We've got ourselves in the same bad situation we always force ourselves into. Going into the season everyone thought flip would bring the O and not the D. So far this series the Pistons have kept the Cavs to the lower 80's even though they were a 120 point team in the first round.
So why are they down 3-2 going on the road and possibly being eliminated? The offense. Almost every fan and non piston fan thought if the Pistons would fall it would be because of their execution on the other side of the court. The defensive side, the plays that won them the ship 2 years ago. It's not over yet, but if the Pistons fall it will be because of the offense and not the defense.

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"That's the end, man." Rasheed Wallace

It doesn't make any sense. It was the ONLY REASON Flip is here. His "offensive genius", some pundits called him the best coach in the nba for offensive.

WHERE DID IT GO?

If the Pistons fall it will be because of offense, defense, coaching, mental mistakes, injuries.....................should I go on?

The defense has been okay.

No, it hasn't. The game has been played at Cleveland's pace. To win, Detroit needs to score 100+ and give up less than that.

As long as they try to play trench basketball, without a coach who is familiar with that style, or an offense that is suited more to the halfcourt power game, they will fail.

Don't get fooled by the point total. The game is purposely being slowed down (hence less scoring) to take the Pistons out of rhythm and keep them from generating offense in bunches.

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

The Cav's are playing us like...US.

i think the defense actually hasn't been bad. but i agree with you micro about the tempo and, give or take a half-dozen points,, about what a pistons-friendly final score ought to look like.

it also reminds that me Sheed's post game-5 comment that "I still don't think 1 beats 5" misses the point in a sort of alarming way. The pistons haven't playing 5 against 1. By doubling Lebron, they've wound up playing 3 or 4 against 5 (I say 3 or 4 because 2 or 3 pistons are always out of position because of their hyper-sensitivity to Lebron). 5 against 1 would mean sticking 1 guy on Lebron and letting him do his best, only helping out in the way they'd always help when someone gets beat, and shutting the rest of the Cavaliers -- who are decent, but by no means as good as we've made them look -- down. If they did that tonight (and took care of all the subsequent rebounds that would be there) -- not that I expect them too, I think the game would be a blow out.

I agree Prof. the "D" has been sufficient to win. The Cavs are not spanking us. Double teaming Lebron has given him the opportunities to get his team mates involved. These scrubs are nickel and diming the Pistons to death with 5,10, 15 points. The tempo,as Micro pointed out, needs to be more upbeat. They have played the whole season that way and they don't need to introduce a completely different offensive style. It seems to take away any semblance of flow.