Pistons balancing need for rest with staying sharp

by A. Sherrod Blakely

Friday May 16, 2008, 12:01 AM

AP PhotoThe Pistons have won seven of their past eight playoff games.

AUBURN HILLS -- Finishing off the Orlando Magic in five games has provided the Detroit Pistons with something rare in the playoffs: a stretch of days off with no specific opponent to prepare for.

But lots of days off often have led to some long, frustrating nights for a Pistons team that has lost at least one series opener in four of the last five postseasons. That tally includes a 100-86 Game 1 loss to Philadelphia last month in their first-round series.

So while players will surely benefit from the downtime, Pistons coach Flip Saunders must balance that need for rest with the players staying sharp for their next series against either Boston or Cleveland.

"We approach it where it's almost like a mini-camp situation," Saunders said. "You work it like you normally do during the season if you get a situation where you get some days off. You work them, with the purpose of getting something out of them."

Still, Saunders acknowledged that there is some concern that the Pistons, winners in seven of their past eight playoff games, won't have the same kind of flow after what will be nearly a week off without a game.

"That's why it's important that you don't let up, no matter how long you go (in practice)," Saunders said.

Few players seem to be in a better rhythm than Tayshaun Prince, who has arguably been Detroit's best player thus far in the playoffs.

Prince came into the postseason averaging 12.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. In 11 games this postseason, he is averaging 16 points and 6.2 rebounds in addition to playing great defense against what has usually been the opposing team's best scorer.

"Obviously, you worry about (losing rhythm)," Prince said. "But when you play a lot of minutes in consecutive games, you're worrying about getting a little rest, too. It's just one of those scenarios were you can't sit around and mess around with a team like Orlando. You have to try and get rid of them right away. You can't worry about how many days you have off. That's just how it goes."

For Chauncey Billups, the time off has been a blessing to his strained right hamstring injury which has kept him out of Detroit's last two playoff games. But he too is concerned that so many days off might affect how they play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

"That's always a concern when you get so many days off," said Billups who is expected to play in Game 1 against the Boston/Cleveland series winner. "It's a Catch-22. You want the days off, you want to recover and get healthy, but at the same time you want to keep that rhythm especially if you're playing well."

Billups expects the next couple of days to be pretty intense in practice, with lots of scrimmaging.

"That's probably a big key, try to simulate some game-type situations in practice," Billups said.

The Boston Celtics, who will advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a win against Cleveland today, don't seem to be bothered by the Pistons having so much time to rest while they're still battling for the right to move on to the Conference finals.

"We're not going to lose any sleep over that," Boston coach Doc Rivers told reporters recently. "But we'll have our film guys working on the Detroit stuff, and I'm sure Cleveland does as well."

Said Celtics guard Ray Allen: "I like that (Detroit's) resting. For me personally, I don't like to sit around. I think you lose some rhythm."