I think we can be pretty confident that the Pistons will not repeat as champions this year. Of course, the fact that they aren't playing well right now has a lot to do with that. But even if they get their act together, the league has to take major steps to clean up its image, and that won't be possible with a purely "physical" team like the Pistons on the throne.
Whether the league will go so far as to allow the Suns to do well in the playoffs remains to be seen. That would be a stunning reversal -- a "complete 360," in sports parlance. But Stern will be watching the early playoff rounds very carefully, and if the referrees try to allow their usual level of thuggery, he will instruct them otherwise. I'm quite sure of that.
