Miami and Phoenix were in the spotlight in the regular season and both have championship aspirations, but the Pistons' chances at winning the NBA title are as good as any other team's in the playoffs.

Detroit won 11 of its last 12 regular-season games, and over that span it was clear the defending champions had their health and their swagger back.

The Pistons went 54-28 to win the Central Division and lock up the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

That's pretty good in a season where their coach Larry Brown was out for 17 games because of two surgeries and they also had to deal with the aftermath of the Nov. 19 brawl at the Palace involving players from Detroit and Indiana and fans.

The Pistons lost center Ben Wallace for six games after the league suspended him for his role in the melee.

But these regular-season hurdles have been cleared and no one should take Detroit lightly in the playoffs.

The Pistons made that clear by opening the postseason with two wins over the Sixers in Detroit. Philadelphia battled back in Game 3 at home, but Detroit won Game 4 and leads the series 3-1.

I figure the defending champions will have to deal with top-seeded Miami in the conference finals and that won't be easy, but Detroit has beaten Shaquille O'Neal and company before (see last year).

And because of the improved play of Tayshaun Prince, I think Detroit is an even better team than last year when it beat the Lakers in five games in the NBA Finals.

Prince has gone from being much more than just a defensive player or a complementary offensive player.

He's really become a complete player and that kind of changes the Pistons whole look offensively and it makes Detroit a much better team.

While the Pistons are in good shape to repeat, their depth is a question mark.

After Antonio McDyess I'm not sure coach Brown really knows what he is going to get off the bench.

But when you look at the Pistons' starting five of Prince, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups -- anyone of those guys is capable of going off at anytime and having a big game.

These five play well together, demonstrating intelligent basketball, keeping the possessions down and doing all the things that are necessary to win in the playoffs.

As for Brown, his future will be a sidebar in the postseason.

As to whether he will be back as Pistons coach no one can read his mind.

He's obviously coming towards the end of his NBA coaching career as he is in his mid-60s and he's tired and has had to deal with some health issues.

He could stop coaching at anytime, could stay on Detroit or wind up with another team next season.

One thing is for sure and that is Larry wants to be wanted.

We all know that and that's about all we can go with.

Nothing would surprise me with Larry so stay tuned. 

Q: Why is it when the Defensive Player of the Year debate arises Tayshaun Prince is never mentioned? He has shut down just about every perimeter player from Allen Iverson to Tracy McGrady, and he made Kobe Bryant look like anything but a star player in last year's NBA Finals.
— Carl, Sydney, Australia.

A: You make a very good point.

The image of the Pistons right now is that they are such a good team that everything works together and they play the situations defensively very well.

That being the case most people don't think of Detroit's players as being good individual defensive players, they think more of the terrific team defense played by coach Larry Brown's club.

The Pistons' center Ben Wallace is in the discussion each year for Defensive Player of the Year, but his individual defense is not as stellar as his team defense.

It is so hard to quantify individual defense, but I would put Prince among the top five individual defenders in the league.

He always draws the opposing team's toughest offensive player and his teammates don't have to give him a lot of help.

That pretty much tells you just how good a defensive player Prince has become.

Even if Prince is getting scored on he is making the player he is guarding work for his shots and that player is not getting shots within the opponent's offense.

Those are little things that get done defensively, but they can't be quantified.

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