The New York Knicks are NBA champions, which is a strange thing to write, and something no one had to for the last half century plus. While it is somewhat painful to see a rival win, the Knicks’ title should light a fire under the Detroit Pistons.
After hearing endlessly all season about how the Eastern Conference was the inferior side, the Knicks put a fair beatdown on the mighty Spurs and ended that notion. Everyone expected OKC to start a true dynasty or for the Spurs to start the Wembanyama Title Era, but that didn’t happen.
The West may be the deeper conference, but the East has the title, so I’d like all the clever people who used “Leastern Conference” at some point this season (looking at you, Marc Stein) to stand up and take their medicine.
But there were other things about the series that should motivate the Pistons.
The Pistons can beat the Knicks
I don’t know if the Pistons would have beaten the Knicks in a series, and we’ll never know because Detroit didn’t show up for game seven of their series against the Cavs.
What I do know is that Detroit stomped the Knicks three times this season by a combined 84 points, and while regular season may not matter, the Pistons at least know they can beat the champs on a given night.
And as much bluster as Knicks fans had coming in (it’s going to be unbearable now), they didn’t want to play the Pistons and were glad to see the Cavaliers get past them, I guarantee it.
Detroit is not there yet, but they are not far off the team that just won the title, which should be a strong motivator.
Detroit can beat New York, but they need help
The Pistons may have throttled the Knicks in the regular season, but that doesn’t mean they are ready to beat them in a playoff series.
While Detroit may not be a million miles away, their roster needs work if they are truly going to be at New York’s level in the playoffs. The Knicks have a starting lineup full of guys who can handle the ball and shoot, two things the Pistons were missing, so they need more of each if they are going to topple New York.
That doesn’t mean the Pistons have to gut their roster to chase a pipe dream, but they do need more talent if they are going to win the East and that starts by getting players who can reliably handle and shoot the ball.
Detroit definitely needs help to get over the New York hump in the East, but the good news is that the hump isn’t that big, and the Pistons can get there just by internal improvement and a few additions.
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