I did not see this on sat., but decided to put it here because I knew EVERYONE of you wanted to read Bill Walton! 
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Updated: June 11, 2005
Ramblings in the moonlight on the Riverwalk
Bill Walton
<LI>Home court victories mean nothing unless it's the seventh game.
<LI>Game 2 is more important for the Spurs than it is for the Pistons. San Antonio should vividly recall its Game 2 letdown versus the Nets in the 2003 Finals. This is not a must-win game for Detroit because the Pistons are good enough to win anywhere. But if Detroit wins Game 2, this series could be over. The Pistons know they just need to win one game on the road and take the rest at home. They've proven they can do it, but beware because road victories are harder to come by the longer the series goes.
<LI>The Spurs need to capitalize when Detroit loses its mind. Rasheed Wallace has shown he's incapable of concentrating for 48 minutes. Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace have also lost the mental control and discipline needed to be champions. When that happens again, San Antonio must pounce.
<LI>It's hard to imagine a world championship team playing worse. Detroit played very well for the first eight minutes and then moderately for the next eight minutes. Then it didn't do anything for the rest of the game. How do you expect to win, regardless of the venue, when you score 69 points, shoot 37 percent and get pounded by 14 on the boards?
<LI>We keep hearing how this Pistons team is one of the best of all-time and that Ben Wallace is the third-best rebounder in NBA playoff history. But for the second straight series he's getting steamrolled. Shaquille O'Neal flattened him in the East finals and vanishing Ben had five points and seven rebounds in Game 1. Nazr Mohammed had better numbers and in 13 fewer minutes in a less significant role!
<LI>I keep hearing how this is the greatest defensive frontline in the history of basketball, but the Pistons' starting frontcourt was outscored (34-22) and out-rebounded (35-20). Tim Duncan, by himself, outscored and out-rebounded both Wallaces combined!
<LI>Generally speaking, you have to capitalize on your strengths in order to win. One advantage coming in for the Pistons is their big, powerful front line. With the depth of Antonio McDyess and Elden Campbell (who didn't even play), this front line was pushed around in Game 1 and was forced to play a reactive game.
<LI>Why do the guards take all the shots when your strength is up front? Billups and Hamilton took 36 shots in Game 1 overall. Detroit's guards took 44 shots and its frontcourt took 31. The Pistons are supposed to revolve around their dominant frontline, but instead their backcourt hogged the ball.
<LI>This is the NBA Finals, and the Pistons scored 69 points (the fourth lowest Finals output since the shot clock was introduced in 1954-55). We keep hearing about how the Pistons are the best defensive basketball team in the league. Either the Spurs are really the best defensive team or the Pistons just had one of the worst offensive performances ever.
<LI>Defensively the Pistons need to turn Duncan to his right shoulder when he shoots the ball. Almost every one of those that he took were blocked by Rasheed Wallace. When Duncan turned to the left he scored effortlessly. It takes a Bruce Bowen-like commitment "before" the game to get this done. This is where the five man defensive scheme comes into play.
<LI>It's easier to prepare for Duncan than it is to prepare for Manu Ginobili. Duncan is more predictable, while Ginobili is as creative a player as I've ever seen. Manu has shown repeatedly this year that he belongs in the same class as Dr. J, Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, George Gervin and World B. Free when it comes to brilliant ingenuity.
<LI>Tayshaun Prince should be the primary defender on Ginobili.
<LI>Prince is the key to Detroit's chances this series. He's the reason why the Pistons are a better team this year. Duncan is the disciplined foundation of the Spurs, while Ginobili is the player who puts San Antonio over the top.
<LI>Ginobili's grabbed the stage as the best player in the world. He's been there for a while now. Who is going to take it from him?
<LI>The past two years, the Pistons have been the NBA's best at cutting off the head of their opponent. They have had no success against Ginobili.
<LI>Were the Pistons mentally tired or bored in Game 1 or is San Antonio simply the better team and this series over?
<LI>Detroit has lacked the sharp mental edge and toughness of a reigning champion most of this season, falling into the depressing habit of just doing the bare minimum to win at the end. When Detroit went up 17-4 at the start of Game 1, they seemed to turn back to look, then wait for the Spurs. The greatest winners this game has ever known never did that. Bill Russell, Kareem-Adul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn't just want to win, they wanted to embarrass opposing teams and beat them down so bad they would force their opponents to quit.
<LI>There was way too much substituting in Game 1. With the number and length of the timeouts, the pace of the game and the expanded format of the NBA Finals, why can't the starters play more? It's not as if anybody off the bench did anything to warrant any playing time. The Piston reserves were a combined 4-17 from the field; then generated only one Free Throw attempt and missed that. Detroit is not a team plagued with chronic injuries. The Detroit starters have the physical makeup to play all day if they want. I come from the Red Auerbach and John Wooden school of basketball where you play your best players all the time.
<LI>The Pistons are the champions until someone beats them. They now find themselves playing the best opponent they've seen in the past two seasons and their margin for error and casualness is very small against San Antonio.
<LI>The Pistons should watch two video clips of Game 1. The 17-4 run and then the meltdown at the end. Then they should ask themselves which team they are.
<LI>Rasheed Wallace doesn't like or respect Duncan and has shown that repeatedly over the years. The Pistons need to capitalize on that and get him the ball. For the Pistons to only get Rasheed six shots in a championship game is mind-boggling. Rasheed and Tayshaun should be having field days here if they are as good as they think they are.
<LI>Tayshaun Prince has to learn that this is a 48 minute game.
<LI>Detroit is a team of outcasts, leftovers and castoffs.. These guys been passed over and around and often abandoned. Every one of these Piston players has experienced being told by the man at the top that they weren't good enough. There's no worse feeling for an athlete.
I believe the Pistons are great champions, but do they? We're about to find out.
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Updated: June 11, 2005
Ramblings in the moonlight on the Riverwalk
Bill Walton
<LI>Home court victories mean nothing unless it's the seventh game.
<LI>Game 2 is more important for the Spurs than it is for the Pistons. San Antonio should vividly recall its Game 2 letdown versus the Nets in the 2003 Finals. This is not a must-win game for Detroit because the Pistons are good enough to win anywhere. But if Detroit wins Game 2, this series could be over. The Pistons know they just need to win one game on the road and take the rest at home. They've proven they can do it, but beware because road victories are harder to come by the longer the series goes.
<LI>The Spurs need to capitalize when Detroit loses its mind. Rasheed Wallace has shown he's incapable of concentrating for 48 minutes. Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace have also lost the mental control and discipline needed to be champions. When that happens again, San Antonio must pounce.
<LI>It's hard to imagine a world championship team playing worse. Detroit played very well for the first eight minutes and then moderately for the next eight minutes. Then it didn't do anything for the rest of the game. How do you expect to win, regardless of the venue, when you score 69 points, shoot 37 percent and get pounded by 14 on the boards?
<LI>We keep hearing how this Pistons team is one of the best of all-time and that Ben Wallace is the third-best rebounder in NBA playoff history. But for the second straight series he's getting steamrolled. Shaquille O'Neal flattened him in the East finals and vanishing Ben had five points and seven rebounds in Game 1. Nazr Mohammed had better numbers and in 13 fewer minutes in a less significant role!
<LI>I keep hearing how this is the greatest defensive frontline in the history of basketball, but the Pistons' starting frontcourt was outscored (34-22) and out-rebounded (35-20). Tim Duncan, by himself, outscored and out-rebounded both Wallaces combined!
<LI>Generally speaking, you have to capitalize on your strengths in order to win. One advantage coming in for the Pistons is their big, powerful front line. With the depth of Antonio McDyess and Elden Campbell (who didn't even play), this front line was pushed around in Game 1 and was forced to play a reactive game.
<LI>Why do the guards take all the shots when your strength is up front? Billups and Hamilton took 36 shots in Game 1 overall. Detroit's guards took 44 shots and its frontcourt took 31. The Pistons are supposed to revolve around their dominant frontline, but instead their backcourt hogged the ball.
<LI>This is the NBA Finals, and the Pistons scored 69 points (the fourth lowest Finals output since the shot clock was introduced in 1954-55). We keep hearing about how the Pistons are the best defensive basketball team in the league. Either the Spurs are really the best defensive team or the Pistons just had one of the worst offensive performances ever.
<LI>Defensively the Pistons need to turn Duncan to his right shoulder when he shoots the ball. Almost every one of those that he took were blocked by Rasheed Wallace. When Duncan turned to the left he scored effortlessly. It takes a Bruce Bowen-like commitment "before" the game to get this done. This is where the five man defensive scheme comes into play.
<LI>It's easier to prepare for Duncan than it is to prepare for Manu Ginobili. Duncan is more predictable, while Ginobili is as creative a player as I've ever seen. Manu has shown repeatedly this year that he belongs in the same class as Dr. J, Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, George Gervin and World B. Free when it comes to brilliant ingenuity.
<LI>Tayshaun Prince should be the primary defender on Ginobili.
<LI>Prince is the key to Detroit's chances this series. He's the reason why the Pistons are a better team this year. Duncan is the disciplined foundation of the Spurs, while Ginobili is the player who puts San Antonio over the top.
<LI>Ginobili's grabbed the stage as the best player in the world. He's been there for a while now. Who is going to take it from him?
<LI>The past two years, the Pistons have been the NBA's best at cutting off the head of their opponent. They have had no success against Ginobili.
<LI>Were the Pistons mentally tired or bored in Game 1 or is San Antonio simply the better team and this series over?
<LI>Detroit has lacked the sharp mental edge and toughness of a reigning champion most of this season, falling into the depressing habit of just doing the bare minimum to win at the end. When Detroit went up 17-4 at the start of Game 1, they seemed to turn back to look, then wait for the Spurs. The greatest winners this game has ever known never did that. Bill Russell, Kareem-Adul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn't just want to win, they wanted to embarrass opposing teams and beat them down so bad they would force their opponents to quit.
<LI>There was way too much substituting in Game 1. With the number and length of the timeouts, the pace of the game and the expanded format of the NBA Finals, why can't the starters play more? It's not as if anybody off the bench did anything to warrant any playing time. The Piston reserves were a combined 4-17 from the field; then generated only one Free Throw attempt and missed that. Detroit is not a team plagued with chronic injuries. The Detroit starters have the physical makeup to play all day if they want. I come from the Red Auerbach and John Wooden school of basketball where you play your best players all the time.
<LI>The Pistons are the champions until someone beats them. They now find themselves playing the best opponent they've seen in the past two seasons and their margin for error and casualness is very small against San Antonio.
<LI>The Pistons should watch two video clips of Game 1. The 17-4 run and then the meltdown at the end. Then they should ask themselves which team they are.
<LI>Rasheed Wallace doesn't like or respect Duncan and has shown that repeatedly over the years. The Pistons need to capitalize on that and get him the ball. For the Pistons to only get Rasheed six shots in a championship game is mind-boggling. Rasheed and Tayshaun should be having field days here if they are as good as they think they are.
<LI>Tayshaun Prince has to learn that this is a 48 minute game.
<LI>Detroit is a team of outcasts, leftovers and castoffs.. These guys been passed over and around and often abandoned. Every one of these Piston players has experienced being told by the man at the top that they weren't good enough. There's no worse feeling for an athlete.
I believe the Pistons are great champions, but do they? We're about to find out.
--
