The Motor City is Back
I touched on this in a previous blog post, and I am writing this to say it again: Detroit Basketball is back! The Pistons are here, and the Motor City not only has watchable basketball, but it also has the tough and gritty play that we know and love. In this post, I’ll break down what exactly is taking place in Michigan and why it makes me happy as an NBA fan.
Legends of the Past
The Bad Boys
In order to appreciate what we see in front of us, we must also examine those from the past. The Pistons of the 80s were the shit. They were tough and physical, but they still had basketball players who were so skilled that it made games incredibly intense, and incredibly fun.
The Detroit Pistons of the 80s were given the name the Bad Boys, a very fitting name indeed. The big men in the front court consisted of Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Dennis Rodman, and Rick Mahorn. In the backcourt, they had legendary guards Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas. Laimbeer was the key figure to the Pistons’ identity. He came to talk smack in your face and hack the daylights out of you if you attempted a layup. John Salley and Rick Mahorn were also known for their defensive abilities, as well as being elite rebounders. Dennis Rodman, or “The Worm,” was another defensive menace. He was and still is the greatest rebounder of all time. Add the fact that he was an elite defender, and worked harder than any other player on the court, well you got yourself a great basketball player.
Finally, Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas. Dumars was a clutch shooting guard who was a great defender. Dumars won the NBA Finals MVP when the Pistons won their first of back-to-back championships in the late 80s. He is now incredibly underrated and does not get mentioned enough. Isaiah Thomas was the leader of that Pistons team. One of the best guards of his time, Thomas was known for his great scoring ability and incredible handles. He would win NBA Finals MVP in the second of the back-to-back championships that the Pistons won.
I forgot to mention that the Bad Boys also had Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson, owner of the greatest nickname in NBA history.
The Pistons of the late 80s were rough and physical, but they still had guards that provided an up-tempo offense, which differentiated them from the physical New York Knicks of the 90s. The Pistons beat Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls three consecutive times in the late 80s (a truly underappreciated feat) and beat Magic Johnson's Lakers in the finals in '89 and Clyde Drexler's Trailblazers in '90.
The Bad Boys set the identity for Detroit Basketball in the 80s. It would be a very similar identity that the Pistons would embrace in their next championship run, which came in 2004.
Goin’ to Work
The Pistons of 2004 were a product of the Bad Boys that were seen in the late 80s. Nicknamed “Goin’ To Work” for their defensive intensity and physical play, the ‘04 Pistons were a great team. The starting lineup was given the name “The Best Five Alive.” It consisted of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, “Big” Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince.
Chauncey Billups was the point guard and NBA Finals MVP when the Pistons won in ‘04. Richard Hamilton was the shooting guard. Known for his notorious face-mask, you could always count on Hamilton to get you a bucket. Ben Wallace is my personal favorite of the ‘04 Pistons. He was and still is an extremely underrated NBA player.
Wallace entered the league undrafted and had to fight for everything he got in the NBA. He was one of the best defensive players of his time. Wallace would win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. He is an NBA Hall of Famer, and won of my all-time favorite players. Put some respect on Big Ben’s name.
To round off the starting five, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. Although Rasheed Wallace is mostly known for the many technical fouls he was given over his NBA career, the Big Fella could hoop. He was a pretty good mid-range shooter and a great center to have on defense. Tayshuan Prince was a lanky small forward who had great defensive skills and versatility. His 7’2 wingspan and sneaky athleticism were exactly what the Pistons needed. He was incredibly clutch and was very important for Detroit during their ‘04 championship run.
The 2004 Pistons finished with a record of 54-28, third-best in the Eastern Conference. The two teams ahead of them were the Indiana Pacers (a record of 61-21) and the New Jersey Nets (a record of 47-25). I’m not quite sure why the Nets were the higher seed despite having a worse record than the Pistons, but whatever.
The Pistons met the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and won in six games. (I am also a big fan of the 2003 and 2004 Indiana Pacers, but that is a blog post for another time.)
The Pistons entered the 2004 NBA Finals as a big-time underdog. Their opponent was the Los Angeles Lakers. The ‘04 Lakers finished second in the Western Conference with a record of 56-26. They had “The Glove” in Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Horace Grant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Brian Russell, and of course, “The Diesel” Shaquille O’Neal. It made sense why the Lakers were the favorites to win it all.
Despite being the underdog, the Pistons shocked the Los Angeles Lakers and defeated them in five games. The Pistons would try to repeat in the 2005 NBA Finals but would lose to the San Antonio Spurs. (The 2005 Finals were an extremely underrated NBA Finals. I recommend watching some of the highlights. Full game highlights, I might add.) (Here is a link to some of the highlights: Game 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ig9xiu5VOU&t=6222s, and Game 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxXwnOHZJDE.)
The Present
Twenty-one years have passed since the Pistons won their championship in 2004. A lot has happened since then—Detroit fans have endured happiness, heartbreak, and depression. Luckily for them, Pistons basketball has finally returned.
Led by my favorite player, Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons are firmly back. Right now, they are 4th in the East with a record of 42-33. They have a very young core consisting of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ron Holland.
Cunningham is the superstar and the leader, but players like Ausar Thompson and Jaden Ivey bring raw athleticism and talent, allowing for constant highlight-worthy basketball. Big men Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart bring that old-school, Bad Boy Pistons defensive mentality, and Ron Holland has been great in his rookie season.
The Pistons finished last season with a dreadful record, winning only 14 out of 82 games. This season, with a new head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff and the addition of veteran players like Tobias Harris, Dennis Schröder, and Malik Beasley, the Pistons are officially back in the playoff race.
It makes me happy to see one of my favorite players living up to the hype, but it’s also great to see a historic NBA franchise, known for its physicality and defense, restored to its former glory.
The Pistons are still a bit away from being top NBA contenders, but they are certainly heading in the right direction. I could definitely see them reaching the second round of the playoffs this June.
It’s good to see the Motor City with a competent basketball team again. To all the Pistons fans out there, I wish you many seasons of success!
