Billups proves to be one of league's most valuable players

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Give yourself a slap on the back if, way back in November, you saw this one coming:

The Detroit Pistons, with their six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals, swept -- in embarrassing fashion -- in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

And, just as shocking, the Denver Nuggets, with their five straight first-round exits and not a run past that round since 1994, in the Western Conference finals -- even getting there before the West's heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers (who face a do-or-die Game 7 against Houston Sunday).

I, for one, didn't see it happening.

Which means, of course, that I was among the minions who didn't grasp just how valuable of a player Chauncey Billups is.

Because adding Billups, really, is all that changed personnel-wise for the Nuggets. He came over from Detroit along with Antonio McDyess, who ended up back in the Motor City, and Allen Iverson -- and all his talent -- was shipped to Detroit.

On the surface, the Pistons were getting the better player, the more athletic player, the more accomplished player.

Except for one thing -- Billups has an NBA title, not to mention a Finals MVP, while Iverson has none (and, at this point, it looks like he'll retire without a ring).

The reason for this is simple: Billups runs a team better, way better, than Iverson. He gets along better with his teammates, he helps foster a good camaraderie in the locker room.

And he builds a winning environment built on solid self-confidence.

That's the way these Nuggets, who are an impressive 8-2 in the playoffs -- a record only bested by Cleveland's dominant 8-0 mark -- are playing. They've got a swagger about them that says, "Bring it," but at the same time, they're playing with a looseness that you'd associate with an underdog.

And, believe me, they have a 50-50 shot of making the Finals, regardless of whether they take on the mighty Lakers or the Yao- and T-Mac-less, upstart Rockets in the next round.

Meanwhile, the other result of the trade was a mess. It was no secret that Joe Dumars, the Pistons G.M., had no intention of holding on to Iverson after this season. The trade was more of a looking-to-the-future move, aimed at creating valuable cap space to sign a big-time free agent.

But no one thought the Iverson Experiment would go so poorly, with the one-time MVP never fitting in with his Detroit teammates and eventually calling it a season with a purported back injury.

He'll, more than likely, end up in a starting backcourt next season. But don't expect an Iverson-led team to ever smell the Finals again.

We'll have to leave that to Billups, 32, who has looked anything but aged and worn down this season. Along with Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and other valuable role players, it's not unrealistic to expect the Nuggets to make deep runs into the playoffs for a good three or four years.

Who, in November, saw that coming?

It's not too far-reaching of a statement to say the Nuggets are a completely different team since the trade.

And the following is a factual statement: Only one NBA player has made a conference finals series the last seven years.

That man is Chauncey Billups.

Sure, he's been blessed with great talent around him in Detroit and Denver. But neither team was close to being a title contender before he joined it. And while Rasheed Wallace was a big mid-season acquisition for the Pistons during their championship run, there was still no questioning who led them to the upset of the Lakers in the Finals.

Anthony is clearly the Nuggets' most talented player, and even Smith is more explosive than Billups, but the point guard is the team's most indispensable player.

Just look how far -- or, not so far -- Denver got during 'Melo's first five seasons.

Now, the team is just four games away from reaching the Finals with a chance to win its first NBA crown.

And, appropriately, it would be led to that title by a hometown hero who continues to prove his worth to even those outside of his home state.

Just ask the Pistons how valuable he is.

Pistons' wasted season comes to an ugly conclusion

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If you're a Pistons fan and you thought the end of the past four seasons since the 2004 championship were frustrating, you were spoiled.

Badly.

Because the end of this Pistons campaign had to be the epitome of frustrating for anyone associated with the franchise. Detroit had it string of six straight Eastern Conference finals appearances snapped in ugly fashion, getting swept by the Cavaliers in a completely one-sided series.

All the games were decided by double figures. None of them, really, were ever in doubt. Even when the Pistons were in a game, it was usually because likely NBA MVP LeBron James was on Cleveland's bench getting a nice, long rest before coming back in to finish the job.

Detroit was the first team eliminated from the playoffs, which technically makes sense. After all, it had the worst regular-season record of the 16 teams and was playing against the team with the league's best mark.

If anything, the nine-day series -- which probably could have taken place in about six days and saved everyone a few wasted ones -- proved that as long as the 82-game regular season is, it shouldn't be taken for granted.

Throughout the season, we kept hearing the Pistons say that they didn't think they were far from becoming a good team, from developing a strong chemistry. I guess talk is cheap (I think I've heard that before).

What actually happened -- what actually matters -- is that the group of players led by rookie coach Michael Curry and second-year point guard Rodney Stuckey, who is more of a hybrid, never clicked. Never. Sure, there were a couple minor winning streaks, but no groove was ever found.

And that's what is needed to be a good playoff team. That's what is needed in playoff games, when things aren't necessarily going well, to turn momentum in your favor.

These Pistons never found that.

That's what has to be frustrating to everybody associated with the team.

And they underachived, plain and simple.

It's easy to point to the trade of Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson as the main reason the Pistons fell apart, and that certainly hurt the team -- especially considering Iverson never fit in the rotation and then was lost for the season to a purported back injury.

But even sans Billups, this team should have been better than the eighth seed in the East. This team should have been a middle seed that at least got close to making the second round.

Consider the players on the Pistons who were a part of many, if not all, of those conference finals runs -- Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess in the starting lineup.

Those four, plus Stuckey and an improved bench, should have been enough for the Pistons.

But Curry struggled mightily to develop the team sans Billups, and the veterans simply didn't play up to their capabilities.

Hamilton had a hot streak after Iverson went out, but he didn't maintain it down the stretch. And Wallace and Prince simply often didn't show up to do what they were supposed to.

Curry deserves a lot of blame, but the Pistons veterans should have known what they had to do to make the team successful. Heck, they're almost as old as Curry.

What it boils down to is a lost season, a season that needs to be forgotten by the organization as quickly as possible and moved on from.

And now, really, it is clear that changes are needed.

That was the rhetoric after each of the last couple years ended in the conference finals, and that talk probably helped fuel the Billups-Iverson deal. And look how that worked out.

This season proved that when you have something pretty good -- not perfect, but very solid -- you need to really think before breaking off a big piece of it.

Now Joe Dumars needs to break off some more pieces -- mainly Wallace and Iverson -- and try to build up a consistent winner again. It's almost akin to the job he originally inherited.

Is Prince unmovable? I wouldn't think so. What about Stuckey? Can he run the point for an NBA championship team? That's another question to consider.

A long, busy offseason looms for Dumars and his aides.

And it must be welcoming, considering the way this lost season went.

Pistons rediscover winning formula minus the 'Answer'

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These are the Detroit Pistons we know, the group of players we'd grown accustomed to watching win 50-plus games a season.

Yeah, Chauncey Billups made sure to play one of his best games on Tuesday in his return to The Palace of Auburn Hills as a Denver Nugget — a "You shouldn't have let me go" performance.

But his team lost the game, 100-95. And it was Detroit's third straight victory, getting it back to above .500 at 30-29.

In the grand scheme of the past several years, of successful regular seasons piled on top of each other, three straight wins should be nothing to this franchise.

But not these three. By beating Orlando and Boston on the road and the Nuggets at home, the Pistons proved that they're still a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.

As long as they're aligned right, that is.

Because what the trio of W's has made crystal clear, more than anything else, is that Detroit is at its best not like, well, it was previously constructed (if that makes any sense).

During the franchise's darkest days since the early '90s, which culminated last week with an eighth consecutive loss, rookie head coach Michael Curry made the grand error of starting future Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson.

Seems like a smart move, right? Putting the four-time NBA scoring champion in the lineup couldn't hurt, right?

Very, very wrong.

Because, for one, that meant sending Richard "Rip" Hamilton to the bench for the first time, probably, since he was a skinny kid hoopin' in Coatesville, Pa.

On the surface, Curry's move is mildly understandable. Iverson is, after all, the more explosive player, the guy who can do more things. To simplify, the better overall player.

But what Curry didn't realize in making the move is what the effect on the team's synergy would be. And that, folks, was his big mistake.

As good as Iverson is, he doesn't fit with the Pistons' other starters. Too often in games, Iverson would be on the perimeter dribbling the ball through his legs 1,097 times while the other four guys watched. There'd be no on-court chemistry, a lack of movement and team basketball.

In L.A. that might work, but not in Detroit. The Pistons have always won with team basketball.

Which brings me back to Hamilton, who knows the tendencies of starters Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess like he knows the roads of Coatesville. They've been winning, after all, for several seasons together.

Rip is not as familiar with the bench players he often took the court with during his stint as a bench player — youngsters like Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson.

So what the move did was weaken the Pistons' starting lineup and their bench rotation.

The losses followed.

And they might have saved a going-nowhere-fast season.

Last week, with the L's mounting — and some critics already calling for Curry's ouster — Iverson made the coach's decision easy by hurting his back in Detroit's 90-87 loss at New Orleans.

And, just like that, Hamilton was back where he belonged.

Of course, Curry hasn't actually done anything yet, because Iverson is still hurting. But it's clear that when he returns, he'll be coming off the bench. Rip is back in the starting lineup for good.

And if A.I. accepts his role, he has a chance to become the most dynamic sixth man in the league. No other team has any player close to Iverson's caliber starting games sitting.

That's what could make Detroit dangerous. It's already proven during this three-game stretch how good it can be sans Iverson. It could cause some serious havoc if Iverson embraces running with the second-tier guys, acting as their leader.

No, I don't see the Pistons getting by both Cleveland and Boston to the Finals. But compared to the destination I had them pegged for just a week ago, their prospects are now rosy.

Iverson has said repeatedly the past few years that all he's missing is an NBA championship. He also knows that he'll be gone after this season, dumped into the free agency market when teams are stuffing their pockets for 2010.

So there is plenty of incentive for him, just like Stephon Marbury, to make the most of his new niche on a team capable of doing some pretty big things.

And even if the end of the season is another disappointing playoff exit, these Pistons should be able to look forward and feel confident with the future's pillars — Hamilton, Prince and point guard Rodney Stuckey — in the starting five and playing well together.

Trading Billups still might have been a mistake. The past week hasn't completely erased the trade's effect.

But it's shown that maybe, just maybe, these Pistons — present and future — will by successful without their former Mr. Big Shot.

Center position is deciding Pistons-Celtics series

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One game, it's Kendrick Perkins.

The next, it's Antonio McDyess and/or Jason Maxiell.

And so forth. If you're looking for simplicity in a dramatic Eastern Conference finals series that has had more twists and turns than a wending mountain road, look no further than the performance of these three players.

Talk all you want about Ray Allen regaining his shooting touch in Boston's 106-102 Game 5 victory Wednesday night, but the Celtics won the game thanks, primarily, to Perkins' dominant play against Detroit's McDyess and Maxiell -- and others.

Perkins set the tone from the outset, going after every rebound like his more renowned teammate, Kevin Garnett, is known for and scoring whenever his teammates passed him the ball. Detroit had a tough enough time stopping the hot-shooting Celtics on a normal possession, but when Perkins created extra scoring opportunities with five offensive rebounds, the Pistons had no chance.

The 6-foot-10, 280-pound center played precociously -- he's only 23 -- in scoring 18 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and making defensive plays with two steals and two blocks.

Shocking.

What was just as surprising was the non-performance by McDyess, who was the key in Detroit's Game 4 win. He was coming off a 21-point, 16-rebound showing in which he simply could not miss a midrange jump shot.

But for some unknown reason, the Pistons didn't even look for McDyess in their half-court offense. He air-balled his first shot, took just one more, battled foul trouble all night -- eventually fouling out -- and finished with a paltry four points, five rebounds and three turnovers in 28 minutes.

In other words, he would have been better off staying in Auburn Hills.

Maxiell, the other key cog in Detroit's 94-75, series-equalizing win Monday night, hardly even saw the court Wednesday. In a mere 11 minutes, he never was able to get revved up and scored six points with a single rebound on the side. It was a far cry from the 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting he put up in Game 4.

The team statistic that stands out from Boston's win: 42-25.

That was the Celtics' rebounding advantage. It was just 38-34 Boston the other night, an advantage that can be expected out of a K.G.-led frontline.

Prior to Game 5, there's no way I anticipated that Perkins would dominate his matchup against McDyess. Then again, that's how this series has gone -- back and forth, based on which starting center plays better.

Game 1 was the exception -- McDyess played better, but Boston still won. Look at the games since then, however:

Game 2: McDyess scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and snatched three steals in 39 minutes. Perkins was a non-factor. Detroit won, 103-97.

Game 3: Perkins had his second-best game of the series with 12 points (on 6-for-7 shooting) and 10 rebounds. McDyess was mediocre (8 points, 8 rebounds) and Maxiell didn't do much in 20 minutes.

And I've mentioned Games 4 and 5.

So as the series shifts back to The Palace, watch McDyess closely to see how he responds to his no-show in Boston. It is clear that of all the Pistons, he is the one itching the most for another shot at a championship. He lacks the title ring his teammates got in 2004, and at 33 years old his time is running out.

The Pistons would be smart to get McDyess involved early in the game, something they completely failed to do Wednesday. If he gets going in the first quarter, he'll likely have a big game.

Additionally, Maxiell -- as is the case with most young players -- tends to play better at home. So Flip Saunders would be well-advised to give him more minutes than offensive liability (not to mention quick-to-foul unnecessarily) Theo Ratliff.

As far as Perkins is concerned, it will be interesting to see how he follows up the game of his life. He'll definitely come out on the court with the same energy, but the key is harnessing it. Otherwise, he might find himself fouling out like he did in Game 4.

"I just played my game, no stress, no pressure," Perkins said of Wednesday's performance.

And now the pressure is squarely on his opponents' shoulders. I'd advise Chauncey Billups n' company to let McDyess share a good portion of the burden.

Stuckey plays like starter for Pistons

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Color commentators are notorious for repeating each other. Let me back up my point:

Football: "They've got a lot of weapons!"

Basketball: "They can't keep trading baskets!"

Baseball: "He just doesn't have his stuff tonight."

But when they say the following (see next paragraph), they're 1) not noting something obscenely obvious; and they're 2) making an observation that is very true, for an unknown reason, especially in the NBA playoffs:

"Role players are much better at home."

It's hard to figure out, really. I mean, we're talking about professional athletes, about people who dedicate their lives -- year round -- to their sports. And when they change venues, they can't make a shot?

Yeah, it makes as much sense as Boston's 0-6 road record this postseason -- after being the premier road team during the regular season -- but it's true. Role players, mostly guys who come off the bench, have a tendency to disappear in road games.

So how do I fathom the game Pistons backup point guard Rodney Stuckey played Thursday night? There's only one way -- he's not a role player. I'll call him Detroit's sixth starter.

That's how good the rookie from Eastern Washington was in Detroit's 103-97 Game 2 win, and because of his performance off the bench, the Celtics are going to need to find that magic road potion -- otherwise their season will be rubble.

Stuckey played so well in relief of Chauncey Billups, the Pistons actually ran set plays for him early in the fourth quarter when the game was very much in the balance. And the 22-year-old didn't blink. On back-to-back possessions, he scored a layup over Boston forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis and made an isolation jumper over Rajon Rondo.

In 17 minutes, Stuckey finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, three assists, two steals and just one of those ugly plays we commentators like to call "turnovers."

Because of the way Stuckey was running the team, Flip Saunders had no problems leaving him in the game -- and Billups, Detroit's "Mr. Big Shot," on the bench -- for half of the fourth quarter. When Billups finally replaced Stuckey after a stint on the floor that lasted longer than 8 minutes, the Pistons' lead had grown from 69-66 to 86-81.

No Pistons fan could ask more of a rookie point guard playing on the road. He maintained the lead as the Celtics clawed and scratched to run their home-playoff record to 10-0.

In a way, Stuckey mirrors Boston's Rondo, who is in just his second year in the league and is in charge of feeding Boston's "Big Three." The major difference, of course, is that Rondo has to start for the Celtics. The Pistons have the luxury of bringing Stuckey off the bench, and he gives the opposing team no rest when it comes to guarding Detroit's point-guard position.

With Rondo, on the other hand, the Pistons can afford to double-team Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with his man because he doesn't have great confidence in his jump shot. He's Tony Parker circa 2003. Give him time.

But Stuckey is there, friends. He's a championship-caliber player. He learned on the job in the final two games of the Orlando series, and he proved himself big-time inside the new Garden Thursday night.

He was, simply, the difference in Detroit's six-point win. How else can you make sense of a game in which Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen combined for 75 points and Boston ... lost?

Detroit's bench -- otherwise known as "Stuck" -- dominated Boston's by a count of 17points to eight. No other reserve did much of anything for the Pistons, but that didn't matter. With the best starting lineup in the league 1 through 5, Detroit just needs that steadying force at the point guard position who will keep the offense flowing -- not stagnant -- when Billups needs his bench time.

Joe Dumars did it again. Criticize him all you want for the Darko Milicic pick in 2003 with the NBA draft's second selection, but besides that his draft choices and offseason acquisitions have been spot-on. Jason Maxiell is an enforcer down low who is only improving. Arron Afflalo has shown flashes throughout his rookie season.

And Rodney Stuckey has already arrived. Forget that he missed the first 20-plus games of the season due to injury. Forget that he came from a no-name college conference.

The kid can play. And as he showed Thursday, he's fearless -- even when on the biggest stage.

"No, Bob, that Stuck's no ordinary role player."

Pistons in better position than a year ago

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The Eastern Conference finals are not kind to the Detroit Pistons.

Sure, there was the 2004 championship season when the Prince blocked Reggie's shot.

And, yes, a year later, they beat Miami in a thrilling seven-game series. But that postseason run ultimately ended with a loss, so nobody remembers them winning Game 7 on the road against Shaq and D-Wade.

No, when someone mentions "Eastern Conference Finals" and "Detroit Pistons" in the same sentence, the thought process begins with 2007, which, of course, is when LeBron James and a rag-tag bunch of Cavaliers won a series they had no business claiming.

And then there was 2006, when the Pistons simply refused to play with a sense of urgency despite the fact that they were taking on a Miami squad hungry for revenge.

And if you want, you can go back to 2003, when missed opportunities doomed the Pistons on their homecourt against the overachieving Nets

Yep, after close-gaming it by Orlando in five quick ones, the Pistons are back in the ECF for the sixth consecutive season.

Just think about that for a second, because it deserves recognition. That's right about up there with the Braves' 11 straight division titles and Duke's six Final Fours in seven seasons.

Congratulations, Pistons.

But anyone who has followed these Pistons since Rasheed Wallace was acquired mid-season in 2004 knows that one title is nothing; they should have two or three.

And, believe it or not, if Flip Saunders can't navigate his mix of veterans and rookies through to the Finals this time around, he may become temporarily jobless.

However, Saunders has reason to be optimistic, because the 2007-08 Pistons are in much better shape than they were at this time a year ago. The evidence was on display in the final two wins over Orlando.

Last season, I wouldn't have believed that Detroit could win two consecutive playoff games -- including one on the road -- without its soft-spoken leader Chauncey Billups. And I probably would have been right. That's what happens when you're too reliant on your starters.

That isn't the case this season, though, as Rodney Stuckey proved Tuesday night. The Eastern Washington rookie is completely fearless, as he demonstrated with a makeshift bank shot over the Godzilla named Dwight Howard.

"Stuck," as his teammates fondly refer to him, played a great all-around floor game, eating up 33 minutes, scoring 15 points, dishing out six assists and -- get this -- not turning the ball over once. In fact, the Pistons set a playoff record with a mere three miscues.

How else can you make up for miserable 36.1 percent shooting?

Yes, Detroit will need Billups in the next round, especially if Boston is the opponent. A series against the powerful Celtics -- at least when they're home -- sans Billups would likely spell doom for Detroit. But barring a setback, Billups will play, considering the amount of time off the Pistons now get (at least four days).

So Billups' absence was a huge blessing for the Pistons.

But Stuckey isn't the only nonstarter who is much improved from a year ago and has the trust of Flip. Jason Maxiell is now a key rotation player, whether he starts or not, and would rough up Kevin Garnett as much as he could in a Pistons-Celtics matchup. And if Maxiell starts, there is no Piston who wants a title more than Antonio McDyess.

Amid all the talk the past two years of the Pistons taking opponents lightly, McDyess has never been mentioned. That's because with each missed opportunity, his knees age a year and his opportunity wanes. Wallace, Billups and Richard Hamilton can admire their '04 rings, but McDyess arrived a year late.

Now, he's on his last legs.

Those legs, however, were huge during the fourth quarter of Detroit's Game 5 victory. McDyess was all over the court, grabbing 11 rebounds -- including six offensive boards -- and knocking down his patented midrange jumpers to the tune of 17points.

Whether he's in the starting lineup -- as was the case Tuesday -- or coming off the bench, McDyess is a valuable asset for the Pistons, a player Saunders won't forget about in the ultimate round to come.

Finally, the Pistons' bench can't be discussed without mentioning the revered 37-year-old Lindsey Hunter. He may be ancient, but he still showed that he can be a spark plug in Game 3. He's another guy whom Saunders, if he's smart, will use in the ECF -- Hunter's fitness level be damned.

But besides the team's personnel, there's another reason to think the Pistons will be prepared for the challenge the next round presents: the two potential opponents.

The modern-day Pistons' biggest problems have always been mental. Last season, they basically laughed off each loss to Cleveland, shrugging them off as if they were pieces of lint on their shoulders -- until the season had gone splat.

This year, they'd take the Cavs seriously for an obvious reason.

And there's no way Saunders, for the sake of his job, would allow James to go off like he did in the pivotal Game 5 a year ago. Double-team him, pull Bad Boy Rick Mahorn off press row ... do anything necessary. That's what would happen.

Then there's Boston, the team with the best regular-season record, the team with homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Is there any scenario in which the Pistons could take the Celtics lightly, could not be focused -- and absolutely ready to go -- for a possible memorable series?

No, not even 'Sheed would be joking around with Paul Pierce n' his boys in green after timeouts.

This, of course, doesn't guarantee that the Pistons will come out and play spectacular basketball. They'll probably have another bad shooting game like Tuesday's.

But with the right attitude and a full complement of starters and capable bench players, these Pistons appear well-equipped to get back to the Finals finally.

And maybe get McDyess that slippery championship ring.

NBA rule must be changed

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Orlando got screwed.

There's no better way to say it. The Magic are feeling good right about now. They dominated the Pistons Wednesday night to cut their series' deficit in half to 2-1. Not only that, but Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups might miss Saturday's Game 4 in Orlando.

But the Magic, perhaps, should be feeling even better. As in, up 2-1 with the Pistons starting to sweat.

That's because the Pistons got a free three points in their slim 100-93 Game 2 victory Monday night. At the end of the third quarter, The Palace of Auburn Hills' clock froze, allowing Billups to swish a long-range 3-pointer while the clock was stuck on 4.8 seconds.

The officials did what they were supposed to do, approximating — in their heads — the time it took Billups to weave his way up the floor, pass to Rodney Stuckey and then receive the ball back before shooting. They called it a 4.6-second sequence. In reality, as any stopwatch would have demonstrated, it took approximately 5.7 seconds.

Obviously, the officials were slow counters.

The NBA admitted the mistake the day after the game, but the damage was done. Only a very small percentage of NBA teams have come back from a 2-0 series' deficit to win a series. Despite their Game 3 win, the odds remain stacked against the Magic.

The NBA must act on this. When asked Wednesday night about it, commissioner David Stern said the Competition Committee will review the rule in the offseason. When it does, it should be a no-brainer to make this amendment to the rule:

Officials may use a stopwatch or T.V. truck clock to review any situation when the game clock freezes. It's a very simple solution.

Currently, the clock can be reviewed only when it runs out at the end of a quarter. This leaves way too much room for scenarios like Monday's to occur. In a tight game, a clock malfunction can be the difference.

There really is no counter argument here. NBA games generally last about two and a half hours. An additional three minutes to review a situation like Monday's wouldn't make the length of a game unbearable.

The only issue is whether what happened should be reviewed or re-played. If the officials had correctly ruled that Billups' shot shouldn't have counted, the Pistons could have argued that they had no barometer of how much time was left since the clock was stuck. They could have asked for the 5.1 seconds to be played over.

And I have nothing against that argument. Estimating 5.1 ticks is just as difficult for players as it is for the men in black and white.

I could lean either way. What's certain is that a change needs to be made before next season.

And let's hope the Magic don't lose this series 4-3.

Pistons remain the beasts of the East

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In the early stages of Wednesday's Eastern Conference showdown between 20-2 Boston and 17-7 Detroit, the young point guard was playing better.

He was getting to the basket at will. He was spotting up for mid-range jumpers. He was playing turnover-free basketball, while the veteran — with his new five-year contract — carelessly lost the ball on the other end.

Yes, Boston's Rajon Rondo was the star of the first quarter, helping the Celtics establish a lead they would hold for most of the night.

But the Pistons rarely get blown out, especially in highly-hyped, national-televised games. And such was the case Wednesday.

First, there was 37-year-old point guard Lindsey Hunter harassing Eddie House all the way down the court, creating two turnovers and knocking down a guarded 3 to help Detroit take the lead.

And, finally, there was that veteran PG, the man called "Mr. Big Shot" — a moniker that fit very nicely on this night. After Boston tied the game with two 3-pointers in the final minute, there was Billups, with just a second to get off his shot, giving a most convincing head fake...

And poor Tony Allen. He had no chance. Caught in the air, he fouled Billups at the worst time: with 0.1 left on the clock. Billups is a 91 percent free-throw shooter.

I don't usually pencil in games — especially ones that are tied. But when Billups stepped to the line, I said to my dad — who was on the phone watching from Michigan — "That's the ballgame."

And two free throws later, the Pistons (18-7) remained the Beasts of the East.

Not that any game in December really matters. We all know nothing is proved until May and June. That's why Phoenix could sweep San Antonio during the regular season and I'd still bet my two sofas on the Spurs come the playoffs.

But with both teams playing close to full strength — the Pistons were without rookie guard Rodney Stuckey, who has missed the entire season so far — a lot can be gleaned from the Pistons' 87-85 win.

— These teams, easily the East's best two squads, will be very competitive the rest of the year and into the playoffs. There are too many big-time players on both teams.

— The Pistons should have posted Billups on Rondo more early and often. Likely because of this advantage, Boston coach Doc Rivers pulled Rondo in the final two minutes for House, who also has 3-point range, unlike Rondo, and hit a big one as part of Boston's comeback.

— Detroit was saved by the 3-point shot, making 9-of-20 from downtown. Boston was the more physical team, outrebounding Detroit 37-34 and getting to the basket more often. The Pistons won't always shoot that well from 3-point range.

— The Pistons were able to slow down Kevin Garnett when they put the physical, bulky Jason Maxiell on him. Although Garnett scored a team-high 26 points, he had just five in the fourth, all of which he had to earn from the free-throw line.

— Another reason Detroit was able to hold the Celtics to just 33 second-half points was Tayshaun Prince's defense of Paul Pierce. While Prince was awful offensively (1-of-10, 2 points), he held Boston's leading scorer to 11 points on 5-for-16 shooting. With Prince on Pierce, Maxiell coming in to bang with Garnett, and Richard Hamilton draped over Ray Allen, Detroit can at least contain the Big Three — although Allen was near unstoppable, hitting 9-of-13 contested shots for 24 points.

— Rondo (14 points, 7 assists, 2 turnovers) was very efficient, but as seen by Rivers' late substitution, the coach still doesn't have complete confidence in the second-year player's ability to make the right decisions at the end of a game. But overall, Rondo was impressive.

So there you have it. Before the game, the Celtics admitted that Detroit is still the team to beat in the East, and Wednesday's result doesn't change that.

When the Pistons are on their game and aren't letting their yapping at the referees — they complain about every stinkin' call — get in the way of their execution, they are hard to beat. They're a great road team that isn't flustered by noisy crowds and fourth-quarter deficits.

And, most importantly, they have Mr. Big Shot. Boston doesn't.

In the course of a game, the Big Three might be more effective than Billups. But if he and his teammates can stay in a game until the end, it is worth betting on Billups hitting the winning shot or drawing the crucial foul in the final seconds.

Wednesday's game was unpredictable for the first 47:59. What occurred in the final second, however, wasn't surprising at all. Mr. Big Shot to the rescue.