Quote:
Originally posted by grumpyolddude
Time to open a can of worms:
Except of Reggie, none of the Pacers have played at this level. (O'Neal watched from the bench in Portland like Darko's doing now in Detroit) Most of the main players for Indy either jumped to the NBA right from high school or left college early. As a group, they are quite young, inexperienced and undisciplined. By comparison, the Pistons are a great deal more disciplined and experienced, with more big-time college and NBA playoff exposure in their resumes.
If this series were to be played next year, or even two years from now with the same personnel, things might go differently. But for this series, this year, experience seems to be trumping youth.
|
Austin Croshere was a huge part of the Pacers' 2000 finals team. Scot Pollard has been right in the middle of the Kings-Lakers playoff battles. Though these players may not be the most critical players now, their experience should be helping the younger Indiana players to some degree. Not only that but Detroit has it's own playoff inexperience in such guys as Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace. You can't count last years trip to the conference finals as any real experience seeing as the Pistons were swept. I don't think experience is the reason why Detroit is up 2-1.