Whether the NBA accepts it or not, the Detroit Pistons are one of the most important franchises in NBA history.
Despite their recent struggles, the Pistons are three-time NBA Champions, were heavyweights in the 1980s and 2000s, and housed some of the best and toughest players in the league. Because of this, fans of the organization hold players to a high standard or a mid-market team. It's been 20 years since the Pistons' last title, and fans are growing impatient as they wait for the team to return to prominence, but there is a blueprint for building a great Detroit team.
Make no mistake, the Pistons have a mold because they are not a major market team. They don't have the consistency and brand like the Cetlics, the lights and glamor of the Lakers, or even the location and gravity of the Warriors, so their team building has stayed consistent around a team basketball archetype that has a theme and roles in place. Whether it's the 1980's "Bad Boys" or the 2000s "Goin' to Work" teams, these are What historically great Detroit Pistons teams are built around.
1. Hard Work
Detroit, as a whole, is a blue collar city and the best Detroit teams, regardless of the sport, are built around hard work. Whether it's diving for loose balls, running the floor, playing physical, every championship team in Detroit wear rolled up sleeves and elbow grease. Starting from coaching and working down to the players, there are no short cuts and no plays taken off.
With the "Bad Boys", nobody was allowed to stop. They knew they didnt have the referee's grace or the face of the league, so they had to outplay every team they beat from the pace and style they dictated. Even in losses, the "Bad Boys" were never out worked or out muscled. The "Goin to Work" team were mostly rejects from other teams and knew they had to fit certain roles and plays in order to win. They came to Detroit and earned their place as some of the best players in the league. Neither team could afford to give 90 percent, and the effort showed as they became NBA champions.
2. An All-Star Backcourt
This is the trademark to every great Pistons team. High-profile backcourts are a Piston trademark as they take a heavy amount of pressure away on offense for the rest of the team by being a complementary balance of playmaking and perimeter scoring.
Hall-of-Famers Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars did so by Thomas being the table setter who could pass with the best players in the league and Dumars being one of the most efficient perimeter threats, both of whom would win Finals MVP for their play in 1989 and 1990. The 2004 championship Pistons won behind the big shots and playmaking from Chauncey Billups and the consistent midrange scoring from Rip Hamilton, the former went on to win the Finals MVP.
Every Championship Pistons team had Hall-of-Fame level guard play, and every Finals MVP in team history went to a guard. In a league dominated by guards and wings, a high-profile backcourt is a must. The Pistons currently have a pair of high upside guards on their roster, regardless of fit, so there is potential for Detroit to find it's backcourt of the future sooner than later.
3. A Stretch Big
Though the modern game is heavily dependent on stretch bigs who can take opposing players away from the paint, in past generations, this was rare, which makes its inclusion that much more interesting. Every single championship Detroit team had a Forward/Center who could shoot the 3-point shot at a high percentage. This opened up the driving lanes for guards and added dimensions to their offensive gameplan.
The two bigs that epitomized this for the Pistons are Bill Laimbeer and Rasheed Wallace. Both players were hard-nosed in their approach to the game, but were nightmares for opposing defenses who played primarily in the paint. Though both had a decent low post game, both were equally comfortable with getting to the perimeter and drawing traditional bigs out to either knock down the three or get the rest of the team into the paint without a shot-blocker down low. With stretch bigs more common in today's NBA, Detroit needs to revisit this model of player.
4. DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!!!!
This cannot be emphasized enough: DETROIT IS A DEFENSIVE MINDED ORGANIZATION! Being a blue-collar city, a great Pistons team thrives on hard work, and that pays off most on the defensive end of the floor, where many of the all-time top rated defenses ae occupied by Detroit teams. The Pistons have historically had strong perimeter play, can get under the skin of their opponent, and chases them into the middle of the floor with a strong shot blocker or interior presence.
Detroit's top all-time defensive players are a who's who among the NBA. Ben Wallace, a 4-time Defensive Player of the Year who made the Hall-of-Fame because of his defense, led the 2004 Pistons squad to a Championship. Dennis Rodman, 2-time DPoY, fellow Hall-of-Famer, and back-to-back Champion with Detroit, was among the most relentless defenders of the 1980s and 1990s who became arguably the greatest all-time rebounder. Joe Dumars, a perennial All-NBA Defensive Team member who was usually the point of attack defender on the lead guard. Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed, Rick Mahorn... Detroit is built on the defensive side of the ball.
The Pistons are years removed from their last contending team, but the team has an internal blueprint in how to win that includes defense, toughness, hard work, and hustle. This is the recipe for success in Detroit and one they need to get back to.