Last night the Detroit Pistons defeated the #2 team in the Eastern Conference, Toronto Raptors in a OT thriller that allowed them to take over the 6th place.
This started a series of 10 games (the 10/game plan) that in my opinion, are really important in this Playoffs race for The Detroit Pistons; and continue to climb up in the standings.
With that being said, I “offer” you a 10 game plan that is completely great and significant since the Pistons will face teams that are at the bottom of the standings or who are also fighting for a place in the Playoffs.
I’ll start with the second game of the plan against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team which promised a lot at the start of the season; but after the coach change they have gone in free fall; winning only 4 of the last 6 games, in addition to losing the last 3.
For games three and four, we will have the Chicago Bulls in round-trip games. While the Bulls have won 6 of the last 10 games, they remain a young and inexperienced team with the 4th worst record in the league.
Games five and six are of vital importance because they are against teams that are in direct fight with the Pistons for the playoffs and, the “X” factor is that they are away games. First they will have to visit the Brooklyn Nets and then the Miami Heat.
After a short trip, the Pistons will host the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors for games seven and eight. LeBron James and the Lakers will come to the LCA with an urge to win and get that last ticket in the West, while the Raptors will be thirsty for revenge, after two hard defeats against Detroit and fighting for that first place in the East.
To close our 10 Game Plan, we will have to make visits to the Cleveland Cavaliers as game nine and to the Phoenix Suns as game ten. Both squads are at the bottom of the league standings, and it could mean two guaranteed wins.
After this 10-Game Plan, the Pistons will face a different one, VERY different. But this first plan is what I want to offer you, if the Pistons manage to obtain a positive balance of these first 10; I will invite you to the 11-game plan that includes visits to Portland, Golden State, Denver, Indiana, Oklahoma and New York, and also hosting Orlando, Portland, Indiana, Charlotte and Memphis.
As I said, that is another plan. But first, this 10 game stretch could define what our beloved team is really made off. Are they still the 9th seed team or can they really claim a 6th (or 5th) seed?
The way they have been playing, has shown me the Pistons are for real and no longer a promise. Let’s see how this final stretch of the season develops.