WORDS BY: OMAR GLENN BELO
October 25, 2009 | 1927 views
Of course, Shaq gives them a better low-post option than Big Z and Varejao combined. And lest we fail to mention, LBJ is on the last year of his contract. Not that he needs more motivation. Teams already have him locked as their top free agent next year.
The pieces are set. The question now is coaching. With ex-assistant and playcaller John Kuester now coaching the Detroit Pistons, can coach Brown handle the talent this team has? Or will they revert to the 2005 Cavs play—give it to LeBron and get out the way?
Detroit Pistons
Coach: John Kuester
Projected Starting Five:
PG: Rodney Stuckey
SG: Richard Hamilton
SF: Tayshaun Prince
PF: Charlie Villanueva
C: Kwame Brown
Key Additions: Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, Austin Daye (draft), John Jerebko (draft), and the second coming of Ben Wallace
Key Losses: Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Amir Johnson, Aaron Afflalo, Walter Hermann
When you pencil in Brown as a starter, it basically spells rebuilding. Things have turned 180 from a team feared (both by opposing teams and fantasy hoops players) for their stifling Ds: defense and dirty work. Gordon, Villanueva, Wilcox all aim to shoot and defense will be a hard concept for them to fathom.
With an offensive guru like Kuester, points won't be a problem. They've got a healthy balance of shooters, slashers, and bangers down low to liven things up. Points for the opposition won't be a problem as well—unless you expect Big Ben to return to 2004 beast form (highly doubtful) and Brown finally live up to his long overdue hype (keyword: long overdue).
Who gets the ball in crunch time between Gordon and Rip can be problematic though. But it's a dilemma any coach would want. If end games turn out tight, this is a team that can pull off sizzling finishes. The key is how they avoid being blown away before the final canto.
Indiana Pacers
Coach: Jim O'Brien
Projected Starting Five:
PG: TJ Ford
SG: Brandon Rush
SF: Danny Granger
PF: Troy Murphy
C: Roy Hibbert
Key Additions: Dahntay Jones, Earl Watson, Luther Head, Tyler Hansbrough (draft)
Key Losses: Jarrett Jack, Marquis Daniels, Rasho Nesterovic
If Granger plays All-Star basketball for 82 games, if TJ Ford avoids banging his head on the floor, if Murphy gets his double-doubles and treys like he did last year, if Rush hits consistently from the perimeter, if Hibbert keeps his foul rate to 6 per 48 minutes and even if Mike Dunleavy, Jr. plays the trusty sidekick to Granger, this is a 10th seed in the making.
