It’s DEEETROOOOIIIIIIIT BASKETBAAAAALL!!! How many times have we heard that scream the past few years. The Detroit Pistons have been able to get deep into the playoffs regularly. With one title and one more finals appearance in the past three years they have become the elite of an Eastern Conference that has been criticized for a lack of talent.

But don’t you dare say that Detroit lacks talent. Actually, therein lies the problem of this team. They can not close out a series easily because they lack a genuine go-to guy. This is a team that probably should have gotten 5 or 6 of its players to the All-Star game, they’re that good. Alas, none of their all-stars are standout stars within the team. There is no natural pecking order. They’ve been able to turn this into a strength, as you never know how they will beat you on any given night.

Versatility, however, has a price. The Pistons have always been mocked that they can not finish off opponents in the playoffs. They simply do not have a failsafe option when things are not going well. Richard 'Rip' Hamilton is a deadly shooter who has been compared to Reggie Miller, but don’t you just wish he would finally show he can nail daggers at the end of the game much like Miller did? Rasheed Wallace is a top-five forward, but have you ever seen him take over in the final two minutes of a possible series clinching game? Don’t get me wrong: every one of Detroit’s players have hit big last second shots, but they lack that one player that they could go to constantly at the end of close games.

Chauncey Billups is quite close to being that player, but he has been in a funk recently. He probably feels some added pressure from his looming free agent status this summer. Tayshaun Prince is a steady scorer and a devilish defender, but he will never be the guy that takes over late in games. That leaves us ... Chris Webber and Antonio McDyess? Puhleeeze! These two are great role players and not much more as they are in the twilight of their successful careers.

Cleveland on the other hand is LeBron James’ team. We all know this team lives, breathes King James. The controversy in Cleveland: Does taking over a game mean he has to take all of the shots? James had two so-so games to start the conference finals, and he was criticized for passing up a contested lay-up for an open Donyell Marshall 3 pointer in game 1. Then he was criticized for forcing a contested lay-up in game 2. In game 3, he never allowed it to get to a final shot. So what’s up with LeBron?

Nothing really. He does what is right at all times. In game 1 criticisms were unfair because he set Marshall up for a wide open trey that any NBA player would make nine out of ten times. Marshall missed. There’s no point in saying James would have somehow, miraculously scored a bucket while being wrapped up by three Pistons defenders. Only James knows what he is capable of, and if he felt the three was a better option, then it was.