Luke Waltons Forehead presented by the Sports Dude.

Well, I really don't want to preview the Spurs/Pistons yet, that will come tomorrow. I just want to sit back, take it all in and be glad the series is over. As predicted by me a couple weeks ago (you can see the original post prediction here) the Pistons won in seven. I am glad I don't have to see 'Zo snarl anymore, I am glad we took it to Shaq yet again and I am glad we get a good Finals to watch. (Plus, I am extremly happy I don't have to see commercials for "Into The West", "The Closer" or that weird "Wanted" show any longer. Damn TNT, get over yourselves!) Seriously, even with a healthy Wade, the Heat would have been swept or lost in five to San Antonio. The Pistons match up better and will play the Spurs closer. Besides, it is the style of basketball that I crave - defense, low scoring and ugly. Like I said, I never watch any of the Western Conference Playoffs because I find that style boring - final score 133-132. That sucks if you ask me! Give me the 89-87, bloody and bruised style, that is basketball. And folks, that is what this Finals is going to be - five, six, seven games worth of defense. Expect a chess match that will be the most amazing you have ever seen between two good friends, Popovich and LB. Much better than last years coaching match up because these two guys are actually coaches, not frauds that just ride star players like Phil Jackson.

Well, this validated it for me, I am glad they moved on. Even if they lose to the Spurs, at least they returned to the Finals. I was so afraid of hearing the media label the Pistons title last year a fraud, a fake, a phony. You know that if they lost to the Heat that is what it would have been. But this puts a sock in all the critics and doubters mouths, this puts a boot up all their back sides and this let's them know that this is a legitimate team. Look at the way they did it? Down 3-2, winning game #7 on the road, plus Wade looked pretty good to me last night so don't bring that injury crap. Winning game #7 on the road, how real is that? Well, according to the stat geeks, only about 18% real, give or take. Well, the Pistons took it, end of story.

Oh, one last thing, here is my Pistons season prediction post from November 8, 2004. Some of the playoff teams are wrong for each conference, but scroll down to the bottom and you will see that I picked Ben to get his defensive player of the year award back and I have the Spurs and Pistons in the Finals. My pick back then was Pistons in six, let's see if I stick with that tomorrow when I preview the Finals for real. Hey, I made those picks eight months ago - a brother can "toot his own horn" right?

Later!