An upset in the making?

Note: this is the first installment of a special NBA finals series. check back to 210 West after every finals game to get Dan Nied's column.

By Dan Nied [send email]

Pressure.

That’s all these NBA playoffs have been for the Detroit Pistons so far. If you remember, back in April it seemed that every media outlet had the Pistons cruising to the finals to face the mighty Lakers. Well, after a scary Game 7 against the Nets in the second round and a six-game win over Indiana in Eastern Conference Finals (A series so tough, painful and ugly that it felt like going through a meat grinder) the Pistons will begin he NBA Finals tonight at 9 p.m. They are right where they are supposed to be.

And, because they are playing a Laker team filled with stars, now the pressure is all off and life in Pistonland is a beautiful thing.

Not one media outlet, even within the city of Detroit, has picked the Pistons to win this series. Most are going with the company line: “Detroit will give them a run, but the Lakers will win in six.” What else could you ask for? If the Pistons pull off the upset, they are one of the beloved teams in sports history. If they lose, well, they gave it their best, no shame in getting there.

But take a closer look at the match ups in this series and you will see that the Pistons have a legitimate shot. You can say that Detroit has the edge in three of five starting positions, a deeper bench and a worthy coach. While the Lakers basically have Shaq, Kobe and home court advantage.

But think about these three match ups.

Detroit small forward Tayshaun Prince has the edge over Devean George. Prince has proven that, if he shows up, he can give you 15 points and 10 rebounds a game. He will also be asked to stifle Kobe Bryant on defense. A tall task, sure, but Prince seems to thrive playing big time names. Remember the first round of the 2003 playoffs against Orlando. Detroit got scorched by Tracy McGrady on their way to a 3-1 series deficit and the brink of elimination. Then Prince stepped in to guard McGrady and all but shut him down. That’s not to say he’ll do it again with Bryant, but there is precedent.

Then there is Rasheed Wallace matching up against Karl Malone. If this was 1998 I’d say the Pistons are in trouble. But, six years after the fact, can you honestly see Malone getting the best of Rasheed? The Mailman may have to settle for Shaq’s garbage when Rasheed and Ben Wallace double team the Big Doughnut. And then Malone will have to guard Rasheed, who has the ability to dominate on the offensive end. Of course, if Rasheed has a 4-19 shooting night, like he did in the Indiana series, then that will make Malone’s job much easier.

That brings us to the point. Gary Payton against Chauncey Billups. Payton is a media hyped hall of famer. Sure he’s put up good numbers over the course of his career, averaging over 20 points per game. But only one time has he done anything to lead his team deep into the playoffs. in 1996 when his Sonics lost to the Bulls in the NBA finals. Even as the general of the decent Seattle teams of the mid 1990s he always had Shawn Kemp down low. But as soon as Payton signed on with the Lakers to buy himself a ring, he was a hall of fame point guard. Let’s say this: Isiah and Magic he ain’t. He isn’t even a Steve Francis.

But The Glove has gotten his HOF hype this year while constantly complaining about Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. (Yeah, the same offense the Bulls used for six championships and the Lakers for three.) But no one stops to point out that if the Lakers win this series, it will be despite Payton. This is the one spot where the Pistons have a clear advantage in this series. Billups is a proven 20 point a night player. While coach Larry Brown has kept his shooting down in favor of even ball distribution, the Pistons could exploit this match up for the entire series. If Billups gets hot the Pistons are hard to beat. If Billups AND shooting guard Richard Hamilton get hot, the Pistons might be unbeatable.

And sure the Lakers still have Bryant and O’Neal and a carpetbagging coach in Jackson, but we’ve barely mentioned the defensive heroics of Ben Wallace and the genius of Larry Brown. It might not be enough to win the series, but this will not be a walk in the park for the Purple and Gold.

And just remember where we started here: Pressure. It is all on the Lakers and the Pistons should be able to come out loose and fired up at the scads of bulletin board material they’ve already seen.

The Pistons have gone as far as expected, this season is already a success. The Lakers will have failed even if they lose Game 7 in overtime on a last second shot. Combine that with a talented Detroit roster and you may see, behind the hullabaloo of a star studded team, an upset in the making.