Christmas! Everyone’s favorite day of the year (besides your birthday.) Christmas is a joy whether you take that day to be with family and friends or take advantage of the time off from work. I’m constantly reminded of one of my most memorable Christmases ever. 1998, I got clothes and shoes, But I also got a Nintendo 64 with Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside. I played that game from 9 am until 12 am the next day! The older you get, the more You start to appreciate sentimental gifts like candles, cologne, or perfume if you are a lady. If you are a basketball fan, You get the joy of watching NBA hoops all day and night!
Unfortunately, For the Detroit Pistons faithful, Christmas is a time to reminisce on some of the great things this organization has given us over the years. This season hasn’t been a gift for Pistons fans at all. They lost their 24th straight game to the Atlanta Hawks Monday night, 130-124, despite 43 points from Cade Cunningham. This editorial is not to challenge this team to be better or give false hope to a season that’s already over. It’s a time to reflect on some of the best gifts this organization has given the fan base.
The Gift Of Drafting Isiah Thomas
Let’s be clear about Zeke: Isiah Thomas ISN’T the first true superstar of the Pistons, but he is very impactful to the conversation of Detroit Basketball. Drafted 2nd overall in the 1981 NBA draft, Thomas came into the fold and instantly changed the culture for the Pistons. The Pistons only won 20 games the season before drafting Thomas. The following season, The Pistons improved their win total to 39 games. The Thomas/Bill Laimbeer 1-2 punch helps spearhead general manager Jack McCloskey to build a championship contender around the two.
It’s so funny to look back at the time and think that Thomas ALMOST wasn’t a piston. According to Thomas, He tried to do everything he could for the Pistons not to draft him. He wanted his hometown, Chicago Bulls, to draft him. Fortunately for the Pistons and Thomas, The organization overlooked what he was trying to do and drafted him anyway. With Thomas in the fold, This spearheaded one of the most exciting times in basketball during the 80s.
The Gift Of The “Bad Boy” Pistons
Despite the improvement during the 81-82 season, The Pistons regressed a bit during the 82-83 season, winning just 37 games. This slight dip in wins caused “Trader Jack” to fire coach Scotty Robertson and hire Chuck Daly. Daly’s focus on the defensive end was a stark change from the Pistons team that wanted to run up and down the floor and outscore you. With the newfound focus, The Pistons had to get players that fit their style.
- Joe Dumars was the 18th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.
- John Salley was the 11th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.
- Dennis Rodman was the 27th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.
- Traded Kelly Trapuckia for Adrian Dantley.
- Traded Dan Roundfield for Rick Mahorn
- Traded Adrian Dantley for Mark Aguirre.
- Traded Ron Moore for James Edwards
These acquisitions turned the Pistons from a conference finalist to a championship contender. Whether it was the elite 2-way abilities of Joe Dumars, The all-around abilities of John Salley, The all-hustle, all-world athleticism of Dennis Rodman, or the protectors in Rick Mahorn and James Edwards, The Pistons had everything covered to become a champion. What set this team off to be one of the all-time greats was the “bad boy” moniker it adopted.
It all started when Raiders owner Mark Davis sent over a bunch of Raiders gear to Chuck Daly. The Raiders were considered the “bad boys” of the NFL, and with the Pistons’ aggressive style of defense and physicality, They were a team that no one outside of Detroit liked. Despite that, The Pistons won back-to-back championships in 89 & 90, cementing themselves as one of the all-time great teams in history. They were the ONLY team in the 80’s to go back-to-back. One thing about good things is that They never last forever.
The Gift Of Grant Hill
The early 90’s saw the Chicago Bulls take over the Eastern Conference. The Pistons were a team that didn’t have enough to contend with the young guns. After being swept by the Bulls during the 91-92 season, The demolition began.
- Traded James Edwards
- Waived Vinnie Johnson
- Chuck Daly left to coach the New Jersey Nets
- Dennis Rodman was traded to the Spurs
- Mark Aguirre signed with the Clippers
- Isiah Thomas retired
- Bill Laimbeer retired
The Pistons were back to being a franchise in need of a savior. With the 3rd pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, The Detroit Pistons selected Grant Hill. Hill played four years at Duke University, winning two national championships (91 & 92.) Hill was also the ACC Player Of The Year (1994), 2x First-Team All-ACC (93-94), Second-Team All-ACC (1992), First-Team All-American (1994), and Second-Team All-American (1993.) In his rookie season, Hill averaged 19.9 PTS, 6.4 REB, 5.0 AST & 1.7 STLS, becoming the first rookie since Isiah Thomas to score 1,000 points. He shared the Rookie Of The Year award with Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd, becoming the first Piston since Dave Bing in 1966-67 to win the award. Hill also became the first rookie in not only NBA history but any professional league to lead an all-star vote.
In the six seasons Hill played for the Pistons, He averaged 21.6 PTS, 7.9 REBS, and 6.3 AST. He made the all-star team five of the six years he was with the Pistons and was named to an ALL-NBA team five times. After the 2000 season, Hill became a free agent, and with no proper help in Detroit, Hill decided it may be best for him to team up with the young up-and-coming star Tracy McGrady in Orlando. Once again, The Pistons were left to find its franchise savior.
The Gift Of The Going To Work Pistons
With Grant Hill out of the fold, Piston’s new basketball of operations, Joe Dumars knew he couldn’t lose him for nothing. Joe D got Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace from the Magic. Chucky Atkins was a point guard who could score. Ben Wallace was a rebounding, hustling machine who showed potential as a defensive ace. In his first season as a Piston, Wallace averaged 13.2 REBS, 2.3 BLKS, and 1.3 SLTS with 6.4 PTS. With that season, The Pistons had found their franchise centerpiece.
With the hiring of Rick Carlisle and the acquisitions of Cliff Robinson, Jon Barry, and Dana Barros, The Pistons won their first central division crown since the championship run in 89-90. Unfortunately, They were eliminated in the 2nd round by the Boston Celtics. During the off-season, The Pistons acquired Richard Hamilton via trade and Chauncey Billups via free agency. The Pistons also drafted Tayshaun Prince with the 22nd pick in the 2002 NBA draft. These moves were good enough to give the Pistons the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, The team was swept by the Nets.
The 03-04 Season saw Larry Brown become the new head coach. They went on a 13-game winning streak during December and January and, at one point, held a 33-16 record. February saw a six-game losing streak and a desperate need to shake up the roster. The Pistons got just that with the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace. With that acquisition, The Pistons won 16 of their final 19 games to finish 2nd in the division and third in the conference. Overcoming their deficiencies offensively, The Pistons defeated the “superteam” Los Angeles Lakers 4-1.
The 04-05 season saw the Pistons win again the central division. They would ride the momentum to the final against the San Antonio Spurs. They could not win back-to-back championships, losing in seven games to the Spurs. This was the end of the “going to work pistons” as Larry Brown departed to New York and Flip Saunders was brought in.
The Gift Of The Offensive Basketball
The offense sells tickets; Defense wins championships. For the Pistons, it was defense selling tickets and defense winning championships. Flip wanted this team to play faster, and it worked for them. The new style of play did cause friction with its franchise building block, Ben Wallace, and caused him to leave for Chicago. Despite that, The Pistons continued to find themselves in the championship fold. Unfortunately, The team couldn’t get over the hump. Instead, it was LeBron James takeover, Wade & Shaq in Miami, or the “Big 3 in Boston; the Pistons were always coming up short.
In Conclusion
If you were born after 2009, The Pistons haven’t been good often. If you were born before then, This team has provided fantastic times. Like Christmas, You were thankful to watch the team go out night after night. You knew you would get a good product you could tell everyone about. Those days will come back, Just not this season. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
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