The bad news is it has been made perfectly clear the Pistons aren’t as good as the defending world champion Boston Celtics. One loss at home. One loss on the road. Both games rather lopsided by the end.
The good news is the Pistons’ have some time to work on it.
The problem is defense. The Celtics are just so much better defensively than the Pistons. That has not changed since the trade for Allen Iverson.
The trade was still the right one. I think with Iverson, the Pistons will have a much better chance of getting by the Celtics in the playoffs than if they had remained in the Chauncey Billups’ mode. They are also more capable of beating other teams - as impressive victories over the Lakers and the Cavaliers displayed - with Iverson. The Celtics are the standard, though. So far, it hasn’t looked too good.
A key could be the bench. Seems like the Celtics, who aren’t supposed to have great depth, get better bench play head-to-head against the Pistons. Iverson, too, makes the Pistons more capable of penetrating the wall that is the Celtics defense at the crucial juncture when games are decided.
But it sure didn’t turn out that way in the first two meetings between the teams.

Random Thoughts

- It seems like the Lions are inching their way toward selling out the Thanksgiving Day game against the Titans. That would be terrific. The last thing anybody wants thrown in this area’s face is another negative element - on national TV - when we’re already getting hammered so much daily because of the auto industry’s situation. Besides, as bad as the Lions are, most people want to see the Thanksgiving Day game.

- Somehow,, Michael Curry is going to have to make sure the Pistons run more set plays for Richard Hamilton. The Pistons won’t win if he gets just nine shots like Thursday night in Boston.

- Oddest retirement of all time: Mike Mussina after winning 20 games. Doubt he will come back. It’s just not his nature to be insincere.