Before this season, Jeff Clark from CelticsBlog took on the monumental task of organizing a huge community effort to preview every team in the league. Now that the season's over, it's fun to look back to see how close to (or how far from) hitting the mark the participating bloggers were.
To make the job easier looking at everyone's predictions, Jason Gurney put together a sortable chart over at Ballhype -- I'm proud to say Ian and I were among the better prognosticators: we predicted 55 wins and the Pistons finished with 53.
That difference of two wins puts us in rare company -- only three other sites were closer: Pounding the Rock nailed the Spurs wins with 58, while Golden State of Mind and Phoenix Suns Rising & Miss Gossip (a collaborative guess) each came within one.
When you're done with that, you may also enjoy taking a retrospective look at DBB's own season previews, both for the team and the entire league (The Association in less than 100).
Also in October, ESPN.com asked bloggers from each team, "What would it take for you to get a tattoo of the Pistons' logo on your chest?" Our answer:
Joe Dumars won two titles in Detroit's backcourt and a third in the front office, but there's still one blemish on his résumé: failing to develop and retain rotation players.
So let Nazr Mohammed average a double-double. Let Flip Murray score off the bench. Let Carlos Delfino mimic fellow Argentinean Manu Ginobili. And let Jason Maxiell remind us of a similarly undersized and recently departed afro'd ex-Piston.
I'll not only tattoo "Pistons" on my chest, but "Bulls" and "Heat" on my ... well, you get the point.
Never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Nazr, for being the disappointment you were. Natalie from Need4Sheed didn't get off so easily:
If Jason Maxiell struts his stuff, opponents will stop Fearing the Fro and start being Menaced by Maxiell. If he can block just one of Ben Wallace's shots when the Pistons meet the Bulls, I'm off to get inked.
I've chided Natalie about her pending ink job, but it looks like both she and Ryan from HoopsAddict might make good on the wager late this summer