I have been trying to see from non Pistons fans point of view for the past week or so, but the only thing that really could go wrong with this team is our new coach Flip Saunders. Still though it's the players that decide the game and we still have the best starting 5, and flip is only going to make the bench better. So overall shouldn't we just be an even larger threat to the other top contenders?
P.S. Preseason starts October 11th

Knock on wood, a serious injury to one of our starters, or two starters being out at the same time would screw things up.

Getting away from our trademark tough defense.
Getting sloppy with the ball.
Flip Saunders flirting with his dream job in Roanoke.
Darko breaking his hand on the rim.
Lindsey Hunter as the 3rd guard (bball jay calls him the "runstopper")

Seriously, my big question mark is Chauncey Billups. He needs to provide leadership. They brought in a coach he is familiar with, Joe brought in his pal Dice last year. Joe is building this team around CB, not Ben and Chauncey needs to step up and be a leader and foundation EVERY single night.

__________________
Competition is merely the absence of oppression.
- Frédéric Bastiat

Yes the injuries would be killer, but I don't think players on our team escpecially Ben Wallace, Tayshaun, and Lindsey are going to lose their defense. I mean almost all our players had a lot of cracks in their road to and in the NBA, and that made them a lot tougher especially when they all came together on 1 team. Also I'm not worrying to much about Billups because I think LB taught Chauncey something thats going to stick with him for the rest of his career. I mean look at Iverson doesn't he look greater than any of his other seasons even his MVP year with LB there.

Knock on wood, but with our depth the Pistons could handle a lot of injuries this year, except one. McDyess has got to stay healthy, havent seen enough of Jmax to believe he's ready to be a back up PF.

2nd worst thing would be an injury to Darko. After all he's been through, a bad injury might crush any hope there is for him not to be a bust.

Someone made a nice analysis of the Pistons depth a few weeks. The Pistons are probably the deepest team in the NBA when you look at players #10-#14. After McDyess, the Pistons have huge question marks with players #7-#9. Sure, there is potential there, but if a starter goes down, now you have very little experience from your reserves.

The key for the Pistons this season, in my opinion, is how much the second unit can contribute. At this point, we don't even know which players will be a part of that rotation.

Is to lose to the Heat. I like Shaq alright, but he has had his day. And I have never liked Antoine. He has so much talent that he has just wasted over his career. Beat the Heat, make it to the Finals, and I will call it a success for Flip's first year.

They all decide to hold out and not play unless given better contracts

..anything less than a championship this year would be considered a worse case scenario. I agree that health will play a large part in our success again. I'm sure Mr. Kander has the boys ready though.

ooooooh man Wave, that's pretty insightful my man. I think he has it in him though. Pound for pound Chuancey is a beast dude. Don't even try to tell him he can't take to any one of his peers on any given night, he knows it and guess what.....so do his peers. Arenas and Iverson have mad respect for Chuancey's game as well as Frenchie. Chauncey is aas confident in his game and skills as Sam 'ET" Cassell is in his, and Sam may have the biggest head in the league, figuritively and literally. Rip and Sheed have the same attitude, and if somehow we can get Tay to realize that, then we have a winner, Ben already feels that pound for pound he's the toughest dude in the league.

KGREG,

I know he has it in him. I also know that Ben has it in him to hit more than 50% of his FTs. Like I know that Darko has it in him to be a beast in the paint and two hand slam on every weak punk he backs down.

But they gotta do it. No more talk. No more whining to the refs and taking nights/quarters off. CB has to lead, kick some butt and establish a tone that everyone else on the squad knows they have to live up to night in and night out.

CB as you said has a lot of respect from all of his peers. That puts him in the unique position of being able to parlay that respect into command authority.

Let's see what happens.

__________________
Competition is merely the absence of oppression.
- Frédéric Bastiat