Detroit Pistons 2006-07 Preview
For eighty-two games last season, the Detroit Pistons were the best team in
the NBA. Now, just a few months later, they find themselves on the heels of a
disappointing playoff loss to the Miami Heat and without their defensive anchor,
Ben Wallace.
The biggest strength of the Pistons is their starting guards. Chauncey
Billips was fourth in the league in assists last season with 8.6 per game, while
at the same time leading all players in assists to turnover ratio at 4.09 per
game. Shooting guard Richard Hamilton continues to be a constant threat for
twenty points each game. Hamilton excels at catching and shooting the ball
leaving him as a perfect compliment to Billups.
The starting three and four positions bring familiarity as well, with both
Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace returning for the 2006/07 season. Tayshaun
averaged just over fourteen points a game last season, and will be expected to
do even more in his fifth season. On the other hand, Rasheed Wallace must do his
best to not regress further than he did by last season's end. After playing well
throughout the regular season, Rasheed's mediocre play in the postseason was a
major factor in the six-game series loss to the Heat.
Replacing the biggest hole on the team will be no easy task for newcomer Nazr
Mohammed. While Nazr is nowhere near the defensive predator Ben Wallace was, his
offensive game is more polished. In his last stint with consistent playing time,
Nazr posted 10.9 points per game and 8.1 rebounds a game. Detroit expects
similar results from the former Kentucky Wildcat.
The Pistons bench has the potential to be a very productive group. Veteran
Antonio McDyess has been a consistent scoring threat for two straight seasons as
a sixth man. Newly signed Ronald "Flip" Murray is another player who can provide
a spark off the bench. He averaged 13.5 points in the final 28 games when he was
traded to Cleveland. Finally, Carlos Delfino is a potential energy player who
has yet to develop his potential.
Patrolling the sidelines will be second-year head coach Flip Saunders.
Saunders has long had a reputation of being an excellent regular season coach
who can't adjust for the playoffs. Entering his second season with the Pistons
after a familiar collapse, Saunders will be joined by former Bucks head coach
Terry Porter, who was hired by Joe Dumars to light a fire under the team.
The Pistons have their work cut out for them, but they still have enough
talent to win games with a higher dedication to offense.
