[Tommy]

From The Sports Network
By Brian Gillespie, NBA analyst


DETROIT PISTONS: 2nd Seed, East (54-28

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: 7th Seed, East (43-39)

(Sports Network) - Just two seasons ago, Larry Brown was on the sidelines for the Philadelphia 76ers as they were eliminated in the second round of the postseason by the Detroit Pistons. Brown will be on the opposite bench this time around when the defending World Champion Pistons and 76ers meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Following the Sixers' six-game defeat to the Pistons in 2003, Brown shocked few by exiting the City of Brotherly Love. The nomadic head man did stun observers by taking the Detroit job, which was previously inhabited by a quite capable coach in Rick Carlisle. However, Detroit general manager Joe Dumars had some disagreements with Carlisle and chose to replace him with Brown.

Brown fell into an ideal situation with a loaded roster and Dumars acquired Rasheed Wallace to seal the deal prior to the trade deadline last season. Adding Wallace to the roster provided Brown with enough firepower as the Pistons went on to conquer the league en route to their first World title since 1989-90 and Brown's first-ever championship.

Brown's club is deeper than ever this season and ready to make another run at the title. Prior to a meaningless loss to Charlotte on Wednesday, the Pistons flashed their muscle down the stretch with 12 consecutive victories. All told, Detroit registered a 31-10 record in the final 2 1/2 months of the campaign.

Detroit has a stacked roster with four different players averaging 14 or more points per contest, while having All-Star center Ben Wallace cleaning the glass at a 12.2 clip. Big Ben is also a frontrunner for yet another NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, blocking 2.38 shots (2nd-NBA) per game.

What separates the Pistons from most of the teams in the league is their defensive prowess. Brown, who stresses defense, has the Pistons holding foes to just 89.4 points per game (2nd). Detroit's opponents shoot just 43 percent (5th) from the field and only 34 percent (4th) from three-point range.

Detroit's main goal in this series will be to shutdown the Sixers' complimentary players and force Allen Iverson to take tough shots. Iverson, who tallied his fourth NBA scoring title (30.7 ppg), remains the center of the Sixers' offensive world despite the presence of the talented Chris Webber.

Brown and Iverson are quite familiar with each other, as they had an often turbulent relationship over six years in Philly; Iverson also played for Brown in the 2004 Olympics. Despite their various disagreements over the years, the coach and pupil maintain a close friendship and mutual respect.

Webber, acquired by the Sixers from Sacramento at the trade deadline, will need to fulfill his promise in this series to give them any chance to gain a victory. The Detroit native saw his numbers slip in the new system down the stretch, as he averaged 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting only 39 percent.

Thanks mostly to Iverson's impressive play, the Sixers ripped off eight wins in their final 10 games to grab the seventh seed. Philadelphia finished a season-high four games over .500, much improved over its 33-49 mark last season.

Philadelphia has made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, winning six of its last 11 postseason sets. The Sixers have met the Pistons in the postseason just one other time in history.

Detroit has won six of its last seven playoff series over the last two seasons. The Pistons have won three World championships in their history.

Detroit won three of four regular season meetings between these teams this season, but the Sixers tallied a 107-84 win over the Pistons at the Wachovia Center on March 23. The Pistons have won five of six and nine of the last 14 meetings in this series.

FRONTCOURT: The Sixers could have a tough time in this series as they rely so much on their perimeter game. Webber, who has been slowed by a lingering knee injury and a shoulder problem, is essentially a jump shooter at this point. His post-up game is lacking effectiveness besides an occasional baby hook shot, which will allow the Pistons' defenders the ability to roam and help out against Iverson. Webber must hit his open jumpers if he expects to have any impact on this series.

Webber is not much of a defender anymore, which will likely put him on Ben Wallace while Sixers center Samuel Dalembert will be marking Rasheed Wallace. Dalembert is a good shot blocker, but Rasheed Wallace's perimeter prowess will remove him from the lane. Rasheed Wallace, who sat out the final two games of the season with a strained left hamstring, tallied 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest this year.

Dalembert, a slight seven-footer, has excellent athletic ability but still lacks knowledge of the nuances of the game. The Haitian big man isn't much of a threat with his back to the basket, but can impose his will on the boards (7.5 rpg). Either Ben or Rasheed Wallace should be able to lean on Dalembert and make things very tough for him.

The small forward matchup of Detroit's Tayshaun Prince against Philadelphia sharpshooter Kyle Korver is intriguing. Prince's length makes him a tough matchup for anyone, as he can score and defend equally as well. The University of Kentucky product tallied 14.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season. Prince won't be able to roam too far from Korver, who hit a Philadelphia record 303 three-pointers.

If Webber was still in his prime this matchup would probably be a wash, but he is far from a spring chicken and that hurts the Sixers here. It also aids the Pistons that Prince gets better by the day.

EDGE: DETROIT

BACKCOURT: Iverson, a candidate for his second MVP award, has monopolized the ball more than ever for the Sixers in his first campaign at the point. The Georgetown product has posted a career-high 7.9 assists (5th-NBA) and 2.40 steals (2nd) per contest this season, while averaging an eye-popping 42.3 minutes per game. Expect the Hampton, VA native to be forcing the action on a regular basis in this series.

The duty of guarding Iverson will be rotated between Detroit guards Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. Both solid defenders, Hamilton and Billups are deadly from the perimeter. Hamilton (18.7 ppg, 4.9 apg) is best coming off screens within the offense, while Billups runs the show nicely with impressive long distance accuracy (.426). Billups tallied 16.5 points and 5.8 assists per contest this season.

Philadelphia has become much more athletic in its backcourt this season thanks to the addition of first round pick Andre Iguodala, who is a stat sheet stuffer. Iguodala, an impressive dunk artist and defender, has steadily improved his shot throughout the season. The 21-year-old posted nine points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists per contest. Iguodala was the lone Sixer to start every game this season.

In years past, the Pistons would have had the edge here, but the Sixers have evened the slate with the trading of Eric Snow and the drafting of Iguodala.

EDGE: EVEN

BENCH: Look for Brown to use eight and possibly nine players in his regular rotation in this series for the Pistons. Offseason addition Antonio McDyess will be first off the bench to spell Ben Wallace. McDyess, a dominant player in past years, has settled quite nicely into his role off the Detroit bench this year. The 30-year-old has registered 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per contest this season.

Detroit will also look to in-season acquisition Carlos Arroyo to give it good minutes. Arroyo, a talented young point guard who came over from Utah in January, is an effective floor general that can spell Billups. The Puerto Rico native played 18 minutes per game for Pistons, tallying 5.4 points and 3.2 assists.

Veterans C Elden Campbell and PG Lindsey Hunter will also be utilized by the Pistons in this set. Campbell and Hunter are both on the wrong side of 30 and won't likely make much of an impact.

With Dalembert's propensity to get into foul trouble, it won't be long until Sixers reserve forward/center Marc Jackson will make his way on to the court. Jackson, a rugged veteran from Philadelphia, has been a key cog in the Sixers' late season surge. The 30-year-old posted 12 points and five rebounds per game during the regular season.

Veteran forward Rodney Rogers, who is capable of lighting it up from beyond the arc, typically spells Webber for the Sixers. Rogers is a perfect fit in Sixers' coach Jim O'Brien's offense, which stresses the power of the three- point shot. Philadelphia tossed up an average of 17.7 three-pointers per game, hitting just 34.8 percent of the shots.

Philadelphia's perimeter depth comes from Aaron McKie, John Salmons and Willie Green. Of course, O'Brien seems to favor McKie and Salmons over Green in tight spots. O'Brien relies on McKie to come off the pine and defend tough assignments.

EDGE: EVEN

COACH: Brown, already a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is a brilliant coaching mind. His ability to elicit the maximum effort and intensity from his players is unmatched in today's game. With rumors surfacing that this may be his last playoff run with the Pistons, Brown will surely be on the top of his game.

O'Brien has shown a lot of shortcomings this season, as he has struggled to adapt to challenges. Whether it be offensively or defensively, O'Brien stubbornness has cost the Sixers at times and will likely do the same in this series. His inability to utilize the talented Green in a proper manner has stunted the team's growth as well.

EDGE: DETROIT

PREDICTION: Of all the matchups that Sixers could have drawn in the first round, this is likely the worst. Philadelphia will likely be put in a choke hold by the tight Detroit defense, forcing it to throw up ill-advised shots on a regular basis. Perimeter-oriented teams don't fare well against hard-nose defensive clubs, which bodes extremely well for Detroit.

DETROIT IN FIVE


04/22 10:23:44 ET

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[naught33]

yeah looks like 5 is the max it'll go...det has too much firepower for philly, philly isn't a team, they are 1 guy and 4 other players on the court, can't win that way in the playoffs, sorry tommy, better luck next yr, better hope c-webb stays healthy