Two Has Been’s Trying to Hang On

The Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns have been prominent teams in the NBA playoff picture for years, but their fall from hierarchy this season has been swifter than Mike Meyer’s recent film career failures. Both front offices tried to make adjustments as their fortunes were changing and the results have been less than positive. Both are in action Sunday afternoon and each is trying to find one last bit of magic to make a playoff run.

It only figures the Detroit Pistons are not hitting on all cylinders and are very reminiscent of General Motors and Chrysler, totaling up the losses. This is a club in turmoil. Rasheed Wallace returns after sitting out a one game suspension for reaching the league limit on technical fouls and has had returned to the ‘Sheed of old, being combustible player that has own agenda and snaps when restraint would be more beneficial to the team.

Richard Hamilton wants to see a change scenery, not leave Detroit, just not start the game from the bench and return to starters role. When Hamilton was suffering from groin injury he agreed to come off the bench if it helped the team.

"I said I would come off the bench as long as we win," Hamilton said. "But we've been losing. We are 4-12 (4-12 ATS also) with me coming off the bench. Something's got to give. Something's got to change. I am on board with doing whatever for the team but coming off the bench and we're not winning, that's something totally different." It turns out Rip got his wish, but possibly by default as Allen Iverson has been sent to the plastic chair, in part because of an ailing back. This means A.I. is coming off the bench for the first time in his career and you already know how well he’s going to take that demotion.

Sports bettors have noticed the spread losses also, though the Pistons are not as pitiful on the road at 13-14 and 14-13 ATS. Detroit will be in Boston for a 1 Eastern start on ABC and they are 8-18 ATS against teams with winning records this season and off the charts awful 1-9 against the spread in the second half of the season. The Pistons are a nine-point underdog at Bookmaker.com with a total of 189.

When Alvin Gentry agreed to take over the Phoenix Suns as coach, he probably believed a change to more preferred style would alter the fortunes of Phoenix and maybe they could make enough defensive stops with all the offensive firepower still on the roster. Yet, like reaching for a car door handle in July in downtown Phoenix, the Suns have been burned with bad luck.
In less then two weeks, All-Star Amare Stoudemire has been lost for the season, Steve Nash has gone down with a sprained ankle and what was already a thin bench has been stretched beyond reason. With Nash sitting, this means Goran Dragic and Alando Tucker are on the floor and suddenly the Suns take on a Timberwolves look.

If that weren’t bad enough, Grant Hill is hopelessly mismatched as a power forward and it is starting too make more sense why teams as Golden State and Charlotte were willing to trade Jason Richardson. As the losses have mounted, the Big Cactus (Shaquille O’Neal) has become a little more disinterested, since he wants to plays for rings, not to make the playoffs.
The Suns are 17-11 and 11-17 ATS at home and are 6-16 ATS after scoring 100 points or more three straight games this season. Having to face the best team in the NBA, the Lakers, twice in four days, is not what this team needs. Phoenix is 3-11 ATS when playing their third game in four days this season.

The Lakers are road favorites and have taken six of last seven with 5-2 ATS record versus the setting Suns. This Pacific Division tilt starts at 3:30 Eastern.