Weekly Preview

The Pistons should get a chance to really fine tune some things this week as well as get some playing time for the bench in preparation for the playoffs. Here is a brief look at their next 3 games.

• Tue. 4/1 @ Minnesota - 8pm - My TV20 - The T-Wolves have been really tough this season, April Fools! Seriously though, the young Wolves have stepped it up against some of the tougher NBA teams this year. Al Jefferson is a beast inside and will be a good test for our big men.
• Fri. 4/4 vs New Jersey - 8pm - FSND - The Nets are fighting for their playoff lives so expect a battle. While Devin Harris is no Jason Kidd, he still pushes the ball and scores at a much higher clip than Kidd. Look for Stuckey to get some run against a fellow scoring, up-tempo PG.
• Sun. 4/6 @ Miami - 1pm - ABC - This game is slated for national TV, however much like their home game against the Heat was yanked from TNT, I wouldn't be surprised if the same happens here as this game will pretty much be meaningless for both teams. We'll look for an update if that happens. I still want to see the game; watching the Pistons beat up on the Heat makes me so happy!

Pistons Rope and Tie Up the Cavs!

This game was definitely fun to watch. The Pistons were ready from the opening tip and didn't let up the entire night. Their defensive was especially impressive. I was worried a little bit that Cleveland would come out of the half with a vengeance. Chauncey put those fears to rest quickly as he scored 7 straight on Damon Jones (self-proclaimed best dressed player in the NBA). Needless to say, he can't play defense.

Another thing I've noticed about Cleveland is they have not played as well since the trade. Don't get me wrong, I'm not feeling sorry for them. It's nice to see other teams try so desperately to keep up with the Pistons and not be able to make the right deals. It just makes me appreciate the job Joe Dumars has done that much more.

Pistons Cool off the Heat - Clinch Division Title

Well, thanks to our friends at TNT, unless you saw this one live at the Palace, you didn't see it at all. I was one of those angry fans. Because the Heat have really fallen from grace, this one was pulled from national TV. Oh well, while following the game on-line it appeared not to be too pretty anyway. Aaron Afflalo had a career night with 15 points. Let me say, with all the buzz around Stuckey, I am continually impressed with AA. He plays solid defense, has good size, doesn't turn it over and plays very smart. He plays within himself, never trying to do to much. I think the future of the Pistons backcourt looks to be in good hands with our 2 stellar rookies.

On another note, the Pistons clinched another Central Division title. I know a lot of us spoiled Piston fans are ho-hum about this achievement. But lets take a moment to reflect and appreciate what this team continues to achieve. I believe the Pistons are in as good as a position as they've been in a long time. They have a young, athletic bench that really gets after it. This will be a huge asset this post-season. An asset we haven't had since 2003-04.

Pistons look Jurassic in visit to Raptors

Let me say this first off, the Pistons better pray that they don't have any playoff games scheduled on a Wednesday. Last night's loss makes it 6 losses in a row on Wednesdays. The Pistons looked out of sync all night. It wasn't until Stuckey and Amir teamed up for a 4th quarter run that we started to look like we had something going. Rasheed and Chauncey both posted good numbers but missed 3-pointers when it counted in the 4th. This last full month of the season has been the most inconsistent all season. Flip needs to find a way to right the ship and get us on a roll heading into the playoffs.

As mentioned yesterday, the Pistons magic number was 2 to clinch the Central Division. By virtue of Cleveland's loss last night we now have a tie for the division and can clinch it outright with a win tonight at home versus woeful Miami. The game will be televised nationally on TNT at 8pm. However, don't look for the Pistons to be too excited with a division clinching win this evening. Chauncey said after last nights loss that division titles and even Eastern Conference titles don't matter much anymore. And as Rasheed would say, It's all about that "ship"(championship for those of you who don't speak Rasheed.) Let's continue to keep that focus fellas and get it done as Champs in 2008!

Pistons North of the Border Tonight

The Pistons will look to break their recent streak of ineptness on Wednesdays tonight in Toronto. Coming into tonight's game, our boys have lost 5 games in a row on Wednesdays. I don't know why it is, but for some reason we can't get over hump day.

Toronto comes into the game losers of 2 straight and fighting to get out of the 7th spot in the East. If the playoffs started today, this would be your first round matchup. However, Toronto is only 1 game out of the 5th spot. As a potential 1st round matchup, the Pistons need to send a message tonight. Rip will be a game time decision with the sore hip. But, as we saw on Monday, Afflalo and Stuckey will be prepared to step up if called upon.

On another note, the Pistons magic number to clinch the Central Division title is 2. That means any combination of Piston wins and Cleveland losses. We have a definite shot of making this happen tonight. We have a very winnable game in Toronto and the Cavs face a tough test at home with the Hornets coming to town.

The Sun doesn't shine in Detroit

These aren't very "Sunny" days in the state of Michigan. The Phoenix Suns rolled into Motown on an NBA best 7 game win-streak. Even without Rip, the Pistons provided all the firepower needed to douse the potent Suns attack. Mr. Big Shot lived up to his name going toe to toe with Steve Nash all night long. When it mattered most in OT, Chauncey continued to deliver. The stellar defense of Rasheed on Amare can't be overlooked down the stretch, especially a huge block late in OT.

It was nice to see the entire team step up in the absence of Rip and get it done against one of the top teams in the West. This game provided valuable experience for Stuckey and Afflalo. I was a little surprised that Phoenix didn't try to attack Stcukey more in overtime. However, to his credit, Rodney has proved to be up to the challenge.

Pistons Pay a Visit to the Capital City

The Pistons will be in Washington tonight looking to get back to their winning ways. The Wiz are another potential 1st round opponent for the Pistons so I'm sure they are looking at this game as a scouting opportunity. The Wiz have proved quite resilient this year despite losing Gilbert Arenas for almost the entire year and Caron Butler for a couple of long stretches. Hopefully our boys don't get caught looking ahead to their next game with the high-powered Phoenix Suns. Let's take care of business in the Capital tonight!

This game will be televised nationally at 8pm on ESPN.

C's complete Texas 3-Step

No team had swept the Texas triangle in 7 years; that is until the Celtics completed that feat last night. The Celtics took the Mavs out of their game, forcing them to play in the half court most of the night. It is becoming more apparent every game that the Pistons and Celtics are on a collision course in the Eastern Conference Finals. And believe me, the Pistons will be ready!

Wednesday Dud

The Pistons couldn't get it going in Cleveland last night. After lighting it up Tuesday against Denver, they couldn't find the basket on Wednesday. Last nights loss makes us 0and 3 on Wednesday's in the month of March. Hopefully we can buck the trend in Toronto next week.