Mike Celizic

The NBA Eastern Conference Finals are a classic case in the shortcomings of the American idea of entertainment.

It’s a great match, the Heat with its superstar players and Hollywood-polished coach against the ultimate team, the Detroit Pistons, with its players who sacrifice individual acclaim for the common good and a coach named Flip.

Since we’re addicted to celebrity, most fans probably would have preferred that the Cavaliers had beaten Detroit so that LeBron James, the heir to Jordan, Bird and Magic, could continue to display his individual brilliance.

James is the future of the NBA; there’s little question about that. He was brilliant for much of the series against the Pistons. But in the second half of the seventh game, LeBron was turned into a non-factor by the voracious Detroit defense. James doubtless learned a lot that he’ll bring to next season and those after as he grows into his enormous potential. But he is still the future, while the Pistons are the present.

Given the rapid rise of the Cavs and the inevitable decline of all great teams, we don’t know how much longer the Pistons will be around. This is their third straight trip to the conference finals, and they’re looking to make their third straight trip to the NBA Finals. They’re a great team that can’t be dismissed just because they don’t have a player like LeBron.

Cavs-Heat, with LeBron against Dwyane and Shaq, is the sexier matchup. But, despite what the programming folks at Fox might tell you, sexy isn’t always better. It’s like having a choice between going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Berlin Philharmonic playing an evening of Mozart. You go to the first without prompting. The second you either get dragged to kicking and screaming, or you go in the hopes of impressing your date.

When the rock group is done, you go home knowing you had a good time. When the Mozart is done, you realize you’ve heard something special; you feel ennobled.

There’s a place for both. It’s easier to get into the sexier choice, but more rewarding to commit to the alternative. And sometimes, you don’t get a choice.

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The playoffs are always like that. You don’t get to choose the programming. The best teams move on, regardless of what the fans want.

In this case, Heat-Pistons is the better series with the better teams, the series that gives the bigger contrast in the styles, the series that brings together the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, the series we expected all along until the Cavs and James gave us reason to hope for something more exciting.

CAVALIERS VS. PISTONS Pistons win 4-3 Game 7: Pistons finally defeat Cavs Celizic: The matchup we needed LeBron learns big lesson in playoffs Celizic: Next Jordan? No, the 1st LeBron   Slide show: Stars who must step up Interactive: Past playoffs' big moments

The Cavs had two chances to advance and they couldn’t convert. In sports, that’s prima facie evidence that they’re not yet good enough, they’re not yet deserving. Lose one, and you can call it bad luck. Lose two straight and score just 61 points in Game 7, and it’s not luck, it’s the greatness of the opponent.