Five Keys to Wednesday's Game 5

While the Pistons are down, they are by no means out. With a Game 5 victory Wednesday night versus the Heat, momentum can shift back their way. Here are five keys to the game:

1. FEED 'SHEED

If the Pistons can get 'Sheed going in the post -- early and often -- he'll gain some confidence and, I hope, rouse the troops. It's clear that the team plays much better when 'Sheed is scoring. He becomes animated in a positive way. His energy is contagious. And, as you may well know, when he scores 20 in the Playoffs, the Pistons are undefeated. That mark can be achieved if he's utilized on the block and if he's encouraged to make moves toward the basket. He need not fade away from Haslem, who's not that great of a defender.

2. USE THE BENCH WISELY

Say what you want about Flip Saunders, but realize that, despite all his shortcomings, his biggest mistake throughout both the regular season and the Playoffs has been his failure to find a substitution pattern. A team's bench is something to be valued. For the Pistons, a team with a potentially tremendous bench, it's been terribly misused. Lindsey Hunter and Tony Delk have proven that they play well together. They spark the defense. They're both good outside shooters. So far this Playoffs, however, they haven't seen the floor as a duo too often. Maurice Evans has proven himself as a high-energy guy with a high-percentage 3-point shot. So why did Carlos Delfino, someone who wasn't used in crucial minutes at any other juncture in the postseason, take Evans's place for two games in this series? To me, it seems inexplicable. McDyess seems to know his role, but his fellow big man, Dale Davis, does not. He needs to play three three-minute stints a game. In each stint, he needs to foul Shaq two times. If he fouls out, it's no big deal. But if Ben or 'Sheed do, it spells trouble.

3. RIP RIP WHEN HE'S INEFFECTIVE

In Game 4, Rip Hamilton committed four turnovers in what seemed like four consecutive possessions. It was the most frustrating point of the game, and it could have been prevented. The simple remedy is to tell Rip not to drive at Shaq and 'Zo and the other trees so much. He needs to pull up and take his patented J some more! Or, Flip could just yank him from the lineup and calm him down. Either way, he needs to avoid plays where he throws it directly into Shaq's extended forearm and allows the Big Aristotle to rumble coast to coast for a lay-in. Those plays are not good.

4. FALL, AND DO NOT STAND UP

Dwyane Wade's Converse commercial proclaims that for every seven times he falls, he stands up eight. This is impossible, of course, but that doesn't mean that the Pistons can't convince the Converse people to edit their ad. If they can successfully put No. 3 on his rear end and make him stay there awhile, if they can become the Bad Boys that their predecessors were, perhaps the Converse people will change their slogan. The Pistons have already done everything they can to deter Wade from scoring. Now, they need to do something dirty. Before the end of the night, the ad should read: Fall seven times, stand up six.

5. KEEP THE FAITH

I know the Pistons can come back from this deficit. Many other fans do, as well. However, all the media this side of the Atlantic are saying that it's over, that the Pistons' run as Eastern Conference Champs is over. But what do the Pistons think? Are they so frustrated that they're eager for the season to end? Will they put the bickering and the futility of the past few days behind them and re-discover the 64-win team of the regular season, the championship caliber team of the past two seasons? My guess is yes, they will. They have too much pride to go quietly into the Detroit night. Barring an injury or another foul-ridden game like Game 4, the Pistons should take Game 5. Then, they'll breathe a big sigh of relief, regroup quickly, and pack their bags for another day or two amid the sun and debauchery that is South Beach.

State of the Pistons Address (May 29)

The offense is as putrid as it has looked all season long. The players look disinterested. And their opponents are white hot. Yet the most influential factor that has the Detroit Pistons down 3-1 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals may be a decision Joe Dumars made three years ago.

Without question, the most impressive player in the series has been third-year superstar Dwyane Wade.

The Pistons had the second pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, and Dumars decided to opt for Darko Milicic, an unproven teenager from Europe. Meanwhile, the Heat drafted Wade with their pick at No. 5, and ever since, he’s been mesmerizing the basketball world.

In Monday night’s 89-78 victory over the Pistons, Wade led the heat with 31 points on just 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Twelve of those points came in the fourth quarter, when Wade became the spitting image of another phenom who wore No. 23 in Chicago for years throughout the 80s and 90s.

His first field goal of the quarter made him look like a high-flying acrobat. Wade split two Detroit defenders at the top of the zone and dribbled diagonally through the lane. Eight feet from the basket, he leapt into the air and ran into Antonio McDyess. After the collision, Wade began toppling toward the floor. Just before impact, he flipped the ball over his right shoulder and it spun off the backboard and through the net. The arena erupted, and the three-point play put the Heat up 65-61.

“He didn’t have a lot of open looks,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said, which made Wade's performance all the more impressive. The Pistons were draped on him for 48 minutes, and he still managed to put the ball in the hole.

“You play good defense for 22 seconds, then he makes an unbelievable play,” Saunders said. “It’s demoralizing.”

Even more demoralizing is the what-could-have-been images that come to mind – thanks to the 20/20 beauty of hindsight – when one thinks about Wade in a Pistons red, white and blue uniform. Chances are, he wouldn’t be as confident a player, as sensational a player, as he is now simply because he would not have had the playing time and the green light he’s had in Miami.

Still, if Wade were on the Pistons, he wouldn’t be on the Heat, and they’d have to win with Shaquille O’Neal and little else.

But he’s not. He’s wearing No. 3 on South Beach, and unless the Pistons can find a way to stifle his hotness – or at the very least outscore him – they’ll be spectators for the NBA Finals for the first time in three years.

So how will it happen? How will the Pistons recapture the Eastern Conference crown they’ve had a stranglehold on for two seasons?

It starts with the offense. While the Heat have outplayed the Pistons on both ends of the floor this series and Wade continues to drop jaws, it’s glaringly obvious that Detroit’s low scoring output is losing the team ballgames.

Its ball movement is stagnant. Its scoring is way down from the heights it reached in the regular season. Yet its defense is basically the same.

In the postseason, the Pistons have allowed 89 points per game; in the regular season, they gave up 90.

In 82 games offensively, they averaged nearly 97 points a game. Since the Playoffs began, that number has dipped to 92 per game. Since the second game of the Cavs series, it’s been even lower.

Monday, though, they showed hints of improvement. To start the second half, Chauncey Billups hit three straight shots and Rasheed Wallace got his shot going a little bit, but foul trouble forced both players to sit for a chunk of the half, and the rhythm they had built could not sustain.

If they can harness the energy they had to start the half, they’ll give themselves a much better shot to keep the series going. So will fewer fouls.

“We gotta win one game, and then we can focus in on the next one,” Chauncey Billups said.

While it is the ultimate cliché – one game at a time – it is the focus the Pistons need to carry into Wednesday night’s Game 5. One game can rejuvenate this team. One game can get the ball moving more consistently. One game can throw off Wade.

And for the Pistons – a team so accustomed to overcoming deficits and playing well with their backs against the wall – that game must be Wednesday.

If not, it’s summertime, and Wade will take one step closer to cementing himself as the Heirness.

It's up to Chauncey

Dear Chauncey,

Where have you gone, Mr. Big Shot? Since Game 2 of the Cleveland series, you have not looked like your normal, clutch-shot-taking, fundamental-pass-making self. You're forcing passes and turning down shots - you don't look like the MVP candidate everyone considered you to be at the end of the regular season.

That Chauncey Billups looked confident. That Chauncey Billups made good decisions with the basketball. That Chauncey Billups would have closed the Cavaliers out in five games and propelled the Pistons to a Game 1 victory over Miami on Tuesday night.

Instead, the Cavs made it a seven game series. Instead, the Heat won Tuesday, 91-86.

It's not panic time. I still trust you'll come through, Chaunce. You always do. But it must happen tonight in Game 2. There will be no return trip to the Finals - the place you've grown so accustomed to going each June - with a loss tonight. The Heat are tough at home, too, you know, and if you are in an 0-2 hole heading down to Florida, you'll be six feet under in white South Beach sand. And there's no climbing out of that.

Now how do we remedy this situation? Let's glance at your numbers. In the regular season, you averaged 18.5 points and 8.6 assists. You shot 89 percent from the line, 43 percent from three, and 42 percent overall. You also led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.11 to 1.

In the six games since Game 2 of the conference semis, you've averaged just 15.7 points and 5.2 assists. You've remained steady by going 90 percent from the line and 41 percent overall, but your 3-point percentage has dipped to an icy 29.4 percent. Your assist-to-turnover ratio is a depressingly low 1.7 to 1.

So what's up? Why are you dribbling into traffic when you could be swinging the ball around the perimeter? Why are you flailing your legs on 3-pointers when your defender isn't even near you? Why must you insist on trying to make the spectacular pass when the easy one will suffice?

I ask you these questions, Chauncey, because you make this team go. While Ben Wallace is its backbone, you are its central nervous system.

I know, I know. It's not fair to pin all the blame on you.

If Rip Hamilton would take a few more of his patented pull-up jumpers instead of driving into the trees - Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning are sizable impediments - I think he could be more of an effective scorer.

Rasheed Wallace could help you out by not taking nights off, like he did in Game 1.

Tayshaun Prince has been steady, but maybe he needs to kick it to you a bit more when he's posting.

Big Ben is Big Ben. He was brilliant defensively in Game 1. Now if he could just make one darn free throw…

And the jury is still out on Flip Saunders, who I think is still searching for a substitution pattern. My, how that could help.

But Chaunce, I'm afraid it all comes back to you. You facilitate the ball movement. You can fire up a guy like 'Sheed. You can tell Rip - "Hey, come off that curl and let it fly! No use in driving right at Shaq." You are this team.

That sounds like a lot of pressure, but I know you can handle it. After all, you are Mr. Big Shot.

Now it's time for you to remind us all how you got your name.

With hope and confidence, on the behalf of Pistons fans everywhere,

Your Wake Up Call

Who deserved their award this year?

The Pistons don't play until Saturday, and I feel empty. This time of year, I live through them vicariously, and when they're idle, I feel the same way. I expect them to play every other day. But they need their rest and so do my State of the Pistons addresses, so here are my thoughts on the NBA awards, the _______s of the Year...

COACH: Avery Johnson ... He did a nice job in Dallas this year and is surely among the league's best coaches, but I felt the award should have gone elsewhere this season, and the place was Los Angeles.

Both the Clippers and the Lakers made the Playoffs this season. For the Lakers, it wasn't a huge surprise, given that any team with Kobe Bryant has a shot to win any game on any night. But his supporting cast was mediocre at best, and the man who willed the Lake Show to the postseason was Phil Jackson, there's no doubt about that. They won 11 more games than they did last season. The man who's won nine titles in his coaching career has been awarded the COY only once. This year, PJ deserved number two.

The other tenant of Staples Center, the Clippers, made the Playoffs for the first time in 25 years this season. They won 10 more games this year than last. Their head man, Mike Dunleavy, was a big reason for that. He emphasized defense among a bunch of good offensive players, and the fact that they're still alive in these Playoffs, giving the Suns all they can handle in the Western Conference semis, says a lot. Either he or PJ should have gotten the nod instead of Avery.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Boris Diaw ... I agree with this one. To tell you the truth, I had never even heard of the guy before this year. He's only 6'8'', but he goes out and guards centers every night. He also averaged 13, 7 and 6 after posting microscopic career numbers previously. Will he ever be an All-Star? Probably not. But if his improvement continues steadily, look out.

SIXTH MAN: Mike Miller ... Had Ben Gordon not found his way into Chicago's starting lineup by midseason, I would be up in arms over this selection. Or if Dallas's Jerry Stackhouse hadn't spent the bulk of the year out due to injury, he'd be a worthy recipient. Also, if Detroit's Antonio McDyess had begun his campaign like he finished it -- meaning he didn't start playing well until the second half of the season -- I would have argued for him, too. He's clearly the Sixth Man of the Playoffs, that's for sure. But to give it to Miller for his regular season exploits seemed fitting. The 6'8'' sharp-shooting former Gator was efficient all year long for the Grizzlies, scoring 14 a game and hitting 40 percent of his 3-pointers. The Hornets' Speedy Claxton took second place, but his team was far worse than Memphis.

ROOKIE: Chris Paul ... Absolutely the most deserving ROY in years. Paul did everything for his team this season, averaging 16 and 8 while spearheading the 20-win improvement the NO/OK Hornets built after a dismal '04-'05. On draft day, I would have chosen Deron Williams or Andrew Bogut to be more likely winners of this award, but they didn't have as much of an effect on their teams. Bogut's made the Playoffs, and Williams -- who I think could be the next Jason Kidd -- put up 11 and 5. But Paul's presence was more influential. He'll be an All-Star within two years.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Ben Wallace ... Had Ron Artest had a full season, he'd be the only other player even close to touching Ben on the defensive end. Bruce Bowen in San Antonio is good, but he doesn't lock down everyone he guards. Artest comes close. Wallace succeeds. Big Ben doesn't just defend his guy, he defends everybody -- point guard or big, in his area or 20 feet away. He's incredible at recognizing a driver and coming over to provide the help for his teammate. His feet are unbelievably quick. It helps that his surrounding teammates are terrific defenders, too (Tayshaun and Chaunce both made the All-D second team). But until another help defender comes along that's better than Big Ben, he could win this award until he retires. He has that dog in him that will push him to block and steal and take charges with the same frequency until he's ready to hang 'em up.

MVP: Steve Nash ... No way, not this year. Perhaps the voters who awarded it to him last year felt that since his numbers improved this season he deserved it again. Well, he didn't. The reason for those inflated numbers was the absence of Amare Stoudemire. Some could argue that since he was gone and the Suns were still good, he was even more worthy of the award, but that's hogwash. If you take Nash out of that lineup and start Leandro Barbosa all season long, the Suns still make the Playoffs. That's because Barbosa is ten times the defender Nash is, pretty comparable as a scorer, just not as good a passer. So who should have won it?

Chauncey Billups was a candidate, but I think his teammates are so good that to give him the award would diminish the concept of team play.

LeBron James had a sick year, posting numbers unbelievable for a 21-year-old and forcing people to admit that yes, they were witnesses. His triple-double average for a season and his own MVP are not too far off. But the man who should have won wore No. 8.

Kobe Bryant averaged 35 points a game. He scored 81 on one midseason night of magnificence. He made guys like Smush Parker and Kwame Brown -- guys who had formerly not even walked and chewed gum at the same time successfully -- look like legitimate pros. You take him out of their lineup, the Lakers win 15 games, 20 at best. The same could be argued for an absence of LeBron in Cleveland, but the difference between the King and Kobe is on the defensive end of the floor. Kobe gets in your grill. He's on the All-D first team. He's such a competitor, he'd rather have his opponent score zero and him one than his opponent score 34 and him 35. He locks down. LeBron simply waits for the offensive possession to begin. Watch him in Game 3 Saturday. He coasts around, rarely gets his hand into shots, and doesn't fight through screens. He waits. That said, he's a better defender than Nash, which makes me wonder even more why Nash won the award. In the end, it's up to a select number of writers -- not players, coaches and fans -- who vote, and if I ever have a say, I'll do my best to justify it more effectively than any of them could, if asked, this year.

*Just an idea: What if the awards were voted on and handed out after the postseason. Then any close races could be justified if players' teams went deeper into the Playoffs. And perhaps MVP candidates could even match up against each other in late Playoff series, like a potential Billups/Nash encounter in the Finals. If that happened, no doubt the award would find its way to Motown...

State of the Pistons Address (May 9)

It's difficult to pick bones when you're up 2-0 and 'Sheed scores 29 and he looks like the best player in the league and Tayshaun continues to assert himself and scores 20 and you rack up 20 assists to only eight turnovers and Big Ben scores in double figures for the first time in what felt like a decade and Rip goes 15-for-18 from the line, but I'm going to do it anyway.

The Pistons won Tuesday, 97-91, but it should never have been even remotely that close. Up 52-36 at halftime, Detroit was, as Dan Patrick would dare say, en fuego. They distanced themselves from the Cleveland Jameses even more in the third, going up 18 before the last quarter.

Then, the Cavaliers took out their swords and started to play. And run. And pass. And score. And defend. By mid-quarter, they whittled the lead to single digits. It got as close as five. Detroit hung on and the game will probably go forgotten in no more than a few days, but something must be mentioned: Flip Saunders needs to utilize his bench more in situations like Tuesday's fourth quarter.

The starters were tired and their play turned lackluster (they all played more than 39 minutes). They settled for tough outside shots rather than working the ball around for good ones. They failed repeatedly to get back and lock down on defense while the Cavs were running frantically. They almost made it to a finish line. Flip could have prevented it.

At the first sight of dragging legs and uncharacteristic play, Flip needs to pull out the starters -- all five of them -- and go with Lindsey, Tony, Mo, Dyess, and Dale. Each of those guys knows their role: Be ready to go and give a spark when called upon. With the exception of Mo, they're your consummate savvy veterans. A jolt from them surely could have slowed the Cavs' momentum and stymied any hope of a comeback, and the starters weren't about to provide that.

I understand why Flip hesitates to overhaul his five on the hardwood; after all, the Pistons do have the Best Starting Five on the Planet (as George Blaha loves to say). But everyone knows how easily they become bored. Up 20, there's no sense of urgency for them, no interest. They're like a fourth grader who's finished his timed math test ahead of the rest of the class and must wait for them to finish. There's a subtle arrogance to that. And as the Cavs showed Tuesday, it can be problematic.

Instead of fearing an anger that could arise from starters upon being pulled out of their typical substitution pattern, Flip should welcome some fire. Think about it: Is Chaunce gonna smile at Flip if he is yanked with 10 minutes to go in a game still undecided? He'll root on Lindsey and all, but he won't be happy. He's a competitor. Same for the other four. But what I think Flip doesn't realize is that the starters' anger will translate into a chip on their shoulders when they're put back into the game. Give the bench four minutes to stifle the Cavs' surge, put the starters back in with a little something to prove -- that they won't blow a lead and that their attention was gained -- and you're victors by 38.

Perhaps that fourth quarter lull will be the only one in this series (similar to the Game 3 debacle in Milwaukee in Round 1) and the Pistons will sweep the Cavs and rest while watching the Heat and the Nets slug it out in the other Eastern Conference semifinals. But Flip and the Pistons should recognize that the bench is something not to be dreaded but to be greeted warmly. They’ve proven their worth and they deserve a little more tick. In the end, it may save them a valuable game.

Bring on Round 2

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is over, and it's time for me to review my picks.

Detroit over Milwaukee in 5 (4)
Miami over Chicago in 6 (right)
New Jersey over Indiana in 6 (7)
Cleveland over Washington in 6 (Wash in 6)

San Antonio over Sacramento in 6 (5)
Phoenix over LA Lakers in 7 (6)
LA Clippers over Denver in 5 (Den in 6)
Dallas over Memphis in 4 (5)

So my only two incorrect series were Cleveland and LAC. The Cavs surprised me with their ability to win close games. LeBron was phenomenal, and so was Gilbert Arenas, but Arenas choked in Game 6 (after making a miraculous 3 to send it to OT) by missing two free throws that gave the Cavs the chance to take the lead, and Damon Jones's deep 2 from the corner sealed it. The Wizards just couldn't stop LeBron, or the rest of the Cavs for that matter.

The Clips killed the Nuggs, and it made me wonder why I always pick the Nuggs to go deep. I like George Karl. I like 'Melo. I think Camby is a great interior defender. But they just don't have great team D or many other scorers than 'Melo. Not having Kenyon Martin (suspended for actions detrimental to the team) hurt them, too. But kudos to the Clips on their first Playoff series win in 25 years. Cassell runs that team well and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat the Suns in Round 2. Their D is good enough. Here are my new Round 2 picks:

Detroit over Cleveland in 5
Miami over New Jersey in 7

San Antonio over Dallas in 7
Phoenix over LAC in 7

Let's get it started...

State of the Pistons Address (May 4)

Ten things to love about Wednesday night's win:

10. No longer will I have to look at that appalling purple and green.

9. Tayshaun's half-court shot at the end of the first quarter to give the Pistons 39 points -- a franchise record for Playoff points in a quarter. After the shot went in, he looked at the crowd sheepishly, then turned to TNT's Reggie Miller and gave him a tiny bow before heading to the bench.

8. B-b-b-b-b-b-Ben was b-b-b-back. 14 boards, two steals, and three crafty assists. And although he only scored two points, they came on an emphatic flush -- his first field goal in two games. When he's involved in things, the Pistons are infinitely better.

7. The discovery that Dan Gadzuric could have hurt us in this series. He didn't play until there were nine minutes left in the fourth, and he ended up scoring 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting. He's a much better offensive player than Jamaal Magloire, yet Bucks coach Terry Stotts -- who? -- didn't play him. I think he would've given us more problems than Magloire did. So I guess all I have to say is thanks, Terr.

6. Kelvin Cato's double single. He was magnificent in three minutes, scoring two points and ripping down two rebounds. What a game, KC.

5. Flip finally got out of a first round comfortably. In Minnesota, he spent years exiting in the initial round of the Playoffs, but now he need not worry. I'm confident he'll now spend years using the first round as a mere arena for fine-tuning.

4. Rasheed was feeling it. He had three consecutive triples in the third quarter and sent the Pistons into coast-mode for the rest of the game. 'Sheed ended up with 22, and in the process, he had to have made some people wonder: Why did the Bucks help off of him so much in this series? He made 13 total 3-pointers in five games. Milwaukee just had no clue.

3. More than any other player in the league, 'Sheed can make me laugh. His constant chatter, his random left-hand 3-point attempts, his wide grin. It's all hilarious. Even before last night's game began, 'Sheed had me in stitches. Wearing a blue headband on top of a red one, he crept up behind Reggie Miller as he was doing his pregrame broadcast for TNT and started barking in Reggie's ear, dancing and snickering, trying to distract Mr. Miller from his task at hand. (See here.) Reggie kept his cool, but he couldn't stifle a smile. Neither could I.

2. RIP Injured Rip. Welcome back Normal Rip. He scored 40 points, most of them coming on his now quotidian mid-range daggers, and he looked like his old self. He got a little revenge on Michael Redd, too, which was nice to see, and he also made sure that he'll have a few days to rest the ankle and get it to 100 percent for Round 2.

1. 1/4 of the journey is complete. Bring on the Cleveland Jameses. Or will the Wizards get magical in Games 6 and 7? The Pistons have the luxury of sitting back, relaxing, and resting. They'll wait and see.

The most exciting two minutes in sports

This weekend at Churchill Downs, beautifully-groomed horses and miniscule jockeys will compete in the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

Most people know about the exciting finishes, accentuated by NBC's broadcaster -- whoever it happens to be that day -- announcing, "And down the stretch they come!"

Common knowledge, too, is that the infield at Churchill Downs is chock full of kegs and drunken fans, all there to bet and do other things, I'm sure, but above all, take in the most exciting two minutes in sports. I'd love to go witness the madness someday.

Inside the world of horse racing, there are many important entities that affect each horse that jumps in the starting gate. The trainer. The jockey. The owner. The breeder. And, of course, the horse itself.

Through the years, I've been a biggest fans of the horses, their amusing names always able to elicit from me a chuckle or two. Of the 20 horses running this year, I will list my five favorite names:

1. Sinister Minister 2. Deputy Glitters 3. Bob and John 4. Lawyer Ron 5. Keyed Entry

While the horse with the best name rarely wins, I still root for it anyway.

I've tried to make it a point to watch the Derby every year since I was little, and I haven't yet gotten caught up in the whole betting facet of the race. (Although I did win $14 this winter betting on greyhound races in Tampa, Fla. A huge thrill. Seriously.) Sure, there's money to be won and it's always fun to root for something you've invested in, but there's also a downside to it.

This column by ESPN's Pat Forde shows the darker side of horse racing: the plight of the jockey. Many jockeys are pressured to lose weight, much like a super model or a wrestler, right before their races. It's understandable -- the lighter the weight on the horse, the more easily it can stride, no doubt -- yet I don't see why it has to happen. Perhaps it's the $2 million purse. Or the competitive nature of jockeys who seek the glory of victory at all costs. I just think it's sad.

What if jockeys came in all shapes and sizes? It would make the turns and the skill of the horse all the more important. I'm 6'4'', 210 lbs. Could I be a jockey? Every horse trainer out there would tell me to take a hike. But what if I honed my skills privately and became crafty, specializing in turns and positioning and creative tactics for inspiring my horse? Would it even matter? Is the weight atop the horse that much of a factor? Probably. I think I just thwarted my dreams of becoming a world class jockey before they even left the ground.

Still, it's sad to see bulimia and anorexia so associated with something like the Derby -- a sport, a game. It's equivalent to steriod use in baseball. To ruin your body for the sake of a horse finishing a split second faster in a race or hitting a ball 10 feet farther? Not worth it to me. I guess that's why I'll never win a Triple Crown -- in either sport. I'll never have roses draped around my horse's neck celebrating a win at Churchill Downs. But if I ever did have the chance to ride, my horse would surely have the best name of the bunch.

I'd call him Resplendent Pendant. Beat that.

State of the Pistons Address (May 2)

The Pistons have only played four games this postseason, and I'm already overjoyed. It's not because of the way they're playing -- which, quite frankly, isn't exemplary. Nor is it because they're up 3-1 in their series with the Bucks. It's quite simple, really. It's because I can watch them. Every second of every game.

Last spring, as I basked in the countless joys of a two-month study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain, I had myself a ball. But I had little basketball. The Pistons rarely came on TV across the pond. When they did, rest assured my buddies and I were enchanted in front of the tube in a crowded, rowdy bar in downtown Madrid, donned in red and blue, high-fiving with every exciting dunk and jumper and dime. Still, I saw less than 30 percent of their games.

So when the regular season started up again in November, I may have been more excited than most Pistons fans; I hadn't had a consistent dosage of them in months. Too long. Now, as their Playoff run is in its first steps, I seem to have forgotten how hard it is to win an NBA championship. The Bucks are better than I've given them credit for. They proved it Monday by pushing the Pistons to the wire, losing 109-99, and they most certainly proved it Saturday in their 124-104 romp.

While I picked the Pistons to sweep Milwaukee (and sweep Miami and San Antonio in later series), I regret that now. My predictions were clouded with memories solely of a dominant regular season, not of difficult Playoff journeys past. Remember, last spring, the Pistons beat Philly in five, Indiana in six, and Miami in seven before losing to San Antonio in the Finals in seven. (That still makes me want to yell obscenities until I lose my voice.)

In these Eastern Conference quarters, the Pistons are better than the Bucks, but still, the purple and green (perhaps the ugliest color tandem possible, I must say) are worthy of their Playoff appearance and are good enough to make the Pistons work. I wouldn't be surprised to see them extract some heroics from Chaunce or 'Sheed at the end of a barnburner Wednesday in Game Five. But I don't expect them to win.

The Pistons will win in five, but it's still important to critique their play. Round Two will only bring on a tougher opponent and force them to step up their games.

Right now, there are several concerns. Big Ben has been a non-factor. Rip has shot poorly and is committing too many turnovers. The defense is anything other than stifling. And before last game, Tayshaun looked like a rookie.

Meanwhile, Chaunce has been rock solid. For three games, 'Sheed carried the team offensively. And the bench has contributed more than expected. So in Game Five, and in the practices before the Eastern semis commence, the concerns must be addressed.

Ben needs to stay out of foul trouble early and try to ignite fast breaks via monstrous boards and quick outlets like he did in Game One. Rip needs to find his stride and shoot in rhythm while relinquishing the ball a little more on fast breaks and becoming more of a receiver than a facilitator. The defense should feed off of a hungry Ben, but if he fails to assert himself, Tay and 'Sheed will need to rally the troops. And if Tay stays aggressive to the hoop like he was in Game Four, all will be well.

Wednesday night prediction: Pistons 98 Bucks 90 ... 30 for Chaunce, 20 for Rip, and 17 boards for a rejuvenated Ben.