I will say right off the bat, this feels GREAT! That was a long drought from the playoffs and frankly an even longer drought from true contention! The last truly significant playoff game in Detroit was Game #6 at The Palace, which the eventual champs won in 2008. Yeah, eighteen years ago! Yes, there have been playoff games since that point, but none involving a team that could reach the NBA Finals!
This team is different. They are different in today's NBA, and that is a good thing.
This team is also AHEAD of schedule on the rebuild. Last season was a taste of the playoffs, and they were a player or a few plays away from winning that series. Experience from the Knicks was the eventual back-breaker there. They should not be a #1 seed this season, but here we are.
I do want to mention the last local team that was 'ahead of schedule' was the 2023 Lions. My lesson learned there is that we don't have to wait for the next step. Let's hope they can go out and grab it! Time is money...
I'll be honest right away -- this team won 60 games and has the HCA in the East. That being said, they are not the favorite, and I don't think they should be. Detroit is in the conversation, though... Why do I not have them as the favorite? The bottom line is the team is missing a few things -- 1st and foremost is more pure shooting. They will have their moments, but over the course of a 7-game series, I worry about their 3-point shooting holding up. The 2nd issue is a secondary guy (to Cade) who is able to create on their own in the half-court offense. They will be relentless on defense and have one of the 2-3 best players in the conference. Detroit can win the East, but they will need to play their very best!
We spoke of the return of Tatum in the other thread, so time to discuss the return of Mr. Cade Cunningham. That was a scary injury when we first heard about it. He dove for a loose ball, and suddenly, two days later, we hear about a collapsed lung. Thankfully, this was a minor collapse, and he only missed 3 weeks. I was very happy he was able to play in 3 games upon his return. I was shocked he played 25 or so minutes in the contests. He looked GREAT! Such a relief to the entire fanbase.
Did we have a benefit to Cade missing a few weeks? Absolutely! You see, Detroit signed Dannis Jenkins to a full contract back just before the All-Star break period. He was playing very well on a two-way contract and deserved the full-time gig. He immediately started playing terribly for several weeks after the new contract. This injury thrust him into the starting lineup, and he took off again! The Monday night home game vs LA Lakers on March 24th was the epitome of his rise. Detroit needs him to be BIG these next several weeks!
Overall, you gotta like this team!
Superstar Cade who learned some lessons last year in May...
Duren rose to a new level this year.
Beef Stew is the perfect playoff guy you want on your team. He was hurt for part of the playoffs last year.
D Rob is shooting terrific this year and has plenty of experience in the postseason.
Ausur is that lockdown guy to give the Brunsons, Mitchells, and Tatum/Browns all they can handle!
This is going to be fun. The crowds at LCA will be absolutely electric and should provide an extra push in critical moments!
I cannot wait. Let's see if they can continue this special season and advance to the NBA Finals for the 1st time in 21 years. I'll be back on Saturday with a preview of both Game 1 and the Series vs tomorrow night's play-in winner. Both series will be interesting. One team scares me more, while the other provides quite the spicy series!
Toss out any and all questions...
This team is different. They are different in today's NBA, and that is a good thing.
This team is also AHEAD of schedule on the rebuild. Last season was a taste of the playoffs, and they were a player or a few plays away from winning that series. Experience from the Knicks was the eventual back-breaker there. They should not be a #1 seed this season, but here we are.
I do want to mention the last local team that was 'ahead of schedule' was the 2023 Lions. My lesson learned there is that we don't have to wait for the next step. Let's hope they can go out and grab it! Time is money...
I'll be honest right away -- this team won 60 games and has the HCA in the East. That being said, they are not the favorite, and I don't think they should be. Detroit is in the conversation, though... Why do I not have them as the favorite? The bottom line is the team is missing a few things -- 1st and foremost is more pure shooting. They will have their moments, but over the course of a 7-game series, I worry about their 3-point shooting holding up. The 2nd issue is a secondary guy (to Cade) who is able to create on their own in the half-court offense. They will be relentless on defense and have one of the 2-3 best players in the conference. Detroit can win the East, but they will need to play their very best!
We spoke of the return of Tatum in the other thread, so time to discuss the return of Mr. Cade Cunningham. That was a scary injury when we first heard about it. He dove for a loose ball, and suddenly, two days later, we hear about a collapsed lung. Thankfully, this was a minor collapse, and he only missed 3 weeks. I was very happy he was able to play in 3 games upon his return. I was shocked he played 25 or so minutes in the contests. He looked GREAT! Such a relief to the entire fanbase.
Did we have a benefit to Cade missing a few weeks? Absolutely! You see, Detroit signed Dannis Jenkins to a full contract back just before the All-Star break period. He was playing very well on a two-way contract and deserved the full-time gig. He immediately started playing terribly for several weeks after the new contract. This injury thrust him into the starting lineup, and he took off again! The Monday night home game vs LA Lakers on March 24th was the epitome of his rise. Detroit needs him to be BIG these next several weeks!
Overall, you gotta like this team!
Superstar Cade who learned some lessons last year in May...
Duren rose to a new level this year.
Beef Stew is the perfect playoff guy you want on your team. He was hurt for part of the playoffs last year.
D Rob is shooting terrific this year and has plenty of experience in the postseason.
Ausur is that lockdown guy to give the Brunsons, Mitchells, and Tatum/Browns all they can handle!
This is going to be fun. The crowds at LCA will be absolutely electric and should provide an extra push in critical moments!
I cannot wait. Let's see if they can continue this special season and advance to the NBA Finals for the 1st time in 21 years. I'll be back on Saturday with a preview of both Game 1 and the Series vs tomorrow night's play-in winner. Both series will be interesting. One team scares me more, while the other provides quite the spicy series!
Toss out any and all questions...
