, the Detroit Pistons always find a way to stay motivated.
This season, they had countless reasons to celebrate. Four All-Stars. A franchise record for wins. Hegemonic control of the NBA standings from Day One. All impressive things. But to this team, all meaningless things.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Rasheed Wallace told the AP last week. "We got up for a couple teams, but we weren't really excited about the regular season. We've been waiting for the playoffs since Game 7 last year."
By Game 7, 'Sheed of course means the 81-74 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last June - a game which, if the Pistons had played better in the fourth quarter, would have been theirs and would have made this year's pursuit one for a three-peat.
That loss, though, made these Pistons infinitely hungrier. As training camp commenced in October, 'Sheed sent a message to the team, to the league, that there would be no repeat of last year. He arrived in great shape - antithetical to his usual preseason overweight poundage. After the Pistons won the title in 2004, 'Sheed admittedly spent most of the summer celebrating. And you know how 'Sheed do.
But now, the waiting is over. The Pistons' time has arrived. The Playoffs begin Saturday.
Regardless of how insignificant the Pistons cast off the 2005-2006 regular season to be, it was a historic one. Let us remember 10 of the most exciting and important moments of the campaign chronologically:
Nov. 4- Only the second game of a long season, it jumpstarted the Pistons' momentum. With eight tenths of a second left on the clock, Detroit had the ball on the sideline down one in Boston. Tayshaun Prince triggered and found Rip Hamilton in stride off a curl, and his lightning-quick release swished through the net from 18 feet out as the buzzer sounded for a Pistons' victory. They went on to win their first seven games and 15 of their first 17.
Nov. 10- A beautiful display of the Pistons' mettles: teamwork, grittiness, and clutch play. Against the always-running Phoenix Suns, all five Detroit starters scored in double figures. But with 4:56 to go, the Pistons trailed by six. The men in blue and red then proceeded to score 17 of the game's final 21 points to win, 111-104, cementing themselves as the league's powerhouse and setting the tone for the season that no lead is insurmountable.
Dec. 25- In a Christmas Day rematch of the NBA Finals, Detroit hosted San Antonio at The Palace. Ready for revenge, the Pistons were prepared for a close battle, but the Spurs showed up with coals in their stockings. Detroit dominated every facet of the game, winning 85-70 and outrebounding San Antonio 57-30.
Feb. 15- So long, Darko Milicic. His days in Detroit as the Human Victory Cigar ended in a trade with the Orlando Magic that also sent point guard Carlos Arroyo to Disney World. In return, the Pistons acquired center Kelvin Cato and a future first round pick. Parting ways with Darko was bittersweet: While it robbed the Pistons of a No. 2 draft pick still with great potential, it also freed up valuable cap space for the future re-signings of Chauncey and Ben Wallace, whose contracts expire in the next two seasons. And I didn't like seeing Carlos go. His on-court connection with Antonio McDyess seemed too innate to be over. But Dyess surged forward and so, too, did Arroyo. He's now the face of the Magic in Central Florida, which boasts a large Puerto Rican population.
Feb. 19- Four Pistons converged on the All-Star court in Houston and represented the team fittingly. Not only were Chaunce, Ben, 'Sheed, and Rip part of the Eastern Conference's 28-13 second-half run that led to an eventual victory, they wrote tributes to Tayshaun, the only other Pistons starter not to be named an All-Star, on their shoes. Talk about a team.
March 1- Pistons' President Joe Dumars announced the signing of free agent and 10-year veteran Tony Delk. At the time, it didn't appear to be a major move, as Delk had only played one game all season. But Detroit fans and the rest of the NBA soon learned that Delk's game was on point. He went on to shoot a scintillating 45 percent from behind the arc as a bench spark in the seasons' final months, averaging eight points per game. Why his former team, the Atlanta Hawks, played him in only one game before his release remains a mystery.
March 22- In Miami a month earlier, the Pistons had succumbed to the forces of one Dwyane Wade - perhaps the league's "next Jordan" - as he scored the Heat's final 17 points and willed them to a 100-98 victory. So this game was redemption; the Detroit "D" reawakened. Wade was held to just 13 points on 3-of-15 shooting. While the calendar may have welcomed spring, the Pistons were unwelcoming hosts for their Miami visitors, winning 82-73.
April 2- Despite a late arrival from 'Sheed, who forgot to spring his clocks forward for daylight savings, Detroit did in the visiting Phoenix Suns and Chaunce showed the world who the league's best point guard is. He walked all over reigning MVP Steve Nash, scoring 35 points and holding the Canadian to 13. The game also marked a milestone for the Pistons' starting five, who made their 73rd consecutive start as a unit, an NBA record.
April 3- Pistons president Joe Dumars is one of the league's most crafty general managers. In his playing days, he was one heck of a shooting guard, too. On this day, Dumars - who played in six All-Star games, won two championships and was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team four times in his career - was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It's only a matter of time before he is enshrined as an exemplary executive, as well.
April 16- With a 103-97 win over the visiting New York Knicks, the Pistons won their 64th game of the season and became the winningest team in franchise history. When they look back on it years down the road, the players are sure to be proud of the milestone. But for now, there is no basking in their success. The glory has yet to come. Their focus is on one thing: another ring. NBA Playoffs, welcome.
This season, they had countless reasons to celebrate. Four All-Stars. A franchise record for wins. Hegemonic control of the NBA standings from Day One. All impressive things. But to this team, all meaningless things.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Rasheed Wallace told the AP last week. "We got up for a couple teams, but we weren't really excited about the regular season. We've been waiting for the playoffs since Game 7 last year."
By Game 7, 'Sheed of course means the 81-74 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last June - a game which, if the Pistons had played better in the fourth quarter, would have been theirs and would have made this year's pursuit one for a three-peat.
That loss, though, made these Pistons infinitely hungrier. As training camp commenced in October, 'Sheed sent a message to the team, to the league, that there would be no repeat of last year. He arrived in great shape - antithetical to his usual preseason overweight poundage. After the Pistons won the title in 2004, 'Sheed admittedly spent most of the summer celebrating. And you know how 'Sheed do.
But now, the waiting is over. The Pistons' time has arrived. The Playoffs begin Saturday.
Regardless of how insignificant the Pistons cast off the 2005-2006 regular season to be, it was a historic one. Let us remember 10 of the most exciting and important moments of the campaign chronologically:
Nov. 4- Only the second game of a long season, it jumpstarted the Pistons' momentum. With eight tenths of a second left on the clock, Detroit had the ball on the sideline down one in Boston. Tayshaun Prince triggered and found Rip Hamilton in stride off a curl, and his lightning-quick release swished through the net from 18 feet out as the buzzer sounded for a Pistons' victory. They went on to win their first seven games and 15 of their first 17.
Nov. 10- A beautiful display of the Pistons' mettles: teamwork, grittiness, and clutch play. Against the always-running Phoenix Suns, all five Detroit starters scored in double figures. But with 4:56 to go, the Pistons trailed by six. The men in blue and red then proceeded to score 17 of the game's final 21 points to win, 111-104, cementing themselves as the league's powerhouse and setting the tone for the season that no lead is insurmountable.
Dec. 25- In a Christmas Day rematch of the NBA Finals, Detroit hosted San Antonio at The Palace. Ready for revenge, the Pistons were prepared for a close battle, but the Spurs showed up with coals in their stockings. Detroit dominated every facet of the game, winning 85-70 and outrebounding San Antonio 57-30.
Feb. 15- So long, Darko Milicic. His days in Detroit as the Human Victory Cigar ended in a trade with the Orlando Magic that also sent point guard Carlos Arroyo to Disney World. In return, the Pistons acquired center Kelvin Cato and a future first round pick. Parting ways with Darko was bittersweet: While it robbed the Pistons of a No. 2 draft pick still with great potential, it also freed up valuable cap space for the future re-signings of Chauncey and Ben Wallace, whose contracts expire in the next two seasons. And I didn't like seeing Carlos go. His on-court connection with Antonio McDyess seemed too innate to be over. But Dyess surged forward and so, too, did Arroyo. He's now the face of the Magic in Central Florida, which boasts a large Puerto Rican population.
Feb. 19- Four Pistons converged on the All-Star court in Houston and represented the team fittingly. Not only were Chaunce, Ben, 'Sheed, and Rip part of the Eastern Conference's 28-13 second-half run that led to an eventual victory, they wrote tributes to Tayshaun, the only other Pistons starter not to be named an All-Star, on their shoes. Talk about a team.
March 1- Pistons' President Joe Dumars announced the signing of free agent and 10-year veteran Tony Delk. At the time, it didn't appear to be a major move, as Delk had only played one game all season. But Detroit fans and the rest of the NBA soon learned that Delk's game was on point. He went on to shoot a scintillating 45 percent from behind the arc as a bench spark in the seasons' final months, averaging eight points per game. Why his former team, the Atlanta Hawks, played him in only one game before his release remains a mystery.
March 22- In Miami a month earlier, the Pistons had succumbed to the forces of one Dwyane Wade - perhaps the league's "next Jordan" - as he scored the Heat's final 17 points and willed them to a 100-98 victory. So this game was redemption; the Detroit "D" reawakened. Wade was held to just 13 points on 3-of-15 shooting. While the calendar may have welcomed spring, the Pistons were unwelcoming hosts for their Miami visitors, winning 82-73.
April 2- Despite a late arrival from 'Sheed, who forgot to spring his clocks forward for daylight savings, Detroit did in the visiting Phoenix Suns and Chaunce showed the world who the league's best point guard is. He walked all over reigning MVP Steve Nash, scoring 35 points and holding the Canadian to 13. The game also marked a milestone for the Pistons' starting five, who made their 73rd consecutive start as a unit, an NBA record.
April 3- Pistons president Joe Dumars is one of the league's most crafty general managers. In his playing days, he was one heck of a shooting guard, too. On this day, Dumars - who played in six All-Star games, won two championships and was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team four times in his career - was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It's only a matter of time before he is enshrined as an exemplary executive, as well.
April 16- With a 103-97 win over the visiting New York Knicks, the Pistons won their 64th game of the season and became the winningest team in franchise history. When they look back on it years down the road, the players are sure to be proud of the milestone. But for now, there is no basking in their success. The glory has yet to come. Their focus is on one thing: another ring. NBA Playoffs, welcome.
posted by RGarfield @ 5:57 PM
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