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.
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?
Detroit Pistons: Can defense beat offense?
Generally speaking, good offense will beat good defense every time in a one-on-one situation.
You can force a guy to take a tough shot, but once it leaves his hands you have no choice other than hope it doesn’t go in. Defenders who have tried to stop Kevin Durant know this all too well.
What can you do against a 7-footer who can hit fade-aways from 20 feet? Not much.
The Nets offense is far better than anything the Pistons faced that season, as most of their playoff opponents were similar type teams that relied on great defense.
It wasn’t until the Finals the that 2004 Pistons played a team with two superstar offensive players in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who were heavily favored and expected to blow the superstar-less Pistons out of the gym.
Instead the Pistons pulled off the Gentlemen’s Sweep, dominated the Lakers, shut down their two best players and won the title.
They showed along the way that team defense can overcome superior offense and that matchups are everything.
It’s easy to look at the modern Nets and say that their offense would be too much for any team from the 2004 era, but when you look at the matchups, the Pistons might have an edge.
Detroit Pistons: 2004 Pistons vs. 2021 Nets
Just like against the Lakers, the 2004 Pistons would be underdogs against the 2021 Nets, mostly because of their star power, but when you look at the matchups, the Pistons were uniquely suited to stop these Nets.
PG- Kyrie Irving
SG-James Harden
SF- Joe Harris
PF- Kevin Durant
C-Blake Griffin
The Pistons would put Chauncey Billups on Kyrie Irving, a matchup I love for the Pistons, as Chauncey was a big, smart defender who could make things tough for Irving while scorching him on the other end.
Richard Hamilton gets the duty on Harden, though there is some argument for switching these two, but Hamilton’s length would be more effective at disrupting Harden’s shot. This is probably the least favorable matchup for the Pistons.
Tayshaun Prince would render Joe Harris irrelevant. Sorry, Joe but you aren’t scoring on the Prince.
The most interesting matchup is Rasheed Wallace vs. Kevin Durant. There aren’t many players in history who match up well with KD, but Sheed might be one of them. He had the length to at least bother Durant, would be able to punish him in the post on the other end and would get into his head with myriad antics and smart plays. I could see Sheed frustrating Durant, and while I don’t think he could stop him, I do think he could slow him down or at least make him work.
Ben Wallace would be on Blake Griffin, a matchup I would pay money to see, as Wallace would destroy him on the boards and stuff him if he tried to come inside the 3-point line.
The Pistons also had a deep bench with defenders like Corliss Williamson and Lindsey Hunter, guys who would make life miserable for the Nets, who are top-heavy and don’t really have a bench.
The 2004 Detroit Pistons surprised everyone by dominating the Lakers with defense and I think they’d do the same to these Nets. Playoff basketball slows down, gets more physical and these Pistons thrived in that environment.
In the battle of the superteam vs. the TEAM, I think the team wins this one with chemistry, defense and smarts, the same way they did in 2004.