Pistons, with the NBA's best record, finally make it to prime time

[1gobluedem]

Because they're playing "King James" in the second round of the playoffs. In the first round, they got, as Chauncey Billups put it, "the JV game" because of no superstars. Team play and the best record in the NBA just wasn't enough to bring in the ratings. Sigh.

King James or not, I say the Pistons in five.

[Midnight Rambler]

1. And yet the defending champs get the lower billing.

Neither the Pistons nor the Spurs get a whole lot of respect, though I'd content that the Pistons have been more respected than the Spurs this season. The prospect of those two teams meeting again in the finals scares the networks to death, though I have no idea why. No stars? You're gonna tell me Tim Duncan isn't a star? Ben Wallace? Rip Hamilton? Tony and Manu?

Some people just won't be satisfied unless it's the Heat and the Lakers in the finals.

[Lefty48197]

2. When the powers that be refer to "superstars" in the NBA

They're actually talking about spoiled brats with the maturity of a teenager. People like Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups are just (yawn) a couple of the best basketball players in the league today. Not good enough for the press. Remember, the same people that are telling us the Pistons and Spurs are boring are also the same people who tell us we need cable tv news.

[erpowers]

3. So Right

I was just thinking of writing just about the same thing. However, you are so right. For the media the guys who are ballhogs seem to be the superstars. The media are more concerned more with the guys who have multiple 40 or 50 point games and have teams that lose than the guys who help their teams get number one and number two spots and to get 60+ wins in a season. I think now days media is more concerned with style than substance.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. the Spurs and Pistons are killing the league

the league can't survive with teams like the Pistons and Spurs as its top teams. Nobody wants to watch them, their Finals games draw some of the lowest ratings ever.

Now, I'm a Nets fan, but I'll admit they aren't great for the league either, but at least they have a marketable player in Vince Carter.

Tim Duncan is just boring. So are the Pistons.

I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.

[jakefrep]

9. The Pistons' success might be more palatable...

...to those of us who happen to be non-Piston fans if their fans stopped bitching about the alleged lack of respect they get from "the media". Nobody wants to get on the bandwagon if it looks like whoever's already on board isn't enjoying the ride.

[Midnight Rambler]

12. Duncan is "boring" because he isn't Nike's bitch

Call me crazy, but I think a high quality game is more important than how much money some advertizing executive can make off you. San Antonio and Detroit deliver great team basketball, and more importantly, they win championships. LeBron can have all the shoe commercials he wants. I think Duncan's just fine with his three rings.

BTW, if you think the Spurs are boring, you obviously didn't watch Game 1 vs. the Mavericks.

[Lefty48197]

14. You're a Mets fan and you dare call ANYBODY ELSE boring?

Seriously?

[Midnight Rambler]

17. Good response from ESPN's Pat Forde

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2445401

[erpowers]

18. Wow

Pat Forde wrote a great article. My thought on how he lit into Madison Avenue, Kevin Garnett, and Vince Carter was wow. Forde's lines about Garnett "never seen him portray a pro basketball player in june" and Carter "he should have enough free minutes to call Duncan and ask him what winning a championship or three feels like" were great. I do happen to agree with Forde. I do not see what is boring about Tim Duncan and the Spurs.

[erpowers]

19. Superstars Killing the League

The teams like the Spurs and the Pistons are not killing the league. Superstars who hog the ball and refuse to play team basketball are what is killing the league. I contend American fans of the NBA are leaving the sport because the game is moving away from good basic skilled basketball to players who have less skills, but love to show off even if their team loses. For some time now I have been thinking some people including sport writers and sports media like ESPN have decided to look at and report more on style than substance. That is why people are beginning to not watch the sport.

[Faygo Kid]

4. Anybody up for playing the Pistons? They are on a mission.

The greater question is, who would win in a seven game series with the "Bad Boys?" If the Pistons win it all this year (and I think they will), then they too will have two, and let the debate begin. Goodbye, Cleveland. Pistons in five. Again. Thanks for posting; except this Spartan says (respectfully of course) bite me.

[jakefrep]

5. The Cavs-Wizards series and the Lakers-Suns series...

were more dramatic and exciting than Pistons-Bucks. They got more coverage. Deal with it.

[erpowers]

7. Media

I think without the media those two series would not have been that dramatic. No matter what happened in the games the media was jumping up and down to promote those matchup. I just think the media pushed people to watch these matches in that some of the people the media liked were in these matchesups.

[jakefrep]

8. I don't buy that

"The media" didn't make those games close. The teams involved were more evenly matched. So what if the teams involved aren't the "best" teams? Pistons-Bucks was a snooze by comparison.

[Captain Hilts]

10. 1st seed playing 8th seed isn't interesting. nt

[Longhorn]

11. Well, one of the 1st-8th seed series was a bit TOO interesting

for my tastes. :)

[KitchenWitch]

13. I thought that the scheduling was stupid.

[LisaM]

15. I had the NBA PACKAGE and I couldn't even see my Pistons for free

they were on NBA TV - pay-per-view - and even though I had the NBA package, I would have had to have paid extra for at least one of the games in round 1.

If it were the Lakers seeded No. 1, even if they were expected to blow out their opponent 110-10 for each game, you can't tell me that they wouldn't show it on either ESPN, TNT, or ABC! What's the use of earning the best record in the NBA if your fans can't even SEE your games in the first round? That's just WRONG.

[TSIAS]

16. Looks like the Pistons were not ready

for prime time.

They're one game away from losing to LeBron and a bunch of anonymous Cavs. While I think Detroit will still pull it out, I'm confident that my Heat have a chance to make it to the finals this year.

As for the 1st series, I can't blame ESPN and TNT for relegating those games to NBA TV. If they were up against a credible 8 seed, as San Antonio was against Sacramento in the West, I would care to watch. But there was no chance that Milwaukee could even challenge Detroit in that series.

[Scurrilous]

20. The Heat are sitting pretty right now.

They'll be well rested by the time Cleveland and Detroit sort things out.

[1gobluedem]

21. But, you know what?

They didn't. Teamwork trumped the King. And yesterday's Game 7 was beautiful to watch.