It may be easy with the upsurge of the Celtics, the surprising play of the Hornets and the general strength of the NBA’s Western Conference to forget the Detroit Pistons. But do not forget these guys. At 42- 16, the Pistons have the second-best record in the entire NBA. They are second only to the Boston Celtics. So, what makes this team so good?
Point guard Chauncey Billups, with 17.6 PPG and 7.6 APG, is a solid playmaker. No, he is not the best, but he is certainly good. On defense, he averages 1,34 SPG. Billups is an extremely accurate shooter, hitting 44% from the floor, 40% from downtown and 91% from the penalty stripe.
The Pistons are two-deep at the point with 21 year-old Rodney Stuckey offering the best back up. Averaging 16.6 MPG, Stuckey is averaging 6.0 PPG and 2.7 APG. He’s hitting 37% from the field, which is okay, but only 13% from the three-point area.
Richard Hamilton is proving to be a avid point producer at shooting guard. Hamilton is hitting for 18.1 PPG. He’s also got 4.2 APG and 3.4 RPG. His field goal percentage stands at .498 and his three-point game is at .464. both of these are fine stats. His 84% success rate from the charity stripe is certainly more than respectable.
In the frontcourt, power man Rasheed Wallace and his back-ups are key. Wallace hits 43% from the court for an average of 13.1 PPG. From downtown he’s good 35% of the time. Add to that his 7.1 RPG and 1,38 steals and 1.64 blocks and you’ve got a powerful forward.
At the power position, the Pistons have three back-ups with the most formidable being Jason Maxwell. Maxwell, who is averaging 21.9 MPG, has hit 52% of his shots from the field for 7.8 PPG. He’s also got 5.3 RPG. That upfront power will be indispensable in the stretch and the post-season.
Amir Johnson, also at the power position, plays an average of 10.6 MPG, hitting 56% of his shots for 3.5 PPG. His 3.4 RPG are actually a big help to the team.
Small forward Tayshaun Prince is averaging 13.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 3.1 APG. He’s got solid percentages– .443 FG, .383 3-PT and .768 FT. Prince, who is averaging 33.2 MPG, is a fine starter.
His back-up is Jarvis Hayes, who is hitting for 6.8 PPG and pulling in 2.2 RPG. Hayes, who is playing 16.0 MPG, has sound accuracy, hitting 44% of his shots from the field, 38% from downtown and 73% from the charity stripe.
At center, Antonio McDyess, who’s 33 years-old, is averaging 9.0 RPG and 9.5 PPG. He’s hitting 50% from the floor. The center spot is pretty much the realm of McDyess.
Detroit has some good upfront players who are capable of mixing it up inside. That’s great. But they lack depth at center and at shooting guard. That could make it tough going after the first round of the playoffs. Still, they are the club with the second-best record in the NBA, and they should not be discounted.
Technorati Tags: Detroit Pistons, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince, NBA
