Playoffs 2000:Dr. Jack's Breakdown: Pistons-Heat

Dr. Jack's Breakdown: Pistons-Heat
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com

No. 7 Pistons (42-40) vs. No. 2 Heat (52-30)

Hall of Fame coach Dr. Jack Ramsay provides analysis for ESPN on SportsCenter and NBA Today. Here he breaks down the playoffs for ESPN.com. The color analyst for the Heat, Ramsay's impressive résumé includes making the playoffs in 16 of his 20 seasons as coach and winning an NBA title with Portland in 1977.
Throughout the 2000 playoffs, Dr. Jack will break down each series from the backcourts to intanglibles. Look for his analysis from the first round all the way through to the NBA Finals.

BACKCOURT	EDGE
Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse will draw Dan Majerle, who is a good defender. But without Tim Hardaway, who might play some in the series but not at 100 percent, Anthony Carter gets the start against Lindsey Hunter, another decent defender. So the Pistons get the edge at both guard positions.

FRONTCOURT

EDGE

The Pistons have no answer for Alonzo Mourning. They will play Terry Mills, a pretty good post defender, against Mourning. When the Pistons have beaten Miami, they have double-teamed Mourning every time he catches the ball. Detroit does a decent job with that approach. Mourning will have to assert himself and find balance between getting quick scoring opportunities before the double teams come and then making good passes off the catch. At center, Miami has the edge, but then Grant Hill is matched up with Jamal Mashburn and Christian Laettner against P.J. Brown. Hill should get the better of Mashburn, but the big forward battle is a wash.

EVEN

BENCH	EDGE
I give Miami a little edge. Bruce Bowen has become a great defender, and the Heat will need him against both Hill and Stackhouse. Clarence Weatherspoon has done a nice job, as has Otis Thorpe behind Mourning. Rookie Rodney Buford is getting more minutes, and he's showing he can play.

INTANGIBLES

EDGE

Pat Riley is the best coach in the league, but Pistons interim coach George Irvine knows what he is doing and will have his team prepared. The Heat have been eliminated in first round the last two years, and they want to get to the second round by any means possible. Detroit has done little in the playoffs, and Hill is hungry for some postseason success. If Hardaway doesn't play, I believe everybody else on the Heat will step up their game.

PREDICTION
Heat in five. Miami will benefit from having the home-court edge. The Heat are also one of the league's top defensive teams and have Mourning. This will be a very closely matched series.