Ok, I'll buy that to a degree... of course the playoffs doesn't require as many minutes for the bench (same problem with LB)... however the bench was coming on near the end of the year... I thought they should have stuck with the same rotation they were comfortable with... when he finally got back to it the subs were rusty.... no doubt a mistake.

We had Miami gaurding no one on defense. Sheed couldn't be SHEED because of his messed up ankle. Ben cna't do too much on the offensive end exept get 2nd chance points and set screens, and Chauncey couldn't make a bucket to save his life. Plus Rip couldn't do much until the last game. We had only a couple guys perform and that won't cut it. I don't see us playing as bad as we did next year come playoff rime unless Ben leaves.

This is what really happened.

Sure sounds like the same thing to me. Remember the fourth quarter of game six when the team started to play as if they really wanted to win? It was too little, and way too late, but that team might have lost to the Heat once, maybe twice on their way to another finals appearance.

Nice guys can win a championship. But if you want to repeat, you're got to know (started to say believe, but that's too soft) you're the biggest bad-ass on the planet and be willing to do everything you can to prove it each and every night - and that means sending messages to the good teams every time you play them, and just crushing the ever loving crap out of the also rans any time they are foolish enough to show up in the same gym as you. The Bad Boys had that, and Jordan had enough of it for any two dozen guys. Bird would pull your heart out and show it to you before stepping on it as he walked away.

Nice guys don't repeat and what we have here is a bunch of nice guys.

__________________
"But first, are you experienced? Or have you you ever been experienced? Well, I have."
Jimi

You think this team is nice? Why do you think other teams hate us? We're not nice, but what this team is is a team that won't step on the other teams throat when they have a chance. Its cost them these last 2 years, lets hope they've finally learned.

Yeah, I guess I do. I don't see a consistent why are you even on the floor with me killer instinct. People were talking about the Pistons' swagger when they were winning all those games early on, but I didn't see a swagger, just a hot jump shooting team that turned out to be way too pleased with itself. There were way too many games last year won at half time or by the third quarter that turned into close ones because no one was willing to stop on somebody's throat.

I think these guys want to be liked, and don't care so much if they're feared. Getting to the finals three years in a row is incredibly hard. You have to have skills, chemistry, a boatload of good luck in the injury department, and a drive so strong that you let nothing get in your way. I don't even know if that's humanly possible to sustain for more than a couple of years. But, I don't think these guys had it this year.

__________________
"But first, are you experienced? Or have you you ever been experienced? Well, I have."
Jimi

They had it at first, but they won so much they lost it.

A lil premature winulation?

I dont expect that next season. I actually think the Pistons will start off very slow next season and fans will get worried.

I recently sprained my ankle severyly playing bball (on Tuesday). It has made me realize how hard it must have been for Sheed to come back without missing a game. And also, how much his mobility must have been affected when he was playing.

No matter what Arnie Kander injected me with, there is no way that I could even jog. And I'm pretty sure that Sheed's sprain was just as bad.

So, I will go easy on him and quit advocating trading him.