2nd in East = 1st Loser for Detroit Pistons

At the end of the 2007-08 season, Detroit Pistons front-office executive Joe Dumars was fed up with losing in the Eastern Conference Finals for three consecutive years. He was fed up with malaise and unassertiveness from the Pistons' starting five. And he was fed up with the style of approach in coaching from former (and soon fired) Flip Saunders. He was just fed up with second place being the high mark for his Pistons after two NBA Finals appearances and a championship from 2003-2005. Having made everyone except then-rookie Rodney Stuckey available via trade, the summer offseason came and went with a near-whisper (save the hiring of former player and assistant coach Ronald Curry as head coach and a few free agent signings). Now the renewed goal to get the most out of the veterans before their primes pass and to bring the young talents off of the bench up to speed.

Apparently, Dumars wasn't too pleased with starting center-forward Rasheed Wallace's approach to the season in a few areas, namely his weight training regimen (or lack thereof). Though in peak shape at the beginning of the '07-08 season, he also didn't have the musculature to keep his durability up to Dumars' standards, and it has been said that Wallace has taken note of that. Keeping his emotions in check will be necessary, continually, and picking his spots more wisely will be nice when it comes to shooting his signature three-point shots.

Tayshaun Prince did a solid and admirable job as the team's de facto premier defender as the starter as small forward, though he would be better served to look for his shot more. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton did well, though unspectacularly, as always in the previous season, too, but they became more dangerous with sixth man Rodney Stuckey playing with them or subbing in for either Billups or Hamilton alone; the good thing about having Stuckey around for Billups' situation is that the starting point guard can be fresher for the playoffs later in the year. Stuckey, on the other hand, is going to helped by having more opportunities to handle and shoot the ball, and the Pistons have another weapon to confuse opponents.

Antonio McDyess, a former sixth man for the Pistons for three years, will return to the bench thankfully, after a fair, but unresilient season as the starting power forward; he will be more valuable coming in as a scorer/rebounder in the post. To take his spot in the lineup next to Wallace will be either Jason Maxiell or Amir Johnson. Maxiell, is rugged and explosive, though seemingly elegant with his athleticism maybe a better fit up front with Wallace. The young "prince", which the name Amir means in Arabic, is somewhat inexperienced, but has too much talent to not play and compete for a starting job, so the Pistons are already aggressive in some stance early in the season.

The bench fills out with some very valuable young men in guards Will Bynum and Arron Afflalo, both of whom are Final Four veterans from Georgia Tech and UCLA; Walter Herrmann will look to make his mark as the de facto small forward of choice as a substitute, and rookie Walter Sharpe could make a surprise contribution at all three frontcourt positions. The real question will be how new addition Kwame Brown will play after failing to fulfill what looked to be a bright future as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Having made some amends with his game with the Los Angeles Lakers, in regards to his horrific start with the Michael Jordan-helmed Washington Wizards, Brown will need to follow the routines and habits of Wallace and McDyess to really make the most of his game and opportunities as a Piston.

Detroit is refreshed with veteran savvy and youngblood exuberance, but they will only go as far as Billups, Hamilton and Wallace will be willing and able to carry them.