Detroit Pistons: NBA Team Preview for the 2007-2008 Season

Veteran Clad Team to Make a Run in the Eastern Conference?

You might call the Detroit Pistons veteran clad or you might just call them old, but either way they have as good of a starting five as any team in the Eastern Conference. They also have a solid core of role players mixed with some young guys with the potential to break out. All of that makes the Pistons a dangerous team despite their recent struggles in May the past couple of years.

The Central division is getting tougher each year and the Pistons might feel like they're running in the snow, especially with Prince (27) being the youngest of the starting five. That doesn't mean Chauncey Billups can not role out of bed and help lead this team to the playoffs, it just means they might have trouble getting over the hump once they get there.

In the off-season Detroit re-signed Chauncey Billups and extend Antonio McDyess' contract. Billups was a no-brainer as he's really the face of a talented squad. McDyess, on the other hand is getting up there in age, but he was very productive in the second half of last season and he could prove to be a valuable resource even if he doesn't end in up in the starting role.

In addition to the key re-signings, the Pistons also upgraded their back court by drafting Rodney Stuckey from Eastern Washington, who will be able to provide some rest for both Billups and Rip Hamilton as the two will not be able to play the same minutes they could earlier in their careers.

Youngsters, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell will be all kinds of fun to watch. One of the keys for Detroit will to not get caught up in their us vs. the world mentality that led them crying and moaning about the referees and leading the league in technical fouls yesterday. Of course, all of this stems from the bad boy, Rasheed Wallace, and we wouldn't expect any less. They're still gritty and tough, but because they're getting up there in age they should just shut up and let their play speak for itself.