I'm picking the Pistons to once again, win the East and find their way back into the NBA Finals, to once again, face the Spurs - Just saw them beat the Warriors tonight in a close one on the road, and this team just flat-out knows how to get it done. They learned alot from the tenure of Larry Brown and it has transferred over to the Saunders-era. You could even argue that they are a better team under Saunders because he allows for a lot more running and offensive "creativity" than was allowed under the rigid and defensive-minded, Brown ( their scoring average is way up this year ) - They also have the most disciplined and cohesive starting-five in the league and they all just happen to be reaching their primes ( especially Tayshaun Prince )...and that is a frightening prosect for those who would challenge them in the Eastern Conference. They will be a force to reckon with for several more seasons to come - My only concern, of course, is the lack-of depth on the bench, but most teams in the league seem to suffer from the same malody, so at worst, it's a push. I see a Pistons-Spurs Finals match-up to be close and hard fought, but I see the Pistons winning in six, because this is a team with something to prove and they have always learned from their mistakes, so I don't see them making the same mental errors this time around that cost them the title last year. If anything, last years loss might have done them more good than harm, because it seemed to have lit a fire under them that could burn brightly for the next 3-5 years....But it's still early and things could get interesting..... So stay tuned.