2007-08 Pistons preview: Motor City machine

One of these years pundits predicting the decline of the Pistons are going to have their opinion validated.


It just won't be this year.

The Pistons have advanced to the past five Eastern Conference Finals, becoming the NBA's most consistent team in the playoffs since the "Showtime" Lakers two decades ago, and have won the Central Division three straight seasons and five times in six years.

In a three-team battle for the division title this season, the Pistons might not finish on top again, but they will challenge hard for their customary spot in the conference finals.

It's difficult to deny that Detroit's top five players -- Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess -- combine to give the Pistons one of the best quintets in the league.

Talent and experience, however, were not enough to prevent the Pistons from melting down in the conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning the first two games of the series.

This year, president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has put together a slightly tweaked team that combines the old nucleus -- including a re-focused Rasheed Wallace, who showed up to camp 20 to 25 pounds lighter after averaging only 12.3 points last season, his lowest average since his 1995-96 rookie season -- with an influx of younger players.

The key, however, to keeping Detroit an Eastern Conference power was re-signing Billups to a deal that will pay him $46 million guaranteed over four years with a team option for a fifth year at $14 million. If owner Bill Davidson didn't want to spend some of his fortune on Billups after letting Ben Wallace leave for Chicago last summer, Detroit would've had a hard time simply making the playoffs.

"I think that signing showed we're committed to keeping a contender on the floor for years to come," Dumars says.

For the second straight year, Billups did not play well in the conference finals, but the Pistons couldn't have gotten there without him and wouldn't have won the 2004 title and come just short of repeating if he wasn't their playmaker.

The All-Star and Team USA point guard wasn't the only one who played poorly at the worst time.

Prince seemed to get worn down by guarding LeBron James and became inconsistent offensively. After helping Detroit earn top seeding in the East, veteran Chris Webber -- who is now pondering retirement -- suddenly struggled to contribute consistently in the playoffs.

"We bogged down offensively in our last series the past two years, and that's one of the things we need to address," Dumars says.

That's where Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and rookie Rodney Stuckey come in.

Maxiell, a first-round pick from 2005, might be ready for a breakout season. He's a younger version of Ben Wallace, even matching his horrendous foul shooting. The 6-foot-7, barrel-chested forward is ready to do more with the opportunities headed his way after averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and a block in 14.1 minutes per game last season.

When Saunders' predecessor, Larry Brown, was on his way out of Motown two years ago, he raved to a reporter about Johnson's future after Detroit drafted him late in the second round out of high school. The future for the 20-year-old is now. Despite playing just 11 games over two seasons, the Pistons saw enough promise in the 6-9 forward to give him an $11 million, three-year deal as a restricted free agent.

"He is an extremely athletic player who can play the three or four (spot) for us," Dumars says. "He makes a lot of plays above the rim with a high-wire act and, with his speed, that you can't coach."

The Pistons haven't had a lot of success in the draft recently, but they appeared to find a gem in Stuckey, the 15th-overall pick. The 6-5 guard wasn't well known in college because he played at Eastern Washington, but it may not take long for him to get noticed in the league.

"He's an explosive player who is a true combo guard because he's equally comfortable at the one or two," Dumars says.

Flip Saunders is comfortable as coach heading into a third season with the Pistons. There will be pressure on him this year to produce a trip to the NBA Finals, but he can handle it.










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