Go Pistons?

First and foremost, I have to brag a little bit. When I made my first post a week ago I shared this little tidbit of insight:
"I've got very little to say about the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs make me so bored I want to punch myself. It's starting to look like an easy win for the Lakers. This could all change in San Antonio but don't be surprised if this series only lasts 5 games."
Okay, I didn't solve world hunger or anything cool like that but I'm still pleased with this prediction. I don't care about Kobe Bryant or the Lakers at all but I'm positively ecstatic about having an entertaining team in the Finals. The more troubling issue for me is weighing the pros and cons of whichever team wins the East.

Until the Knicks find a way to effectively wash away the stench of Isiah Thomas from The Garden, the Pistons will continue to be the only team I care about in the playoffs. Couple that with my contempt for all things Boston and I should be overwhelmingly in favor of Detroit. However, a Pistons-Lakers Finals will inevitably lead to endless clips of Isiah Thomas. I can't put into words how sick it will make me to be force-fed images of a happy and victorious Isiah Thomas. I can't do it. I can't enjoy watching the NBA Finals if every other commercial makes me want to shoot the tv and/or myself. On the other hand, a Celtics-Lakers Finals will bring hours of classic highlights and probably the best commercials this side of the Superbowl. This could actually make up for having no team to root for.

There's no way I will actually support a Boston team and I do genuinely like the Pistons so I'm sticking with them. I said they would win and I still believe that to be true. As long as they take care of business tonight, I like their chances in Game 7. I know the Celtics have already played two of them in as many series, but that doesn't come close to matching Detroit's experience. And I don't think home court advantage means much in Game 7. Jeff Van Gundy doesn't think home court advantage means anything at all. I love him to such.

The only major problem I could see for the Pistons is if Rasheed Wallace picks up a technical foul and gets suspended. Can they just tape his mouth shut tonight? I'm completely serious. Flip Saunders should tell all of the other Pistons players they have free reign to smack Sheed across the face any time he so much as looks at the refs. Other than that they should be fine. Oh, yeah. Here's hoping Billups is only as hurt as he's letting off.

One more thing: Most of what I said won't matter in two weeks because the Lakers are clearly winning the championship, right?