“I strongly believe 2004 Detroit Pistons would have beaten any team in any era in 7-game series” - Former NBA champion holds Pistons' title winners in high regard, calls them “greatest defensive team”
Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins believes the 2004 Detroit Pistons team were good enough to defeat any team from any era in a seven-game series. Perkins said the Pistons' defensive prowess was unmatched and would carry them to victory.
Here's what the ESPN analyst tweeted:
"I strongly believe the 2004 Detroit Pistons would have beat ANY team in any ERA in a 7 game series! That is arguably the greatest defensive team in NBA History! Don’t mind me tho and Carry on …"
I strongly believe the 2004 Detroit Pistons would have beat ANY team in any ERA in a 7 game series! That is arguably the greatest defensive team in NBA History! Don’t mind me tho and Carry on…
The 2004 Detroit Pistons were indeed one of the best defensive teams of all time. They managed to stifle an LA Lakers team searching for their fourth title in five years.
15 years ago today, the Pistons traded for Rasheed Wallace.
He took Detroit over the top and helped upset the Kobe/Shaq Lakers in the 2004 Finals.
Ball don’t lie. https://t.co/82iNRnXT1U
LA had a star-studded squad, led by Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Many felt their offensive prowess would help them prevail against Detroit's stingy defense. But that was not the case as the Pistons won the series in five games.
Detroit got the job done to win their first title since 1990! ✅
Lakers vs. Pistons, 2004 NBA Finals - Game 5, Pop Up Edition - 6pm ET on NBA TV! https://t.co/de13HyuHEf
Detroit Pistons produced monstrous defensive performances in the 2004 Finals to topple the LA Lakers
The Pistons limited the Lakers to only 81.8 points per game on 41.2% shooting across five games in the NBA Finals in 2004. LA had averaged 90 points per game on 45% shooting heading into the series.
After splitting the first two games, the Pistons held the Lakers to only 68 points in Game 3, a franchise low for LA in a playoff contest. Detroit went on to win the next two games to seal the series.
On this day in 2004: #FreepFlashback
Pistons destroy Lakers in Game 3 at the Palace, 88-68, limiting Kobe Bryant to 11 points in 45 minutes. Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points - he'd never scored fewer than 25 in 21 career Finals games.
Rip Hamilton poured in 31+Chauncey scored 19: https://t.co/0HbxbBL3cK
Detroit held Kobe Bryant to 22 points per contest (he averaged 25 before the Finals) on only 38% shooting. No player other than Shaquille O'Neal (26 PPG) and Bryant averaged more than seven points per game. Derek Fischer was LA's third-best scorer with 6.4 points per contest.
The 2004 Detroit Pistons featured Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and capitalized on friction between O'Neal and Bryant to cause one of the biggest upsets in Finals history.
Defense has been instrumental in helping teams win championships. However, Perkins' take that the 2004 Pistons would beat teams from any era may be slightly over the top. The game has evolved over the years and two-way teams have dominated over the last decade.
I've been watching tape from the 2014 & 2015 seasons for a Monty Williams vid I'm working on & it's incredible how much the offensive concepts of the NBA have changed in just 5 years. The spacing is so different. That's a big reason why I don't love comparing players across eras.
The 3-point shot has changed the landscape of the NBA. The 2004 Pistons played in an era where the league average for 3-point attempts was only 14.9. It's now at 35.2.
Comparing eras isn't practical even if they do make for an interesting debate.