The NBA Finals? Who Needs 'Em -- When Failure Is Guaransheed?

OK, Pistons fans -- did you REALLY want a piece of the San Antonio Spurs?

Didn't think so.

I think the grief over not making it to the NBA Finals isn't so much that there's a groundswell of opinion that the Pistons could have taken the Spurs out. Rather, it's more of an "if the Spurs are gonna kick someone's ass in the Finals, then it'd better be OURS" kind of a thing.

Seriously -- Timmy Duncan's team is the class of the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks notwithstanding. They are, in the 21st century, what the Bulls and Lakers and Celtics were during various times in the 20th.

Last night the Spurs put a licking on the Cleveland Cavaliers that was hardly surprising. The Spurs are what the Pistons used to be, only better. It would be a minor miracle if the pesky Cavs can do much more than shove the series to five games.

LeBron James was harrassed into a 4-for-16 shooting night, and this time there wasn't enough Boobie Gibson or Drew Gooden or Zadrunas Ilgauskas to save the day. And there won't be, for the Cavs will find that the Spurs' defenders make the Pistons look like San Antonio Lite.

To San Antonio's credit, they're saying all the right things about James and his potential to go off at any moment, like an un-defused time bomb. And James might, before the series is done sometime next week, break out for 30 points or so. But mostly the young King will be getting on-the-job training about what the NBA Finals are all about. And it will make him stronger, and better, in the long run. Not a pleasant thought for the rest of the NBA East.

In Game 1, Tony Parker had 27 points. If that comes close to happening again, forget what I said about the series being extended beyond four games. In fact, I'd be tempted to pick a four-game sweep in three matches -- if that were possible.

No, the Pistons wouldn't have had much of a prayer against the Spurs. Perhaps they could have been a better match for the Spurs than Cleveland will be -- mainly because of experience and the revenge factor. But the Pistons would have needed seven games to eliminate the Cavs, and a rested San Antonio club would have loomed -- on the road -- a few nights later.

The way I figure it, the only thing the Pistons missed out on by not doing away with the Cavs was the ignominy of losing to the Spurs twice in three seasons for the whole enchilada. And we'd still be wringing our hands over Joe Dumars' offseason moves.

Gives us one more week with the Tigers, as far as I'm concerned.