A few more Pistons - Cavs thoughts

I'm not normally one to give kudos to anything that appears on any of the worldwide leader's properties, as for the most part, they're evil incarnate.

But doing my due diligence in following up on the numerous MSM opinions as to what is going to be known as (Due to the lack of anything better) the "LeBron game," I came across this gem of a statement from Marc Stein...

When this series is said and done, what will we have to say about the Detroit Pistons?

Stein: Whether or not they can haul themselves off the mat again, it's time for the Pistons to get over themselves. They still have a quality core of players, but they're so much more arrogant than they were before going to the Finals in 2004 and 2005. They unite in blame against Flip Saunders whenever something goes wrong and play with a sense of entitlement that, frankly, has grown tiresome.

I couldn't have said it better myself. The arrogant vibe they exude is exactly why the Pistons aren't the most liked team in the NBA. In fact, I'd venture a guess they are amongst the most hated teams in all of sports.

I pretty much said the same as Stein during the Bulls series. I was fed up to here with their extreme overconfidence...

Their attitude is a big reason why most opposing fanbases despise the Pistons. (Well, that and the constant referee baiting and whining, of which Pistons fans are sick and tired of seeing) Much like deposed royalty living in exile, royalty who believes they still have the same station in life, the Pistons all too often carry themselves as if they are the defending NBA champions. Considering their NBA title was 3 seasons ago, they don't deserve that kind of respect. 3 seasons is eons in NBA years.

Their "If it ain't rough, it's ain't right" chest thumping (Even though it has been toned down, the arrogance still shows through in their interviews) and the undeserved sense of entitlement is a complete turnoff, and I'm a fan.

In some ways, I'd like to see the Pistons lose, if only to knock them down a few pegs on the cockiness meter. There's that, and also the fact that a loss will lead to some overdue changes in the makeup of the Pistons roster.

I then found myself looking back at my thoughts in regard to the ECF. Before the start of this series, I said the following...

This series comes down to 2 things, and 2 things only.

1. Can the Pistons stop LeBron James?

2. Will the Pistons stay interested?

Well, I think we can safely say that keeping their interest is no longer an issue.

As for stopping LeBron James, my first thought was that the Pistons showed that they could at least slow the James train down. But the more I thought about it, and how could you not with the non-stop James talk everywhere you turn, in the first 2 games, it was James stopping himself, not the Pistons.

So after the "LeBron James as Basketball Jesus" coming out party Thursday night, I'd expect nothing less than 35 points from the new Basketball Jesus. Considering the confidence level of his surrounding apostles (Can you really call them "Teammates" after their staying out of the Basketball Jesus' way was the secret to victory?) will be sky high in Cleveland, I'm not confident we'll see a game 7.

I'm not confident at all.