Chauncey Billups: Sixers Can Beat Us

"They’ve been a much different team the second half of the season," captain Chauncey Billups said after a lengthy practice Friday, "and that’s the team we have to focus on. ... The team that’s been playing the last 30 games, they’re capable of beating us."

Hearing him say that — and say it like he meant it — is a good sign for the Pistons. Because, although the Sixers pose certain problems on the court, the biggest obstacle the Pistons could wrestle with in this early round is complacency.

The Sixers won 40 games this season, 19 fewer than the Pistons. They weren’t supposed to make the playoffs. They’re inexperienced, All-Star-less and young. They’re the kind of team the Pistons could easily overlook. [Detroit Free Press]