As expected, The Boston Celtics will be facing the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals. The paths that both teams traveled to get to this point were not the blueprints that the regular season laid out for. The Celtics came into the playoffs with the best overall record of 66-16. They also had the best road record in the league with a record of 31-10. We would have never believed the Celtics had 31 wins on the road with their record away from home in the playoffs. The Celtics have lost all six games on the road throughout the Playoffs. The up and coming Atlanta Hawks gave the veterans from beantown all that they could handle. The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James gave their best effort and almost made it back to the conference Finals. Paul Pierce out dueled James in a memorable game seven that saw both superstars pour in over 40 points apiece. The Celtics will have to find a way to win on the road if the want to hang another championship banner above the parquet floor. The Detroit Pistons are back in their sixth straight conference Final. For most teams in the league getting this far would be a successful campaign. For a veteran team that has stayed together as long as the Pistons have, one championship has been a disappointment. With father time knocking on the door, the window of opportunity is shrinking for a second championship. The Philadelphia 76ers and there losing record during the season, gave the Pistons all they could handle before folding in six games. The Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard had high expectations of advancing in the playoffs. The Detroit frontcourt neutralized Howard and the Piston bench came up huge in the absence of injured point guard Chauncey Billups. The Pistons will need to have Billups healthy and be able to win on the road the way they did in Philadelphia and Orlando. I believe that the playoff is the second season in the NBA. The regular season is a long drawn out schedule that has the rigor of grueling travel and the objective of staying healthy for the playoffs. The playoffs is a tournament that is based on seven games series that ultimately will decide with of the t]-pjuwo teams was the better at that moment and rewarded with advancement towards the championship. Let’s take a look at the starting five of each team and break it down by position and see who has the advantage. Because certain players performances rise or fall in the playoffs, The playoff statistics will be used to evaluate the positions. Point Guard The report out of Detroit is that Billups has healed well and will be ready to go. If Billups is healthy, The Pistons have a huge advantage. Billups is averaging 15.8 points and 5.7 assists in the playoffs. The Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo has played well scoring 11.1 points a game and dishing out 6.6 assists. On paper Billups scores a bit more while Rondo more teammates involved. Physically Billups has 30 lbs on Rondo and knows how to use his size to his advantage. Late in the game, Rondo will have a hard tome stopping the bigger Billups. Advatage: Pistons Shooting Guard So far in the playoffs, the big three for Boston has not shown up. Ray Allen has gone missing. Actually, he has been on the court, but his jump shot has no wher to be found. In the Playoffs Allen is shooting .385 from the floor and .319 from beyond the arc. Ray Allen is in his 11th season in the NBa and has been slowed by multiple ankle injuries. Allen will have the difficult task of chasing Rip hamilton around the court. No players works harder or runs around more on the court than Hamilton. Rip is averaging a team leading 21.5 points per contest on .445 shooting from the floor. Hamilton will wear out Allen when the Pistons have the ball, Hamilton is a solid defender that can stay with Allen. Advanatge: Pistons Small Forward Paul Pierce put the team on his shoulders in the Celtics 97-92 victory over the Cavaliers Pierce lit up the scoreboard for 40 points in game seven to ensure a trip to the conference finals. In the first two series Pierce has averaged 18.7 and has hit .377 from 3-point land. Tayshaun Prince is second on the team chipping 16 points on .562 shooing from the floor. Despite being an efficient scorer, Prince is the best defender on the team and will have the task of slowing Pierce down. Pierce is the better player but has to come through. If Prince keeps Pierce in check, The Celtics will be hard pressed to get to the NBA Finals. Advanatge: Celtics Power Forward Kevin Garnett, the Defensive Player of The Year, has kept up his solid play in the payoffs. Garnett is averaging a team best 20.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Garnett is playing all out on both ends of the court and is the heart and emotional leader of the team. Garnett comes to play every game. Rasheed Wallace is just as talented with the ablitiy to score in the paint or from beyond the arc. However, Wallace has problems staying composed and keeping his head in the game. When he is focused he can play with Garnett. Wallace is averaging 13.9 points and six rebounds per contest. When Wallace is being called for technicals and arguing with the officals, the Piston offense struggles to score points in the paint. Garnett is one of the best at his postion. Advantage: Celtics Center Neither team has a true center in the line up that can score with their back to the basket. Celtic Kenrick Perkins is a big body in the paint that lacks scoring ability. Perkins is averaging 6.3 points per gane to go along with 5.7 boards. The Pistons have the more athletic of the two in Antonio McDyess. McDyess is averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Experience will be difference between these two. McDyess has been in the playoffs and is versatile enough to help out on Garnett. Advatage: Pistons Series Result: Pistons in six games.
 

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