2007-2008 Preview: Detroit Pistons

Let's be honest: this Pistons team is passed it's prime. However, some smart drafting over the summer and consistent play from stars Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace will surely plant them in the playoffs come April, and who knows where they might go from there.

Backcourt: Chauncey Billups, at 31 years old, is consistent to say the least. His ability to work well with other veteran teammates like Hamilton, Wallace and Tayshaun Prince places him amongst the best point guards in the league, even if his numbers don't reflect it. His clutch play lacked during last year's post-season, particularly in the series with Cleveland, but hopefully his poor performance was just a fluke. Richard Hamilton, on the other hand, continued his strong play and was once again near the 20 point scoring mark, an area he is relatively familiar with. Hamilton's ability to consistently hit midrange jumpers with the occasional outside shot or layup makes him a deadly scorer, and with a veteran point guard like Billups by his side he should be up to his usual tricks in the 07-08 season. Defensively, both Billups and Hamilton can get by using their maturity and quickness, and Billups' tough-nosed defensive play has served him well in the past. Score: 8.5/10

Frontcourt: Tayshaun Prince is easily one of the most underrated players in the league. His statistics, which don't jump out in any particular category, are humbling to his on-court game, which suits his team perfectly and makes him a key component on the Pistons. Prince will consistently give Detroit double-digit scoring, average rebounding and strong defense, and without "glue" players like Prince who knows what would happen. Rasheed Wallace, another defensive machine with good scoring abilities, slipped a little on the offensive end last season. His drop from 15 points per game to 12 makes him one of the few weak links on the Pistons team, despite his great defensive and rebounding skills. With the rise of youngster Jason Maxiell, 'Sheed's starting spot could be in jeopardy and he'll have to step up his game in order to remain alongside Billups, Hamilton and Prince. But hey, Wallace has always seemed to play better when he has a chip on his shoulder. At center, Nazr Mohammed looks to bounce back from a very disappointing 06-07 campaign, his first with Detroit. Mohammed has always been a decent rebounder and defender, but offensively he is virtually useless, and veteran Antonio McDyess might just swoop in to steal his starting spot early on. However, if Mohammed can play "Pistons basketball" and fits in well with his surroundings, he'll stay up with the big boys. Score: 7/10

Bench: McDyess and Maxiell, arguably the two best players off the bench for Detroit, are both bigs who can play tough inside. They'll give consistent minutes to coach Flip Saunders, and should put up good numbers and will play strong defense off the bench. Rookies Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo, both guards with nice outside shots, will do nicely as scorers off the bench for a team with little offensive firepower. Finally, Amir Johnson, who showed off his game late last season, will play as a strong small forward and is an energy player much like the Cavs' Anderson Varejao. Together, the Pistons' bench has all the right pieces to operate, but their youth could affect them early on in the season. Look for things to get better as the season goes on. Score: 7/10

Overall: With Billups running the point, Hamilton doing a majority of the scoring, Prince gluing things together, Wallace bouncing back and Mohammed taking care of business on the block, the starting five is once again pretty concrete for Detroit. The youth on the bench is new for the Pistons, who have had a relatively old squad for a while, and might surprise Saunders with some good play. Overall, the Pistons look once again like they're going to make the playoffs as a high seed, but it's hard to tell just how far they'll go.

Projected All-Stars: Chauncey Billups
Projected Record: 52-30
Projected Central Division Ranking: 1st