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| SI.com's Marty Burns analyzes the Pistons-Magic first-round matchup |
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(1) Detroit
53-29
1st in Central
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(8) Orlando
40-42
3rd in Southeast
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| The Skinny |
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The Pistons have been the East's best team all season, racking up their sixth straight 50-win campaign. With an experienced veteran core of Chauncey Billups (right), Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber and Antonio McDyess, Detroit looks primed for a third Finals berth in four years. The Magic are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, when they blew a 3-1 series lead and lost to the Pistons in seven games in the first round. Orlando also comes in with the dubious distinction of being the only team in the playoffs with a losing record. But the Magic do have a stud in Dwight Howard, and they come in on a bit of a roll having won six of their last seven. Still, the Magic's lack of offense and their problems taking care of the ball make an upset over the more balanced Pistons highly unlikely.
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| Key Matchup |
Chris Webber vs. Dwight Howard
When you talk about the Magic, you start with Howard. The 6-11 third-year forward/center started in this year's All-Star Game and finished third in rebounding (12.3) to go with 17.6 points per game. But he will be matched up against a wily veteran in the 6-10 Webber, who has proved to be a major contributor after signing with his hometown Pistons as a free agent in January. Webber will get help from the long-armed Wallace, but his ability to body up on Howard on defense while also making him work on the other end will be key for Detroit.
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| X-Factor |
Pistons: Overconfidence
After sweeping the season series, the Pistons are expected to breeze in this series. But Detroit has shown a disturbing tendency at times this season to play down to the competition. The Pistons can't afford to look ahead to the Bulls or Heat in the second round, or they could find themselves in a series.
Magic: Grant Hill
The oft-injured 6-8 forward (right, with Hamilton), who actually starts at shooting guard, finally stayed healthy and made it to the playoffs for the first time in his seven seasons in Orlando. Can he dig down into his past and recreate his old All-Star form against his former team? If not, it's hard to imagine the Magic making this a competitive series.
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