really crazy that the Pistons can't get anything going this series. sure orlando might be a bit better than the regular season standings say, but detroit was so, so good all year.
casual fans who have not watched more regular season basketball this year, might wonder themselves how Detroit managed to win 60 games this year? Are they truly not as good as the record suggestion, or is Orlando really better than a typical 8th seed, or is Orlando just a nightmare matchup for the Pistons?
IMO, I feel like it's a symptom of both.
After the moves they made during the Summer/off-season, signing Desmond Bane, etc, The Orlando Magic before the season began, many sports analysts (especially on ESPN) picked them to make it to the top of the Eastern Conference and had them as a top-3 seed in the East, but obviously, the season didn't play out that way. The Magic, who many expected to be a strong team in the East, came out sluggish out of the Gates and they were frustrating to Watch and inconsistent all season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both missed a lot of games because of longterm injuries and had to take time to recover from them.
I think the pistons , while still a good but flawed team , might've overachieved a bit.
They started the season hot during October, November, and December, when the rest of the Eastern Conference was still figuring itself out. New York was supposed to be THE team to beat, but then Detroit, Boston, and a few others outperformed the Knicks because of their slow start.
The Pistons weren't supposed to be here in the sense of being the number 1 seed, winning 60 games, etc., at best they were projected to be a 45+ win team and maybe a 5-7 seed. The Magic are better than what their record suggests, but they went through a lot of injuries, ups and downs throughout the season.
really crazy that the Pistons can't get anything going this series. sure orlando might be a bit better than the regular season standings say, but detroit was so, so good all year.
Cade played at a legit All-NBA level and their role players bought in and played hard as shyt for all 82 games
It’s not the first time we’ve seen the star guard + defensive role players build regress in the playoffs. A lot of people called it but admittedly I thought they would at least get past the 1st round
Orlando had been up and down all season, but their last 5 games (play-in vs. Charlotte + these four playoff games against detroit) might be the best 5 game stretch they’ve had all year. They just flipped the switch and are peaking at the right time.
Basically a team that overachieved in the regular season matched up with a team that underachieved, and the team that underachieved is finally playing like people thought they would.
The problems for Detroit are pretty simple:
1.) By far the biggest issue is Duren turning into a pumpkin. It's tough to compensate for your 20/10 center turning into Chris Mihm.
2.) The shooting. We knew they were limited from the perimeter but they just need one guy to start knocking down some threes. Harris is getting a lot of wide open looks and can't hit anything. JB has to dust off Levert and Huerter in game five.
I give Cade's turnovers grace because he rushed back from a collapsed lung + the lack of shooters around him , but Duren disappearing is inexcusable. I never expected much frim
Tobias Harris anyway , he is a limited player- it is What it is. He is not a player who moves the needle at all. In Philly he never had a genuine impact on the team . Just Cant believe the sixers management/ownership back then chose him over Jimmy butler.
