By Warren Blatt Jun 20, 2007, 16:15 GMT
- The Detroit Pistons have lost two straight years in the Eastern Conference finals and could be looking to make some personnel changes. They won their third straight Central Division and were the top seed in the East playoffs, but were eliminated by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2, in the conference finals.
Richard Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring (19.8 ppg) during the regular season, while Rasheed Wallace grabbed a team-best 7.2 rebounds and point guard Chauncey Billups dished out a club-high 7.2 assists.
Billups and veteran forward Chris Webber, who joined the team during the regular season, may leave the team through free agency. Wallace, who averaged 12.3 points in 75 games, could be the subject of trade rumors during the offseason, but will most likely be back with the club.
Unsung hero Tayshaun Prince had another excellent season. He played in all 82 games during the campaign, and posted 14.3 points, 5.2 boards and 2.8 assists. Prince played his usual stellar defense and did all the little things that make the Pistons successful. Forward Jason Maxiell showed a lot of potential during the regular season and in spurts during the playoffs.
Detroit has a pair of first-round picks (15,27). The Pistons may look to package the two to move up, or they may like what is projected to be their for them to grab.
With the possible departure of Billups, Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton and Acie Law of Texas A&M may be on the radar at No. 15. Make no mistake, signing Billups is the Pistons top priority in the offseason. However, the team may elect to play it safe and get some insurance. Even if Billups re-signs, Crittenton or Law would still be nice additions.
At No. 27, the Pistons may go foreign. Some names to keep an eye on are Ante Tomic of Croatia and Spaniard Marc Gasol.
Key Player(s): Chauncey Billups (Guard), Richard Hamilton (Guard), Lindsey Hunter (Guard), Jason Maxiell (Forward), Antonio McDyess (Forward), Nazr Mohammed (Center), Tayshaun Prince (Forward), Rasheed Wallace (Forward), Chris Webber (Forward).
Team Needs: Depth at forward and an outside shooter.
Draft picks: 1st round (15th overall), 1st round (27th overall), 2nd round (57th overall).
© 2007 The Sports Network
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