Houston Rocket + Tru Warier + Funny Dude aka Ron “Ron-Ron” Artest
crossed with
Iconic Ethiopian + South Park Lesson Teacher + International Man of Man of Hunger aka Starvin’ Marvin
equals to
Tormentor of Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson + Seeming Heir to Andre Miller’s Hair Throne aka Louis Williams
By Fraser MacK
This won’t be the slam dunk everyone says it will be. The Sixers have been one of the best teams in the conference since the All-Star break, but will they have enough to make this a series? I say yes. Let’s look at each teams’ strengths and weaknesses.
Detroit plays the best team defense in the league, their starting five have been together for a long time and they all know what to do and where to be on defense, this is important yet so often overlooked. The Pistons also move the ball well and get a lot of assists, 18 a game to be exact. Detroit also has experience on their side, this being their seventh straight trip to the post season. While the Pistons seem like an insurmountable juggernaut, they do have a few weaknesses; weaknesses that also happen to be strengths for the Sixers. Detroit lets their opponents shoot more free throws and Philly takes the most and makes the second most free throws in the league. Philly is also a great rebounding team, especially on the offensive end, where both Sam Dalembert and Reggie Evans average over 2.5 per game. As a team, the Sixers pull down almost 13 offensive boards a game. That’s 13 second chances to score or get to the line. Philly is also no slouch on the defensive end, as they are the best of the rest in the East (Detroit and Boston are 1-2 in points allowed, Philly is third).
This team does have it’s faults though. They’re as inexperienced as the Pistons are experienced, they can’t score (3rd last in conference) and they really can’t shoot (dead last in 3P%). The Pistons obviously have the better players; Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace are all recent all-stars and Tayshaun Prince is one of the league’s most underrated players. If they all play well, Philly has no chance, but… Rip Hamilton has been bothered by injuries for the last half of the year and his production has plummeted. Wallace is only grabbing 6 boards a game as a center, he’s going to have to be in double digits against an energetic Sixer front court, that not only includes Dally and Reggie, but rookie Thaddeus Young has come on of late and could be a nuisance. Andre Miller is probably the one of the only point guards who’s in Billups’ class, on both ends of the floor and Andre Iguodala is angling for Big Bucks while trying to avoid a Whammy!
This could end up being the perfect storm for the Sixers. Detroit is old and banged up, while Philly is young and athletic. If the Sixers can get to the line and make free throws and win the rebounding battle, AND either Rip or Sheed either craps the bed or gets hit by a truck, then Philly has a chance to pull the upset. This is not a Golden State-Dallas level mismatch, but enough to make you wonder.
Prediction: Detroit in 7
Rebuttal : Evan D
I see the Sixers getting into trouble against the Pistons the same way that the Magic have handled them during the regular season. Countering ball movement through the bigs. In their most recent game in Orlando, Philly received a Coming to America-style thrashing when the Magic ran their offense through Hedo and Dwight. Kicking the ball down low is going to force a collapse by the 76ers into the low post, but they really don’t have any size outside of Dalembert/Evans/Young. The Pistons are an even smarter team than the Magic and will start to push the ball back out to their shooters who are all capable from 15 feet and back. Philly is going to have to keep the clamps on a substantial number of quality reserves : Afflalo, Stuckey, Hayes (big shooter), Hunter who feel very comfortable as an offensive lead. I see the series as a test for Philly’s front line which should be their draft and free agent focus this summer and predict Detroit in 5. Watch for Jason Maxiell to drink the milkshakes of the Sixers’ entire second team.
Prediction : Detroit in 5