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Could the 2004 Pistons beat the 2016-17 Warriors?

By Sham Mohile

Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Richard Hamilton waves to the crowd during the Chauncey Billups halftime retirement ceremony in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Nuggets won 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Richard Hamilton waves to the crowd during the Chauncey Billups halftime retirement ceremony in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Nuggets won 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Thursday, Richard “Rip” Hamilton shocked the basketball world when he claimed that his beloved 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons could defeat this year’s Warriors squad in a head-to-head matchup.

Amidst all the NBA Finals discussions on Twitter, one particular story caught my eye. Richard Hamilton, whose jersey will be hanging in the rafters in Little Caesars Arena, boldly proclaimed that his 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons could beat this season’s Golden State Warriors team. This started a domino effect of former players claiming that their respective teams could also beat the Warriors.

The quote from Hamilton:

"“I think we dominate them. No we don’t dominate them. I think we beat’em. In a seven game series. I think it’s gonna go seven. At the end of the day we matchup good with’em. But we’re also bigger. We could have switched everything 1-5 against them. Just cause we had great defenders Rasheed and Ben Wallace were one of the best perimeter defenders not just on the block but can also guard guys out on the perimeter”"

The idea of a Rasheed Wallace–Draymond Green matchup is every NBA fan’s dream, but that’s where the dream ends. Although the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons were considered on the best defensive teams of the 2000s, anchored by defensive stalwart, Ben Wallace, there are questions regarding their abilities to stop the barrage of offense that this season’s Golden State Warriors would provide.

Related Story: Where do the 2004 Detroit Pistons rank?

The Golden State Warriors offense is predicated on forcing turnovers, pushing the pace in transition, and lighting up the other team with a consistent showering of three pointers. Also, a very underrated portion of Golden State’s game is their ability to defend at a very high level. This season, the Golden State Warriors ranked 2nd in the league in defensive rating allowing only 101.1 points per 100 possessions.

In comparison, the 03-04 Pistons were one of the slowest paced teams in the NBA, ranking in the bottom third in overall pace. Defensively, the Pistons held opponents to 84.3 points per game, best in the league, and held opponent’s shooting to a measly 30.2 percent from beyond the arc while only allowing an 8th best 14.4 three-point attempts per game.

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Like Hamilton alluded to, this was primarily because of the Pistons’ ability to defend every position through switching. Both Wallaces (Ben and Rasheed Wallace) were excellent perimeter defenders to complement their ability to protect the rim. Playing this slow, gritty style of basketball might give the Pistons an advantage over the Warriors some capacity, but the Detroit Pistons would need to produce adequate offense to compete with the firepower that Golden State brings.

In the championship 03-04 season, the Pistons were 24th in the league in points per game. Their shooting was at the bottom of the league as well ranking 20th in effective field goal percentage (46.1 percent) and 19th in true shooting percentage (51.1 percent).

The Pistons would also be overmatched offensively due to their turnover rate. Golden State feasts on opponent turnovers averaging 19.3 points per game off of opponent turnovers, and the Pistons turn the ball over on 16.6% of possessions. Golden State would easily run up the score on a team that turns the ball over that much.

Although it might be a worthy argument and the 03-04 Pistons are one of the most beloved champions in NBA history, this season’s Golden State Warriors are producing offense at such a historic rate that even one of the best defensive teams in NBA history won’t be able to defeat them in a seven game series.

Next: Top 5 Detroit Pistons plays in NBA Finals history

I’ll take Warriors in 6.

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