SPORTS
Puwr -hTkmAA t n.gon uou-*]-raJune 10, 198
ragd - T e Michigan Daily -- Friday, June 10, 1988
Finals: Pistons- Lakers
Pistons deserve respect Detroit takes 'Let's get
even with rough play physical' theme too far
BY ADAM BENSON
OK, welcome to the real news.
That's right, this University President
stuff is garbage. The story, the important
stuff, the REAL reason for this special Daily
Extra is...the Pistons.
Those lovable Pistons are looking to
finish off those goofy Lakers. What a bunch
of clowns. Ever hear a Michael Cooper
interview? He sounds like Jimmy Stewart
taking in helium. How about A.C. Green?
The guy must own stock in jeri-curl. Or
maybe he borrows that grease from coach Pat
Riley?
A.C. could loan some of his glossy top to
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. All you have to do is
look at Kurt Rambis to know that he is
goofy. The only normal fella here is Magic,
and you all know where he was born.
Even with all these quirks, it's the
Pistons who are hated around the NBA.
Dennis 'Worm' Rodman and John 'Spider'
Salley are typically showered by boos, and
get nicknames from two of the planet's
lowest lifeforms. They could be considered
lucky. Bill Laimbeer and RickMahorn will
have to work their way up to earn such
attractive titles.
The Pistons are playing perhaps the best
defensive basketball seen in the NBA in
twenty years. When the Pistons crushed
Chicago, people screamed that Michael
Jordan had an off series.
As the Pistons dismantled Boston, CBS
relentlessly flashed graphics about Larry
Bird's problems. CBS made sure to tell us
that Bird could have mono, or was tired in
the Atlanta series, or he lacked an adequate
backup. Never mentioned was the Pistons
stifling defense that forced Bird to put up a
few shots that he didn't want to take.
The Pistons don't have the glamour boys
of the NBA, they are a blue collar club. The
Pistons are ready to win an NBA title, and
they'll fight, bump, scratch, pick & roll their
way there. If they win the title, it shouldn't
be cheapened by attacking their style of play.
The Pistons took the same route that the
Lakers, Celtics and 76ers did before them.
They have earned this shot, and they will
earn their title.
BY ADAM SCHRAGER
Welcome to the world of professional
wrestling, uh, I mean basketball. With the
Detroit Pistons in the NBA finals, no one
would know the difference.
When people call the Pistons a blue collar
team, it must refer to the color of their opp-
onents necks after the Motown crew climbs
off them following an illegal choke hold. The
other thing the blue could refer to would be
their opponents faces from taking cheap shot
elbows on back screens.
Led by "The Devious One" Chuck Daly,
Detroit's own version of wrestling's Mr.
Fuji, the Pistons contain Ax and Smash or
Demolition, the World Wrestling Federation's
tag team champions. Rick Mahorn (Ax) and
Bill Laimbeer (Smash) perform moves that
would only be suited for the squared circle
rather the hardwood floor.
First example, mid-season, Chicago-
Detroit. Both Mahorn and Laimbeer phy-
sically abuse Bulls guard Michael Jordan as
he drives to the basket, setting off a bench-
clearing bruhaha. Afterwards, Adrian Dantley
says that Jordan has to expect people being
"aggressive" in the NBA.
Second example, game two, Chicago-
Detroit. Jordan breaks away for a slam dunk.
The Bulls are up by double digits as Jordan
glides toward the hoop. Right as Jordan is
about to dunk, Laimbeer gives him a two-
hand extended push into the basket's
supports, temporarily injuring the league's
best player.
Third example, game five, Boston-Detroit.
Laimbeer pulls Dennis Johnson down by his
jersey in mid-air as he's shooting and injures
his back. Johnson was limited for the rest of
the series.
Now, I have nothing against physical play
as long as it's controlled. But it seems like
controlling the physical play of the Pistons is
more difficult than controlling D o.m
DeLuise's appetite.
Granted, the Pistons deservedly beat
Boston, but the Lakers, the "good guys" in
this series, will have to watch out for more
than taking cheap shots from the "blue-collar"
Pistons. They will have to worry about
running up the score.
Piston guard Isiah Thomas and Laker guard Magic Johnson endure two different fates in last night's, 108.96 Los Angeles victory. The Laker defense
swarmed to the ball as seen by Thomas' predicament, while Johnson drove at will on the highly touted Piston defense.