DEEEEEEEEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLLLLLLLLLLLL

Prince with a nice block at the end of the game to seal the deal :>

Hamilton 16 of 16 from the free throw line

Billups hopefully to make a return in the conference finals. If not, then we will just grind this beast out.

Orlando threw the game away.. The perfect opportunity to stroll into Detroit and steal a game with Billups out.

21 turnovers by the Magic compared to 3 by the Pistons.

Is Stuckey the second coming of Billups???

He is definately a player of the future for the Pistons and is showing his maturity during the last few games with Billups mia.

Prince destroyed the Turk in this series, he should have been in the All Defensive Team IMO.

Sigh. Orlando never looked like making a serious playoff run but I was still hoping for the best.

I'm tipping Detroit for Conference champs now. The way Boston are playing at the moment, Detroit will destroy them.

Could we be looking at another potential Lakers/Pistons finals series?

After the entertainment value of this year's season we really deserve a Celtics-Lakers finals series. But it does appear that another Pistons-Spurs match up is becoming more and more likely.

Ill be real devd if that happens..

TR,

I think that Dumars drafted Stuckey in the hope that he would basically mould into the second coming of Billups - I read somewhere that Dumars advised Flip to give Stuckey a decent run while Billups is still at his peak.

The Pistons IMO have got some excellent pieces and most came from lower draft picks:

2002 - 1st round 23rd Pick Tayshaun Prince
2005 - 1st round 26th Pick Jason Maxiell
2005 - 2nd round 26th Pick Amir Johnson
2007 - 1st round 15th Pick Rodney Stuckey
2007 - 1sr round 27th Pick Arron Afflalo

They have had some stinkers, but for the most part their later round picks seem to pay off.

Orlando got about as far as they should of.
Howard is a monster but that team has a real weakness at both guard spots, unless that changes, they will be constant 1st/2nd round losers every year.
Silly having Turk and Lewis, one must go and with Lewis's salary you would think he was untradable...

Maybe try to get an upgrade at the point by packaging Turk n Nelson, then look to the draft to add a couple of power forwards...

I have read the Vasquez wants to join the Magic next season, but after screwing the Magic in the draft how could you believe the kid...

The Magic won't get much help from the draft. They have the 22nd pick in this years first round and they don't even have a gamble in the 2nd round as the pick goes to the Heat as compensation for Van Grundy.

If anything I can see the Magic go backwards at worst or remaining on par with this seasont. Dwight will continue to be superman, but they have a star being paid like a mega superstar. They are paying good money for an ordinary PG in Nelson ($7.6 mill for the next 5 years) and they are all on long term deals. Their entire bench are basically free agents (Dooling, Arroyo, Garrity, Evans), but nothing much lost if they all don't resign, but there are no huge savings by letting them walk.

In 09/10 they have over $40 million tied up in Shard, Dwight and Nelson. This is their core for a long long time and it's only good enough to get into the second round. In 11/12 they are paying the trio over $45 million.

Hedo has a ETO at the end of the 08/09 season and he'll be asking for more than the 7 mill he's currently getting.

The Magic are doomed at being one of those clubs that is good enough for the playoffs but become 1st or 2nd round exits each year.