The Necessary Celtics/Pistons Preview

By Brendon Rosenau
Love of Sports Correspondent

For the first time in what seems like a decade, the Eastern Conference Finals will feature the NBA’s two best regular season teams.

Unfortunately, many fans have been led to believe the West is best and the East is just a group of low level amateurs. Pity those who will ignore the tilt between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, because not only will the winner of this series raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, but this series will be the best of the playoffs.

In one corner, the association’s most storied franchise looking to advance to the Finals for the first time in 21 years. Across from them is a seasoned team playing in their sixth consecutive conference final and one who won a title just four years ago. Because of this, the Pistons will undoubtedly have the edge when it comes to experience.

Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will be starting in their sixth conference final. Rasheed Wallace came to the team during the 2004 season, and Antonio McDyess has been on the team since 2005. Including Wallace’s experience with Portland, the starting five have played in 80 conference finals games.

On the other side, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have all appeared in one conference final. None have advanced.

In fact, only Sam Cassell - who didn’t even get off the bench in the last two games - and James Posey have won in the conference finals in the past. The knock on the Celt’s top three is that they don’t have that intestinal fortitude to deliver in May when the heat is on. Maybe those people can ask Cleveland how that’s working out.

The Pistons are trying to shake a reputation of their own, that of being too old or too unmotivated to regain their championship form. Coach Flip Saunders still hasn’t advanced to an NBA Final and is just 6-12 in conference finals games.

Doc Rivers had never even won a playoff series until the Celtics dispatched of the Atlanta Hawks in the first round this season.

The Pistons have mostly breezed through the playoffs, with the exception of a Game 1 loss to the 76ers and have played only 11 games this postseason. They’ll also have had a week off before tonight’s tipoff.

The Celtics success and failures in the playoffs have been well documented. They’re 8-0 at home and 0-6 on the road. They’re coming off two exhausting series and will be playing their 15th game in 30 days.

So, how will this thing shake out?

Logic says the Pistons should be the fresher of the two teams and could pick up a vital road win along the way. Interestingly, in the three regular season meetings, each team won on the other’s home court before the Celtics won the rubber match in Boston back in March. However, I can’t see a team led by The Big Ticket not being fired up for a playoff game. What this series is going to come down to are the players on the court, and that’s why this is must watch TV.

Look at these battles: Allen and Rip are two of the game’s best pure shooters. Will Allen find his scoring touch? Will Hamilton be able to find open shots against Boston’s suffocating defense?

Prince is an elite defender and will hound Pierce who showed the rest of the world what Boston fans already know: The Truth is damn good. Will Prince make another one of his highlight reel blocks? Will Pierce give us a encore in Game 1?

Wallace and Garnett are two intense players that have the size to play in the post and can score from the perimeter. Can these two keep their emotions in check? Can Wallace draw Garnett out from the paint and disrupt the Boston defense? Can Garnett have his on the offensive block?

Then there’s the battle between Billups and Rajon Rondo. Rondo’s flown under the radar and is an emerging star in the league. Billups is a perennial All-Star who’s no stranger to the big stage and big shots. In the first regular season meeting, he thoroughly outplayed Rondo and won the game by drawing a foul with .01 seconds left. In the third meeting, Rondo was the man and controlled the tempo of the game. Will the grizzled veteran emerge or will the a member of the NBA’s next generation push through to the Finals?

Who has the better bench? The Pistons come with rookie Rodney Stuckey at the point, Jarvis Hayes and the constantly improving Jason Maxiell, who’s started six playoff games.

The Celtics counter with Cassell and Eddie House at the point, Posey as a defensive specialist and three-point shooter and Leon Powe, Glen Davis and P.J. Brown down low. Brown scored 10 in Sunday’s Game 7 win and gives the team a solid veteran off the bench. Will Rivers go with the vets or the hot hand?

The answers will be revealed in the next week and half. Do yourself a favor … grab a six pack, rock your favorite NBA throwback, lace up the Reebok Pumps and get ready to enjoy some hardcore basketball.

And in case you are wondering, the Celtics win in six.