While the national media is jumping on the Miami bandwagon, Fad is bucking the trend and picking Indy: Aka (Indianapolis): I know everyone thinks that the Pacers are a solid team but it seems to me they are being underrated so far. The team is loaded top to bottom and before the brawl they were dominating all comers even with injury problems. Chad Ford: (1:03 PM ET ) I agree. I know Miami made the biggest moves this summer and the Pistons are the two time defending Eastern Conference champs ... but my money is on the Pacers. They have the motivation. They have a great coahc. They have two all-stars. Jamaal Tinsley emerged as a real threat last season. They have some interesting young players like David Harrison, Danny Granger and, if healthy, Jonathan Bender. And their off-season pick up of Sarunas Jasikevicius was under rated. I think Miami might end the season with more wins. But I expect to see the Pacers battling the Spurs in the Finals this year. I think it would be a great match-up.
I have to agree with Fad I pick Indy to advance past Detroit. We definitely lost something in the coahc-ing department. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050928/SPORTS04/509280394/1088
Hey Microwave, I thought you were like the ultimate Piston fan. How can you dismiss the Pistons already without even seeing one regular season game. Marc Stein and Ric Bucher still think that the Pistons have what it takes to go to the Finals a third straight time. C'mon man not you too, have some faith in us the season hasn't even started yet.
Ha Ha, ok you got me, I was getting scared there for a moment. Indiana past us they have to beat us first for me to even consider they could ever beat us in a seven game series. Miami that goes for you too, lol.
Indy I think people are underestimating Indy but they still have to prove they can win games to get to the finals and not fold during crunch time. Mr. Jermaine O'Neal needs to not choke during big games and his mentally challenged teammate Ron Artest needs to not have a meltdown when the game is on the line and do something stupid. Those are tough things to ask for.
I say we will beat the pacers in 6 games again if we play them because it basically evens out we have a worse coach (still good), but Artest (if he's even playing) will have to deal with a much better Prince than 2 years ago.
Hoopshype likes the Pacers, too Got 'em picked first in the division and first in the conference. http://www.hoopshype.com/previews/indiana.htm
Indy........ I think too that Indy is our main competition. That meaning that they could beat us. Could being the key word there. THey could win the division and be number one in the east. Bottom line, they have to win against us and win in the playoffs to reach the finals, which they haven't done yet.
Great coach? As much as I liked what Carlisle did with the Piston roster he had, I think he got his whities yanked down around his ankles last November. I'm sorry but his team proved an emotional basket case. A ticking time bomb. A swirling hairball. (oops went a little overboard) A great coach exerts more personal control and instills a sense of team discipline. Last November he was exposed as a coach without either the insight, communication skills or sensitivity to sense what was about to happen. His personal failure, his not stepping out and man-handling Stephen Jackson is really what lit the fuse. People can talk about what Ron Artest did after the drink was tossed, but it was Jackson that incited the near riot prior to that happening. Carlisle is a good coach. But in my book, he hasn't proven he has the ability to be a great coach. His leadership under fire was tested and his house burnt down....:P
We don't have a proven coach either, but we have proven players unlike Indy. I think our experience, and toughness is going to beat the Pacers this year. Plus Ron has pulled off 2 stupid things against the Pistons that cost them 2 chances at an NBA Championship: the brawl, and 2 years ago there was maybe 50 seconds left in game 6, and we were up by 3 and Artest goes off, and punches Rip. Rip makes the free-throw we keep the ball, and that basically clinched the game. Imagine what would happen if they got it in overtime.
.... Hmm, I do think Rick Carlisle is a great coach. He does well with the team he is given. Like his Indy team now, though his players are somewhat unstable emotionally, he still coaches them great on the basketball court. He gets them to overachieve and play beyond their abilities. Take a look at Jeff Foster, and if I'm not mistaken he got Austin Croshere that fat contract when he was Larry Bird's assistant. Indiana will be our main competition this year, in my opinion. The Heat a distant second. Indiana does things to improve their team instead of retooling to beat us, like the Heat just did. Though I am suspect of Jasikevicius' ability at the NBA level, and I'm hoping he lives up to my expectations and be a flop, Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest are still our main problems, with Tinsley fast coming on. Proven or not proven, our players are good and so are theirs with their system. A scary thought is that they could use the Pistons to prove to everybody that they are a team to be reckoned with so that's what we don't want. We'd be eating our not-proven words , but I'm looking forward to us frustrating them again. Go Detroit!
watch out for Indy!!! Lotta folks forget that they were tappin' that @ss before we got into that brawl (which consequently was the last time they were movin' on all cylnders). We are going to have our hands full but I fully expect us to rise to the occasion.
Exactly YEah, Exactly....I don't mean to say that they will beat us, I just know that the Pistons are gonna be at their best when we play them in the season or in the playoffs. And to beat us they are gonna have to raise their level of play beyond their own abilities to beat us, which they haven't done yet. So here's to them not finding how. :P
Take a look at the Nbadraft.net preseason preview of the Pacers. http://nbadraft.net/2005-06pacers001.asp
