Detroit Pistons: Would the 2004 Pistons beat this year’s Brooklyn Nets?
The 2004 Detroit Pistons were a defensive juggernaut that won a title behind a balanced roster that was a “team” in the truest sense of the word.
Every time a modern team is overachieving or winning without a “superstar” they get compared to the Goin’ to Work era Pistons, mostly because people forget exactly how good they were, even without a “superstar.”
The 2021 Brooklyn Nets couldn’t be much different.
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They boast a top-heavy roster with not one, but three superstars in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
They play very little defense but have a high-powered offense that averages over 118 points per game, nearly unthinkable in the Goin’ to Work era.
These teams are total opposites, which the numbers show.
Detroit Pistons: A historic defense vs. a historic offense
The 2021 Brooklyn Nets have the 22nd ranked defense in the NBA, allowing 113.5 points per game.
They make up for it with an explosive offense that is 2nd in the league and averages 118.9 points per game.
The 2004 Pistons couldn’t have been much different, as they had the 24th ranked offense that scored just 90.1 points per game, but had the league’s best defense allowing just 83.5 points per game, which is insane.
This shows just how much the game has changed in less than 20 years, as a team that only scored 90 points per game might not win a game in 2021.
So what would happen if a great offense matches up with a great defense?