It’s coming fast and furious whether teams are ready or not. It’s playoff time people. With just a handful of games left on the NBA schedule and Detroit at the top of the Eastern Conference, are The Pistons ready for a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy?

I was delighted when my doorbell rang yesterday and standing at my door was a delivery man with an envelope in hand. I feverishly opened it knowing just what it was. It was my 2007 Detroit Pistons Playoff tickets. I looked at each ticket from Round One through Four and wondered how many of those tickets will get used. My guess, not all of them but not for the reason you might think.

Allen Einstein (NBAE/Getty)

The Pistons have arguably the best starting five in basketball right now. This team has been together for quite some time, excluding Chris Webber, who has gelled with the team better than anyone could have predicted. Detroit’s bench is firing on all cylinders, which has helped rest the starters and cemented confidence in every player on the team. Everyone knows their role and when things are going right, nobody can stop them.

Sure, there are some concerns with the slow starts lately. They can’t seem to close out games the way used to. Sometimes their shots just don’t go down and they have been inconsistent lately. Yes, the Cavs and The Bulls are playing well. Shaq is still a dominating force and Dwyane Wade is on his way back. And the Western Conference is strong. Despite all of that, the Pistons have what it takes to win it all.

Let me tell you why:

• Each of their five starters, plus McDyess, can have the hot hand on any given night.
• The Pistons still have suffocating defense and can make stops when they need to.
• Despite the loss of Ben Wallace, the Pistons defensive numbers haven’t suffered.
• If they play 48 minutes, rather than 24 or even 12, they will dominate. They need to remember that they can’t just flip that switch and take over games, especially in a playoff battle.
• If everyone is healthy and the starters have fresh legs nobody can beat the Pistons in a seven game series.

  Allen Einstein (NBAE/Getty)

• Not only can Mr. Big Shot run the floor with ease, but magical things happen when the offense runs through C-Webb.
• When Sheed is hot nobody can stop him.
• Tayshaun can not only dominate but he causes plenty of mismatches.
• McDyess is playing like an All-Star.
• Best backcourt in the NBA.
• Flip Murray has found his place on the team and has been solid.
• Carlos Delfino always seems to be in the right place at the right time and he looks comfortable on the floor.
• Maxiell, Davis and Mohammed are as solid as they come when we need a big off the bench.
• Rip can take control of the game on both ends of the floor.
• This team is full of unselfish players.
• The Palace crowd.
• The Pistons want it bad.
• They have been there before and know how to get it done.
• Lindsey Hunter is a menace.
• Detroit knows how to win on the road.
• The Pistons had all year to deal with their collapse last season and I am sure they don’t want to revisit that.
• The hero can be anyone from Chauncey Billups to Jason Maxiell, and it makes no difference to the team as long as the end result is a W.

Plain and simple, this Pistons team can go deep in the Playoffs. They have what it takes to dominate any team in the league. If they want it bad enough it’s theirs for the taking. Don’t forget, the Pistons have been to the Eastern Conference Finals three out of the last four years and The Finals twice. I have so much confidence in this team that I think they can get to The Finals without having to take a series to seven games. One thing they need to do before the Playoffs is finish off strong and put that fear back into their opponents because once the Playoffs start it’s a whole new ballgame.

I for one am counting the days. I was lucky enough to be at The Palace when they won it all in 2004. I know they can do it again, I am just wondering which one of my Playoff tickets could be the Golden One. I could quote the NBA slogan and say “I Love This Game,” but it’s not just the game, I Love DEEE-TROIT BASKETBALL.