Anybody read this article in the Freep?
http://www.freep.com/sports/pistons/drew5_20040405.htm
I suppose he raises some good points, but I definately don't entirely agree. I think having that psychological advantage is important and to be swept during the season series is something you want to avoid. Now instead of the popular thought that the Pistons are questioning whether they can beat the the Pacers or not, there's got to be a small question in the Pacers heads whether or not they can beat the Pistons with Rasheed Wallace. Confidence is important in the NBA and it seems that Mr. Sharp is ruling that out.
Lindsey Hunter makes a good point:
Quote:
|
"It's a no-win situation for us," Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter said. "We know that a win doesn't make for any gauge about what you might expect should we face them again in the conference finals. It's a late regular-season game. But people made too big a deal about this game because if we lost, I'm sure you'd be asking us why we've been unable to beat them all year."
|
Sort of a Catch-22. It is a late regular season game, but I think you want to be playing your best basketball of the season at the end of the year heading into the playoffs. Right now, riding a 5 game winning streak and following that long streak of beating teams by 15-plus points, I think the Pistons are playing their best basketball of the season. Is it better to play like this at the start of the season, and then play bad basketball at the end of the season? I think not. Comparing this team to the Detroit Red Wings from last year, the Wings coasted into the playoffs. And what happened? They were eliminated by an Anaheim Mighty Ducks team riding goaltender Jean Sebastian Giguere in the playoffs. Mind you, the Ducks couldn't even manage to make the playoffs this year. The Pistons do not want to follow this act and coast into the playoffs. Late season games do mean something in that they get you ready for the playoffs. So I say it's imperative that the Pistons keep rolling on winning games and playing good team basketball.
Drew Sharp then goes on to comment on Jermaine O'Neal's condition, saying he was playing at half speed and he's basically going to be coasting through the regular season into the playoffs. Hey Drew, how about a little credit for Ben Wallace who would not allow Jermaine O'Neal to have the ball in the post? Ben Wallace played an awesome man on man defensive game, and yet Drew Sharp is going to write about Jermaine O'Neal and make excuses for his poor play. If Jermaine O'Neal is aching so badly, then why did he get 23 points and 14 rebounds in his
first game back from injury against the Miami Heat? Is the pain getting worse? If that were the case, should the Pacers not be shutting O'Neal down for the regular season and making sure he is ready for the playoffs? I don't buy it. O'Neal didn't have a poor game on Sunday simply because of his injury. Ben Wallace forced Jermaine O'Neal to have a bad game.
Then continuing to read the article I can only chuckle at a "point" Sharp makes.
Quote:
|
And their teams, Cleveland and Denver, probably won't qualify for the playoffs this season.
|
I agree on Cleveland. Mark my words, the Cleveland Cavaliers will not make the playoffs. It's a pipedream. But Denver? Is there some sort of reason he is ruling out the Nuggets? Last I checked, Denver was back to playing good basketball. The race is down to basically two teams (Denver and Utah). I would be completely shocked if the Portland Trailblazers made the playoffs. Their schedule is absolutely brutal. The schedule for the Jazz includes 2 home games and 2 away games. 3 of those games are against +.500 teams including road games against the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver has 5 games remaining, but 4 against +.500 teams. If you take a look more closely at the schedule though you would see that two of those games are against Portland and a sliding Sacramento Kings team. To me it's a dead heat on who will make the playoffs, I don't see any "probably's" about it. It's almost as if he threw this little comment in there without even thinking about it. Mr. Sharp, not only are you wrong about this statement, but you are wrong about alot of things.
Drew Sharp states the win meant 'little'.
Linear Mode
