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| You know what they say: No loose teeth, no foul. |
Pistons
Stud: Tayshaun Prince. On a team full of all-stars, the only one who didn't get to play in Houston this year has been the Pistons' most consistent player on both sides of the ball. He can be the focal point on O, the shutdown guy on D, and an all-around pain in the A for the other team.
Weakness: Flip Saunders. Between losing focus for half a playoff series and turning the ball over out of time-outs, it seems like Coach's playoff "experience" is slowly seeping into the rest of the Pistons organization. If I were from Detroit, I wouldn't feel too confident. I'd also move.
X factor: Lindsey Hunter. On a team known for lacking depth, his nonstop energy off the bench is exactly what a fat-and-happy team like the Pistons needs from time to time. If the starters get tired of chasing D-Wade, they can call on the veteran specialist, whose defensive intensity is more irritating than Gilbert Gottfried reading The Da Vinci Code through a megaphone.
Heat
Stud: Dwyane Wade. The Big Three Second Violation still attracts most of the defensive attention, but D-Wade is the guy who gets everyone involved. Dwyane's hunger at crunch time is only matched by Shaq's hunger at dinnertime.
Weakness: DEE-fense. [clap clap] DEE-fense. [clap clap] It has looked better in these playoffs, but that doesn't change the fact that Pat Riley cares more about his hair than Jason Williams cares about rotating to the weak side.
X factor: Antoine Walker. When he's aggressive, he's the third big option that helps make this team damn near impossible to keep away from the rim. When he's slamming threes off the backboard, the offense bogs down and the Heat would have trouble outscoring the Detroit Shock.
How it plays out: This restocked Miami squad has been waiting the whole season for this, but defense still rules the NBA, and Detroit knows how to take away the Heat's biggest threats. That being said, the two new coaches in this series are more important than you'd think: The Pistons have gotten sloppier as the season has worn on, while the Heat have tightened up their D behind 'Zo's hustle and flexing. Maybe I'm making this pick because I'd rather use Mark Cuban's Swash than see the Pistons in the finals, but I think Miami is hungrier this year: 4–2, Heat.