The weekend brought some clarity with regards to which 8 teams would be competing in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but there is still some jockeying for position going on for slots 5-8. While the Pistons await the results to discover their first-round oppenent (the 8th seed), we want to know who you would like to see them play. We asked a similar question previously, back when things were still a bit unsettled. This time around, your choices are:
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a) Washington Wizards
Pistons season record against: 0-2 (with one game left to play on Wednesday at the Palace)
Most memorable moment of the season series: Matt and I watching the ‘Zards stomp the Pistons at the phone booththe former MCI Center turned Verizon Center in Washington, DC, and Matt’s subsequent post, displaying an almost eerie foresight into the ‘Zards playoff fate (achieved using a free t-shirt and Microsoft Paint).
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b) Indiana Pacers
Pistons’ season record against: 3-1
Most memorable moment of the season series: Jermaine O’Neal claiming that he wanted a piece of the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. O’Neal’s statements are humorous on so many levels: 1) he was basically advocating slipping into the playoffs (injuries or not, you have to shoot for higher than .500 ball); 2) Flip’s subsequent shrugging off of O’Neal; 3) the Pistons statement-making smackdown of the Pacers last weekend as the regular season wound down. Meanwhile the Pacers’ making the playoffs probably delayed this team’s implosion by about ten days.
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c) Milwaukee Bucks
Pistons’ season record against: 3-0 (with one game left to play, tonight in Milwaukee)
Most memorable moment of the season series: Aside from the Pistons’ frantic second-half comeback on March 31, the Rasheed Wallace/Andrew Bogut back-and-forth (and-back-and-forth-and-back) with the guys over at Milwaukee Bucks Diary (our favorite Milwaukee Bucks blog) was entertaining as the season wore on. The discussion was one born of boredom, but it is always interesting to get an intelligent enemy perspective of the Boys in Blue.
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d) Chicago Bulls
Pistons season record against: 4-0
Most memorable moment of the season series: The war of words between Bulls coach Scott Skiles and Flip Saunders, Rip Hamilton, et al, following a chippy 95-87 Pistons win in Chi-town on February 24. The game featured an awkward shoving match between Kirk Hinrich and Rip — two guys who should never be starting shoving matches with anyone other than each other, as well as Skiles saying the following about the Pistons:
“They literally complain about every call all night long,” Skiles said. “They are having a great year doing it. I’m not sure what that says.”
Good times.
Have an opinion on the topic that requires more than a simple mouse-click to express? Pick up the discussion in the comments.
I voted for Washington and here’s why: As the clock ticked to 0:00 at the end of the Scrimmage in Toronto, the camera showed Chauncey standing up from the bench and walking towards the locker room. Blaha (or whoever was on the air) made a halfway insightful comment about the expression on Billups’ face - he can’t wait for the regular season to be over. The second half of this season has been marked by boredom on the part of our starting 5. Now that Tayshaun’s game is back, and McDyess is rolling strong, I think we’re going see some ass-kicking like we haven’t seen in a while.
What better way to focus on playoff basketball than to start by sweeping a team that spent a good chunk of the season thinking they have your number?
Good point, Pat. It would be great to exact some real revenge for the regular season series against the Wiz. A little resistance might be good for the Pistons as well, (and Washington’s resistance has less chance of resulting in injury, as opposed to a more physical team like Chicago).
Also, I have my selfish reasons — I’d love to see the ‘Zards in the first round so that I could then sell my soul for a couple tickets to the games here at the phone booth.
I vote for the Wizards too! Ian, we’ll definitely have to find a way to sneak into the MCI Center. By the way, I had NO idea it was renamed. Doesn’t the metro stop still say MCI Center - news to me!
I’ll take the Bucks. Roll you once (2004), roll you twice (2006?), because we roll like dat.
I voted for the Wiz as well. I actually think the Bulls would be the toughest though. Truthfully, I don’t care and just can’t wait for the playoffs to start!
Another way to look at this is:
The Pistons winning in the first round, regardless of the opponent, is an inevitability. But who do we think could best beat down Miami or Jersey in the 7 and 6 seeds (respectively)? I think a Wiz/Heat matchup would be amazing, and an Indy/Jersey matchup would be great too.
As good as the Nets have looked, they are faced with some makeup handicaps (lack of size, rebounding) that will only be further exploited in the playoffs by anyone with a decent frontcourt.
Bulls. I think it’ll be more interesting than other matchups because of the drama and tension that existed between the two clubs in the regular season. Sheed v. Nocioni, Sheed v. Skiles, Rip v. Hinrich.
i say chicago… for selfish reasons quite similar to ian’s.
but i do, in fact, believe that a bulls/pistons first round series would be kind of cool. i agree with everything fadel said… i think that the pistons would win handily, but part of what makes the playoffs exciting (sometimes) is when there’s an extra tension between two teams. so lets see the pistons play a chippy team that’s gonna fight their butts off (despite the inevitable spanking).
p.s. matt and ian, the site rocks. this is my first time posting, but i visit every day. you guys are doing awesome work.