If you look at it purely from statistics, of course not. But, who's to say that Rashard wouldn't have knocked down a few jumpers when everyone else was cold to prevent the Sonics from going down 11-2 early? It's not always about the final margin. If the game had been closer early on, do you really think the Spurs would have raced out to a 55-26 halftime lead? It could have been a lot closer with another big-time scorer. We'll never know what could have happened. I would just like to add that it was a 23 point blowout, not 33.
Dude, throw daggers all you want because I've been called worse around here. We can argue Rashard's impact on the series, but I guess we'll never know since he got hurt. It is MY OPINION that the *s lose the series with Rashard playing and I aint changing it. So it's a pathetic statement. Sue me. I'm gonna LOVE seeing the *s fall on their sorry asses again this year. I plan on some serious gloating. I can't wait!
No answer to Wallace? He is a very good player, but he isn't much on offense, you don't really need an answer for him. Game 1 to Detriot, but I still like Boston. Detriot has got to be one of the most overachieving teams I can remember, they are playing far better than their individual talents would suggest. They have sown together discardable pieces from across the league (Stack from Phily, Wallace & Atkins from Orlando, Robinson from PHX, Curry from somewhere, Barry via FA, Williamson via Tor/Sac) and put them together into an effective team. I have to credit their coach for getting so much out of so little, but sooner or later they will play a team that also can play a little D and has superior talent. I expect Pierce & Walker to be the core of that superior talent that catches up to them. Has anyone noticed Jon has some clutchness characteristics like his father, and Brent has some size and athletic similarities like their father, but neither one has both. In the playoffs I sure would rather have Jon, as Brent folds like a wet noodle.
Detroit has the defensive player of the year, a perenial second team all defensive player (Cliff Robinson) and a guy (Michael Curry) who's gotten votes for defensive player of the year and all defense several times starting for them. They aren't overachieving, they're defending. Eventually people will figure that out. Doesn't mean they'll beat the Celtics, but the Celtics will have to play hard and smart to beat the Pistons.
I agree the play great defense, but great defense alone usually runs out. Remember all those Riley's Heat teams that underperformed in the playoffs? Truth was, they didn't underachieve in the playoffs, but overachieved in the regular season because they played so hard defensively night in and night out (created more wins than to be expected based on their talent). But usually in the playoffs all the teams start playing defense and the defense-only teams get booted. Let us not forget Detriot barely won a 5 game series over the even more talent-limited Raptors. If Detriot had drawn any other of the lower Eastern seeds I think they would have been booted. If they can handle Boston maybe I will have misunderestimated the talent quality of their whole team--let's just wait and see.
