Ready to rumble
Celtics and Pistons are set for a classic matchup
PREVIEW. Just like old times, the Celtics and Pistons square off with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. While this is the first rodeo for the new-look Celtics, the Pistons are making their sixth consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference finals and won the title in 2004. Here is a breakdown of the key matchups in this series:Center
This is a position in which each team’s starter might not finish the game. Antonio McDyess is often relieved by Jason Maxiell, and Kendrick Perkins has recently fallen out of favor in the second half for P.J. Brown. Perkins, however, had a 10-point, 20-rebound performance in a regular-season win against the Pistons on March 5. Perkins and McDyess are similar in that they’re both in the game for defense over offense.
Edge: Slightly to Celtics
Power Forward
It would be in the Celtics’ best interest to pound the ball inside to Kevin Garnett time and again with the intention of getting the volatile Rasheed Wallace to get in foul trouble. Garnett averaged a team-high 24.0 points per game against the Pistons this season. The Pistons’ offense is most effective when Wallace gets hot with his outside jumper because then they can really spread the floor and are an excellent passing team. Wallace averaged 16.0 points and hit 8-of-19 3-pointers against the Celtics in the regular season.
Edge: Celtics
Small Forward
Paul Pierce and Tayshaun Prince have had some great one-on-one matchups in the past with Pierce’s scoring ability (35.0 points in the last two home games, and 15.0 points against the Pistons this season) and Prince’s defense. Prince has long arms, quick feet and is very good at keeping players in front of him on defense. If this series goes six or seven games, these two will need to be separated more than a few times.
Edge: Celtics
Shooting Guard
Not quite sure where Ray Allen has disappeared to, but he better make sure he doesn’t get lost in all of the screens set for Richard Hamilton, who is a deadly jump shooter and is averaging a team-high 21.5 points in the playoffs. Allen, meanwhile, is averaging 9.0 points in the last eight playoff games and is shooting 16.2 percent from 3-point range in the last nine games.
Edge: Pistons
Point Guard
Each will try to exploit the other’s mismatch. Rajon Rondo is much quicker than Chauncey Billups and will be more effective, as always, by running up the court and darting through the paint. Billups, who missed the Pistons’ last two games with a strained right hamstring, will use his size to overpower Rondo on the other end. Billups was also the 2004 NBA Finals MVP and will almost certainly get the ball at the end of tight games.
Edge: Pistons
Bench
The Celtics have a deeper bench than the Pistons, especially with the emergence of P.J. Brown and Doc Rivers’ renewed faith in Eddie House. Don’t be surprised to see Sam Cassell regain some of those minutes to match up with Chauncey Billups, though. Plus, James Posey and the Leon Powe-Glen Davis combination doesn’t tend to falter. But Detroit has a couple gems in Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey. Maxiell is an energy guy with inside defensive presence, and Stuckey is a promising young point guard who has scored 13.3 points in the last three games.
Edge: Celtics
Coaching
Doc Rivers and Flip Saunders have both taken their share of heat in their respective cities, and Saunders took a lot of blame for failing to take Garnett and the Timberwolves on more than one playoff run during his tenure. While Rivers has fallen into some strange substitution patterns in the postseason, he’s not afraid to stick with what he feels is working, and that paid off huge in Game 7 against the Cavs.
Edge: Celtics
How we see it
This is a throwback playoff series that could very well define a new generation of basketball — two teams with swagger, superstars, physical defense and perfect role players. This is the best season the NBA has had since Michael Jordan left the Bulls 10 years ago, and the Celtics-Pistons rivalry played a large hand in that. Home court will again be the deciding factor for the Celtics, who win an all-time classic series in seven games.