Celtics vs. Pistons Preview

The matchup we’ve all been waiting for.

#1 seeded Boston versus #2 seeded Detroit.

Boston won the season series 2-1.

Game 1

Detroit 87 Boston 85

Chauncey Billups hit two free throws with a tenth of a second left after drawing a foul on Tony Allen to seal the deal for Detroit.

Game 2

Boston 92 Detroit 85

Tayshaun Prince was a non-factor in this contest.  Prince was held to 7 points on 3-for-12 from the field and 1-for-3 from the 3-point line.

Game 3

Boston 90 Detroit 78

Boston clinched their playoff birth with this victory as Garnett erupted for 31 points on 13-of-22 from the field.

Matchups

Detroit has an advantage at the point guard (Chauncey vs. Rondo) and center (Perkins vs. McDyess) positions.  Boston gets the nod at power forward (KG vs. Rasheed) and shooting forward (Pierce vs. Prince).  Shooting guard (Hamilton vs. Allen) is even.

Although he struggled in the previous rounds, look for Doc Rivers to insert Sam Cassell if Billups uses his size in the post against Rondo.  Chauncey is two inches taller and outweighs Rajon by 30 pounds.  Cassell didn’t have the quickness to stay with Delonte West or Daniel Gibson in the semifinals but Billups doesn’t possess blazing speed.  Chauncey’s biggest advantages are his size and his basketball IQ.

Ray Allen shot just 33% from the field and 17% from the 3-point line versus the Cavaliers.  Allen works too hard for the slump to continue.

On paper, Boston has the superior bench but it will come down to how well Doc Rivers utilizes the Celtics role players.  Leon Powe and Eddie House need to see more action than they saw in the Conference Semifinals.

It’s Boston’s Big Three versus Detroit’s Big Four

But I think the series will be decided by Kevin Garnett versus Rasheed Wallace.

I regard Rasheed as the second most talented player in the game (right behind LeBron James).  The NBA has never seen a player with his combination of post-up skills and shooting range.  As he goes, so do the Pistons.  But Wallace is a headcase and the Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett will be defending him.  Both players are the emotional hearts of their respective teams.  If KG manages to frustrate Wallace and get him out of his game, Detroit doesn’t have a prayer.

Dating back to their times with the Washington Bullets and Minnesota Timberwolves, KG and Rasheed have squared off 37 times.

Wallace has won 20 of those games but KG has got the better end of their individual matchup.

KG:  19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 47% from the field.

Rasheed:  16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 blocks, 48% from the field.

I’ll take Boston

Primarily because I believe Garnett will get the better of his matchup with Wallace.  KG is a unique player.  Most power forwards are uncomfortable defending Wallace outside the 3-point line, that won’t be the case with Garnett.  He’ll hound Rasheed from end-line to end-line.

Much has been made of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers taking the Celtics to 7 games and Boston’s failure to win on the road.  Let’s get one thing clear — Atlanta and Cleveland — are better than Philadelphia and Orlando.  Philadelphia took Detroit to 6 games in the first round.  Orlando lost by a combined 8 points in game’s 1 and 5.

Detroit isn’t invincible.  Their perimeter defense is overrated and although they’ve advanced to six consecutive Conference Finals, that’s more a result of the inferior Eastern Conference.

(Photos by NBA.com)