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Detroit Pistons (54-28) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (43-39)

Detroit Pistons

Guards: The Pistons duo of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton is as battle-tested as you can get among NBA backcourts. Billups was the finals MVP last season and is a big-time point guard, perimeter threat and all-around dangerous player on both ends. Hamilton won at UConn with a solid mid-range game and that's his thing in the NBA as well. His constant energy and motion make him a difficult matchup. And he's solid defensively. Detroit's backup guards are Carlos Arroyo, who was acquired from Utah and veteran Lindsay Hunter.

Forwards: Detroit's frontcourt is a nice mix of offense and defense. Leading the defense of this group is Tayshaun Prince, who got famous with his key block of Reggie Miller in Game Two of the Eastern Conference finals. In addition to his defensive prowess, Prince's offensive game has improved. The other starting forward is Rasheed Wallace. Starting the playoffs against his hometown Sixers will serve as extra motivation. The key Pistons forward reserve is Antonio McDyess. Apparently recovered from knee problems that limited him severely in the previous three seasons, he's been extremely solid.

Centers: When you think defensive-minded center, Ben Wallace is the best. He's a dominating shot-blocker and rebounder who will be right there every time Allen Iverson tries to drive. His only weakness is the same as Shaq's - foul shooting; Wallace made just 44.3 percent of foul shots, down from 49 percent a year ago. Elden Campbell backs-up Wallace and if you remember from last season, he effectively guarded Shaquille O'Neal at times during the finals.

Coach: Larry Brown had to deal with all sorts of distractions. First came the hip surgery, then the big brawl which changed the league and finally persistent rumors about him leaving to go elsewhere yet again. Through it all, he has the Pistons playing the right way again as they won 11 of their final 12 games, dropping the meaningless final game in silly fashion to the Bobcats.

Strengths: Defense is this team's strength. And, the starting five might be the best in the league on both ends. All five defend well and the Pistons have at least three major scoring threats although Prince has shown he can score too.

Weaknesses: Although McDyess has made a decent comeback, the depth here is not as great as a year ago when Corliss Williamson, Mehmet Okur and Mike James were on the team.

Key Stats:
points - Hamilton 18.7
rebounds - Ben Wallace 12.2
assists - Billups 5.8
steals - Ben Wallace 1.4
blocks - Ben Wallace 2.4
points for - 93.3
points against 89.5

Philadelphia 76ers

Guards: There isn't much that hasn't been said about Allen Iverson's performance this season. In what might have been his finest outing, Iverson eased into being the point guard while still displaying his firepower for 40 and 50 point games and taking the scoring title. He is fearless, and running into a brick wall like Ben Wallace or anything former coach Larry Brown throws at him won't change that. Iverson also should be motivated by his previous encounter with the Pistons in the 2003 conference semifinals, when he averaged 28.5 points but shot 5-of-25 in Game Five and shot 14-of-33 in the deciding Game Six. Occupying Iverson's former shooting guard spot is rookie Andre Iguodala, who is a solid finisher and can guard the opponent's best player. Other guards on the team include John Salmons and Willie Green, who both played decently at times when given the chance by coach Jim O'Brien.

Forwards: The Sixers began the season with Kenny Thomas in the frontcourt but now have Chris Webber. Webber found his groove down the stretch, winning tough Sixer fan support in the process. He still can hit a mid-range jumper off a pick-and-roll, but injury history in recent postseasons has to have Sixers fans nervous. The other starting forward is second-year outside shooting threat Kyle Korver, who has shown he can he hit big shots down the stretch. Rodney Rogers, Aaron McKie and Josh Davis are the other forwards. McKie and Rogers are older veterans and both might be able to contribute 10-15 minutes and some grit.

Centers: Samuel Dalembert is not the shot blocker Ben Wallace is, but he's still decent on the defensive side. When remembering to play an all-around game, he is effective. The other man in the middle is Marc Jackson, who has a decent touch with his jump shot and adds more experience to the bench.

Coach: Jim O'Brien's homecoming to Philadelphia produced a return to the playoffs after the failures of last season's 33-win disaster. He got Iverson to move to the point but at the same time the Sixers haven't entirely adjusted to his defensive philosophy.

Strengths: Iverson's offense is this team's strength. And defensively, Iverson and Iguodala were among the best in steals and the Sixers led the league in steals.

Weaknesses: The Sixers don't rebound nearly as well as the Pistons do, despite the presence of Dalembert and Webber. Winning the battle on the offensive glass is crucial especially if Pistons defenders collapse on Iverson forcing him into long shots.

Key Stats:

Points - Iverson, 30.7
Rebounds - Webber 7.9
Assists - Iverson - 8.0
Steals - Iverson - 2.4
Blocks - Dalembert - 1.7
Points for - 99.1
Points against 99.9

What Probably Happens: Iverson is the best player in this series, but even the greats need help. The Pistons are just too good on both ends for the Sixers to pull off the upset. If Iverson plays as well as he did during the regular season, the Sixers could push this series to six. But it's probably Detroit in five.