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DETROIT FREE PRESS
030429
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
METRO FINAL
1E
MITCH ALBOM FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
Copyright (c) 2003, Detroit Free Press
HONEYMOON ABOUT TO END FOR THE TEAM WITHOUT ANY STARS
Before the playoffs began, I asked Pistons coach Rick Carlisle if he could
buck the trend and win the Eastern Conference with a no-superstar team in a
superstar's league.
"We're about to find out," he said.
Maybe we already have.
The honeymoon is nearly over. The good feelings between Detroit fans and the
Joe Dumars/Rick Carlisle/goin'-to-work philosophy are on the verge of
collapse.
If the Pistons go down Wednesday night, those folks who, after years of
frustration, had finally turned in the Pistons' direction will turn away
again, as if all that regular season success were no more than an accidental
car horn.
Can you blame them? A defeat against Orlando in Game 5 would be the Pistons'
eighth loss in their last nine playoff games. It would be the second time
they'd have lost to a lower seeded team in near-sweep fashion.
And, more importantly, it would be the second year in a row that an offensive
superstar would go off laughing in his rear-view mirror, as the Pistons stared
at their greasy fingernails and wondered why hard work didn't deliver.
Defense wins championships, that's the old saying. And it is mostly true. But
what is assumed in that sentence is that to reach the championships, you had
to show some offense.
Put a good offense against another good offense, and, yes, the team who plays
better defense wins the title. But put a team with a great offense against a
team with almost no offense? Your magic carpet doesn't fly.
And that's what's happened to the Pistons.
Pistons are on the outs
Or should I say, that's one thing that's happened to the Pistons. Here are a
few others. They are being out-hustled. They are being out-maneuvered. And,
amazingly, they are losing the depth battle. Orlando's supporting cast is
playing better than Detroit's.
That may be because Detroit is all supporting cast, no star. Look around the
league. From Shaquille O'Neal to Allen Iverson to Stephon Marbury to Dirk
Nowitzki, the star players are scoring star player points in the postseason.
The Pistons, who have prided themselves on a no-star philosophy, now look like
the only guy at the banquet not wearing a suit and tie. Detroit has no answer
to Tracy McGrady. It has no offensive flow. Its offense is as clogged as a
frat-house sink.
All teams play better defense come the playoffs. So the gap between the
Pistons and their opponents shrinks. Meanwhile, without a player who creates
his own scoring chances -- or chances for his teammates -- the Pistons come
downcourt, try their first option, (which Orlando has already figured out)
then grind to a halt.
Look at how long it takes the Pistons to get their shots off in this series --
almost always with single digits on the shot clock -- and you'll see how
stymied they are.
Still, Carlisle remains steadfast to his system.
"We are a defense-first team, that's our philosophy," he said Monday. "I don't
much get into missed shots as an excuse. Defense and controlling the boards,
that's where you control a game."
In over their heads
That may be true. But the Pistons aren't doing those things well, either.
One-man teams should not beat nine-deep teams. But it's happening. Thin teams
should not beat deep teams. But it's happening. Teams that start two rookies
should not beat teams loaded with veterans. But it's happening.
"When you're the head coach, you're accountable," Carlisle said. "I'm not
going to run away from that. Having said that, I'm going to keep working and
preparing this team for Wednesday."
Good. That's his job. And maybe the Pistons will show some gumption and fight
back hard on Wednesday and force a trip to Orlando and we can see what
happens.
But in many regards, we have already seen what happens.
It's called "The Detroit Red Wings 2003 Playoffs."
A high-seeded team sticks to its philosophy, says "one man can't beat us, we
do what we do, we don't need adjustments" -- and next thing you know, that
team is gone.
If that happens here, it will be a shame, because the Pistons have steadily
climbed back into the Detroit attention span. With no Red Wings as
competition, basketball could have ruled this spring.
Instead, if the playoffs end Wednesday, here's the sad scenario: there will be
no future joy at a Pistons' 50-win season. It will mean nothing next year if
they have the best record in the East -- or in the whole league. The
"goin'-to-work" campaign will be swallowed by the "goin'-home" reality.
And that draft pick the Pistons are counting on from Memphis?
He'd better be able to shoot.
Contact MITCH ALBOM at 313-223-4581 or albom@freepress.com. Catch "The Mitch
Albom Show" 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WJR-AM (760).
THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED ARTICLE.
BASKETBALL;PISTONS