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2000/01: Just a little over a year after his final game Pistons legend Joe Dumars was put in charge of rebuilding the team. One key piece to the Pistons future appeared to be Jerry Stackhouse who had a stellar season with 29.8 ppg. However, the Pistons would struggle finishing in 5th place with a terrible record of 32-50.
2001/02: After losing 50 games new Coach Rick Carlise comes on and employs a tough defensive system centering around Ben Wallace who has a break out season leading the league in blocked shots, while finishing 2nd in rebounding, as he was named Defensive player of the Year. Meanwhile Corliss Williamson provided strong support of the bench winning the 6th man award as the Pistons who were picked by most experts to finish out of the playoffs win the Central Division with a solid 50-32 record, as Rick Carlisle was named Coach of the Year. However, in the playoffs the Pistons would struggle as they barely held on to an 85-82 win in Game 5 over the Toronto Raptors after establishing a 2-0 series lead. In the second round the Pistons would be upset by the Boston Celtics in 5 games dropping 4 straight after taking Game 1. In all 10 playoff games the Pistons failed to reach 100 points, while also holding their opponents under 100, including a 66-64 Game 3 loss in the 2nd round to the Celtics.
2002/03: For the second year in a row the Pistons won with defense as Richard Hamilton who was acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards for Jerry Stackhouse led the team in scoring with only 19.7 ppg. However with Ben Wallace winning defensive player of the year for the second straight season it was good enough as the Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 50-32. In the playoffs the Pistons would get off on the wrong foot as they trailed the 8th seeded Orlando Magic 3-1 after 4 games. Had it been previous years the Pistons would have been finished. However for the first time the NBA decided to increase the opening round match ups to best of 7 series. Beginning with a 98-67 win at home in Game 5 the Pistons defense would take over shutting down league leading scorer Tracy MacGrady with their zone defense to come form behind and win the series in 7 games. The Pistons carried the momentum into the second round as they jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers with 2 wins at home. However the 76ers would rally to win the next 2 games in Philadelphia to even the series at 2 games apiece. In a key 5th game at the Palace the Pistons found themselves down by 1 in the final seconds as Chucky Atkins lay up was swatted away by Derrick Coleman. However the play would be ruled goaltending and the basket would count giving the Pistons a crucial 78-77 victory. The Pistons would go on to eliminate the 76ers in 6 as Chauncey Billups exploded for 9 points in overtime in a 93-89 victory as the Pistons reached the Conference Finals for the first time in 12 years. In the Conference Finals the Pistons were held to 11 points in the 4th Quarter at home as the New Jersey Nets rallied to win Game 1 by a score of 76-74. In Game 2 the Pistons would allow another lead get away in the 4th as the Nets took a 2-0 series lead with 88-86 win. After 2 heartbreaking losses at home the Pistons would not recover as they lost the next 2 games by double digits on the road as the Nets completed the sweep. Despite making it to the Conference Finals Coach Rick Carlisle would be dismissed following the season as the Pistons hired Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown.
2003/04: With new Coach Larry Brown a Hall of Famer the Pistons goal was to reach the next level. Once again they were a tough defensive team as they got off to a solid 32-16 start at the end of January. However as February began the Pistons started to sputter as they fell out of first place losing 6 in a row as the NBA went into the All-Star Break looking for a jump start the Pistons traded for Rasheed Wallace another tough player with a bad reputation that would have fit well with the Bad Boys of the past. Wallace fit in well with the Pistons and in March the team's defense set a record by holding teams under 70 points in 5 straight games. The Pistons would go on to finish the season strong with a 54-28 record good enough for the 2nd best record in the East, but not for the Division Title. In the playoff the Pistons would slip at home in the first round losing Game 2 to the Milwaukee Bucks 92-88, but in Milwaukee the Pistons rebounded taking both games easily on the way to taking the series in 5 games. In the 2nd Round they faced the New Jersey Nets who bounced them from the playoff a year earlier. This time things were different as the Pistons took the first 2 games at home. However as the series shifted to New Jersey the Pistons offense struggled as they dropped both games. Needing a win in Game 5 the Pistons needed a miracle shot by Chauncey Billups to force overtime where the teams battle to a classic 3-OT thriller. However with Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshuan Prince and Richard Hamilton fouling out the Pistons ran out of man power as the Nets took a 3-2 series lead with a 127-120 victory. Things got off to a slow start in Game 6 as the Pistons trailed early 13-2. However they would get within 2 points at the end of the first and would take the lead in the 2nd Quarter on the way to a solid 81-75 win on the road to force Game 7. In Game 7 the Pistons would roll winning easily 90-69 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. In the conference finals against the Pacers the Pistons found a familiar face in former Coach Rick Carlisle who was now running the Pacers. The Pistons would lose Game 1 in Indiana in heartbreaking fashion as Reggie Miller nailed a 3-point shot with 31 seconds left to give the Pacers a 78-74 win. In Game 2 the Pistons would bounce back winning a defensive struggle 72-67. As the series shifted to Detroit the Pistons took control capturing Game 3 by 7 points. However after losing Game 4 they need to win in Indiana in Game 5 to avoid facing elimination again. They would do just that by smothering the Pacers all night in an impressive 83-65 win. Game 6 at home would be another defensive struggle as the Pistons edged the Pacers 69-65 to advance to the NBA Finals for a showdown with the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA Finals began with nobody taking the Pistons seriously the year seemed made for the Lakers as they were in the news everyday with 4 Hall of Famers. It was like it was written in stone that the Pistons from the weak Eastern Conference where just there for the coronation. However the Pistons would draw first blood with a solid 87-75 win in Game 1 in Los Angeles. The Pistons would control Game 2 as well. However Kobe Bryant tied the game with a dramatic 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds left to force overtime where the Lakers would dominate to even the series with a 99-91 win. Rather then being depressed over the heartbreaking Game 2 loss the Pistons refocused and came out like gang busters in Game 3 as they crushed the Lakers 88-68 at home to retake control of the series. In Game 4 the Pistons dominated the Lakers again winning 88-8o to take a commanding 3-1 series lead as people watched stunned across America. In Game 5 the Pistons continued their dominant ways as they established an 82-59 lead at the end of 3 Quarters, with Detroit ready to celebrate they would hold off one last Lakers charge to claim the NBA title with a 100-87 victory, wrapping up the biggest upset in NBA Finals history in 5 games. Indicative of the improbable victory journey man Chauncey Billups was named Finals MVP.
2005/06: With new Coach Flip Saunders the Pistons seemed to be even stronger as they came flying out of the gates winning their first 8 games, with the same strong defense, and more open offense that the players seemed to immediately take a liking to. The Pistons would continue to fire on all cylinders as they won 24 of their first 28 games on the way to an amazing 37-5 record through the first 42 games. The Pistons who at the midpoint were on pace for 72 wins, sent all four of their five starters Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace to the All-Star Game along with Coach Flip Saunders. The Pistons would not keep up the amazing pace they set in the second half, but they would still win post a franchise best record of 64-18 earning the top record in the NBA. However, as the season came to a close there were some signs of turbulence in Detroit as Ben Wallace who won his 4th Defensive Player of the Year Award in 5 years, ended negations for a new contract with the team hinting a desire to leave the team. Meanwhile the sharpness the team had all year was missing in April as they lost 3 of their last 4 games. Once the playoffs started the Pistons appeared to be in strong form again, as they won the first two games against the 8th seeded Milwaukee Bucks. However, in Game 3 the Pistons usually strong defense was torched for 124 points in 124-104 loss. It would be the only loss of the series for the Pistons as they won the series in 5 games. However, it was a sign of more troubles ahead. In the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers the Pistons once again won their first two games at home. However, as the series shifted to Cleveland the Pistons offense suddenly disappeared as the Cavs held the Pistons under 80 and won the next two games to even the series. Hoping to recover at the Palace the Pistons would continue to struggle in Game 5 as LeBron James made all the clutch shots in the end leading the Cavaliers to a stunning 86-84 win to take a 3-2 series lead. The Pistons would not play much better in Game 6, but their defense and championship experience helped them to an 84-82 win to force a seventh game in Detroit. In Game 7 it was all Detroit Defense as the Pistons shut down the Cavaliers, holding them to just 23 points in the second half as they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth year in a row with a 79-61 win. Facing the Miami Heat for the second year in a row the Pistons seemingly still tired from their seven game battle with the Cavs lost Game 1 at home 91-86. After rebounding to win Game 2 the Pistons road struggles continued to haunt them as they lost both games in Miami falling behind 3 games to 1. The Pistons would not go out quietly as they showed their championship mettle in solid 91-78 win at home in Game 5. However, it was not meant to be as the Pistons who blazed through the regular season never quite had it clicking in the playoffs as they were eliminated in Game 6 by the Heat 95-78. Following the season the losses would continue for the Pistons as Ben Wallace stunned all Detroit fans by signing a 4-year $60 Million Contract with the rival Chicago Bulls.
