What To Make Of Pistons? - NBA Basketball News And Picks

What To Make Of Pistons?
By Marty Gitlin
Posted 4:00 am PDT 2006-12-04

The Detroit Pistons' surge must be taken with about 10,000 grains of salt.

Granted, they have won seven games in a row to slide past struggling Cleveland atop the Central Division. But they have done so against some of the NBA weaklings.

In fact, six of those seven victories were achieved against under-.500 teams, including New York, Atlanta and Charlotte. The lone winning team beaten was Houston. Only two of the triumphs were played on the road.

The run of patsies isn't about to end. The Pistons play at Charlotte Sunday night and are 4-point favorites, according to WagerWeb.com.

Not only has Detroit beaten up on poor competition, but it has actually been outrebounded during that seven-game stretch, The Knicks battered them on the boards, 48-38, in a 108-100 defeat to the Pistons Friday night.

Still, there have been some positive signs. Tayshaun Prince has given usual offensive sparks Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups tremendous help, averaging 19.1 points during the seven-game streak. He tallied a career-high 31 against New York.

Hamilton, Billups, Prince and Rasheed Wallace have all averaged in double figures as the Pistons have exceeded 100 points in six of those games. Hamilton has been particularly hot at 23.1 points a game.

The Pistons are just one of four teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record -- and Indiana is just 9-8.

EVENING OUT, NOT EVENING OUT: Detroit isn't the only positive or negative early-season surprise to begin playing as expected.

Some surprises, however, remain surprises.

Defending champion Miami has won three of its last four games without Shaquille O'Neal to climb within two games of .500. Dallas opened the season 0-4 and hasn't lost since. Phoenix has won six consecutive games to climb to 9-6. Chicago has rolled to four straught victories after a 3-9 start.

Portland, on the other hand, hung around .500 for a while, but has now lost four in a row to fall into last place in the Northwest Division. WagerWeb.com has listed the Blazers as 3-point favorites against visiting Atlanta on Sunday night.

Then there are teams maintaining unexpected paces. Orlando was considered a fringe playoff contender heading into the season, but has won nine of its last 10 and six straight to maintain the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Washington qualified for the playoffs a year ago, but is 0-8 on the road and 5-10 overall.

The Los Angeles Clippers reached the second round of the postseason in 2006, but are the only other winless road team in the NBA. Only a 7-1 home mark has kept them at .500. They will try to win again at home tonight against the Magic. According to WagerWeb.com, Orlando is a 1 1/2-point underdog.

DRIBBLES: A sore right knee is keeping Memphis center Stromile Swift from performing at full strength.... Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has shared the wealth offensively most of the season, partly due to his return from offseason surgery. But he exploded for 52 points in a blowout win over Utah Thursday night and is now averaging 26.2 points a game... Nuggets point guard Andre Miller played in his 300th consecutive game is a 106-92 victory over Minnesota Friday night... Philadelphia starting forward Shavlik Randolph is out indefinitely with a broken ankle. His 76ers are 2.5-point favorites at home against the Timberwolves Sunday night, according to WagerWeb.com.

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