Hooped Up

A team-by-team preview of all 30 NBA teams heading into the 2008 - 2009 season, Hooped Up style.  

Detroit Pistons
The standard for consistency in the east and the starting four with maybe the highest average basketball IQ. On most nights the Pistons aren’t faster, stronger or more athlete than the other team; they’re smarter.  However, this club is getting long in the tooth and Joe Dumas has one hand hovering over the self-destruct button to blow up and rebuild this bad boy. Amir Johnson has been injected into the starting line up and promising Rodney Stuckey is right on the heels of veteran Chauncey Billups.

But has the window already closed on the Pistons in the east?

Projected Starters: PG - Chauncey Billups / SG - Richard Hamilton / SF - Tayshaun Prince / PF - Rasheed Wallace / C -  Amir Johnson

Additions: Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Kwame Brown, Will Bynum 

Losses: Jarvis Hayes, Theo Ratliff, Juan Dixon

Projected Wins: 51+

Team Theme Song:  Beanie Sigel feat. Redman - One Shot Deal
The Pistons have almost had the same starting line up since 2004 minus Ben Wallace who left in 2006 and nobody is getting younger. It’s a one shot deal for this group, Championship or bust.

Overall
The Pistons are as consistent as a Swiss clock and will make it into the second round of the playoffs in their sleep guaranteed.  Rodney Stuckey will give Dumars a reason to think about life without “Mr. Big Shot”, Amir Johnson will have flexibility to make mistakes and be solid, Rip Hamilton will be productive as usual and Rasheed Wallce, Tayshaun Prince and Jason Maxiell will do all the things players are supposed to do but won’t get enough credit again.

This team is deep at every position and rookie coach Micheal Curry will shuffle the deck to squeeze the most out of this squad.  This team is good but, are they Eastern Conference finals good?