What did I tell you?

I said it was over, and, of course, I was right. The Celtics eliminated the Pistons last night, 89-81, and you have to give the
Celtics lots of credit for not folding when they fell behind by 10 in the second half.
The game was there for the Pistons, and the league was set for an exciting Game 7, with lots of story lines. And, quite frankly, I expected to see a Game 7. But that's finished, and the league gets what it wants in the Finals, Lakers vs. Celtics.
Let's not blame the NBA for this loss; the Pistons had the game in their hands, on their home court, in front of their home fans. The Celts won with great determination. It shows that every so often it can be done in the NBA.
It is time for us, however, to examine the Pistons. Now, I watch them less
than any of the other professional Detroit teams, but I go back to Bing and DeBusschere, so I can speak to history. Joe Dumars has done an exceptional job building this team, but he's got some tough decisions to make.
First, the coach. Flip Saunders is not the answer. The Pistons remain an undisciplined, unpredictable group on the floor, and that's a reflection of the coach. The team settles for jump shots in tight spots, and it does not have an inside presence on offense.
That brings us to the next point, Rasheed Wallace. As an observer, an educated one, I say he's the most frustrating, disappointing, selfish and unmotivated pro in Detroit (now that Shaun Rogers has been traded from the Lions.)
The Pistons keep waiting for Rasheed to show the way in the postseason, but he is incapable of such leadership and domination of games.
Defensively, he's OK. But, overall, he's old by league standards, a pain in the ass on the floor with officials and in displaying his lack of respect to teammates, the game, the league ... you name it.
So, it's time for Flip and Rasheed to be shown the door. From my research, Rasheed next season is on the fourth year of a five-year, $57 million contract. Could the Pistons deal him? I doubt it. You have to be creative in the NBA to broker a deal with a player who makes $11 million or $12 million a season. And that the Pistons pay this guy that much is really an indictment of the NBA and its players. Except for a few short stretches, Wallace got his ass kicked by the Celtics Kevin Garnett. It was not even close, and that matchup advantage is one of the major reasons the Celtics are moving on. Wallace, who dogs it during the regular season, is paid to produce in the postseason, and this makes three or four seasons in a row where he has failed miserably.
As for Saunders, it's time for him to move on, too. He seems like a good guy, someone who was eager to help this unit reach the Finals again. But he does not have the dominant personality to make that happen. I'm convinced a new coach is necessary.
But even then, over the next few seasons, I'm afraid the Pistons are destined only to reach the conference semis or finals before bowing out. This team is spent. It is time
to retool, to rebuild. And I think Dumars will do just that.