Do you think the Pistons are better due to their "chemistry" or just great individual talents from 1-5?
You obviously can't deny that each of their individual starting 5 are good players. However, since none of them are "superstars" in the traditional sense of the word, it's the team dynamic more than anything else that truly puts them over the top and makes them elite. Then again...like reggietodd said, 4 out of their starting 5 are on the all-star team. I can't recall anything like that happening n recent history. There have been a lot of teams who send 3 all-stars, but 4 is rare...unless I'm just having dumb moment here.
Does it have to be just one or the other? Ben is arguable the best interior defender in the league. Billups one of the best floor general and a clutch performers. Rip is the best in the league at moving without the ball and shooting the mid-range J. Sheed is probably one of the top 5 power forwards in the league. The reason why they're not all superstars is that Ben can't perform offensively, Billups and Hamilton, although better defenders, can still improve in that department. Detroit's best all-around starters are Prince & Sheed. Both of whom take more of a team approach. If they had no chemistry, the team would fail miserably, but the combination of great players with great chemistry leads to great success. Since no single Piston is considered a superstars and the team's success doesn't ride on the back of any single player, that is why we're having this discussion.
Honestly I think that is wrong I am beginning to think the Piston are over rated I thought they were BLOWING away the league but the Spurs and Mavs are less than 3 games out from them Rocket River
why did larry brown leave the pistons? i bet he must not be so happy now, considering they might win another championship while he's stuck with an underdeveloped team.
It's both. They have great chemistry together and all of their starters are very strong. They don't have a superstar but their top 8 is just incredibly good and they play team basketball. What I like best about them is they just care about winning, not who gets the credit.
Both: they're a team of above-average role players at every position, with 4-5 all-star players on their roster. They're a beast, I honestly think that if they somehow manage to keep Big Ben around, they will be a bigger obstacle to most teams for the next 3-4 seasons than the Spurs.
Both. They have the best starting lineup in the NBA, it also helps that everyone knows their part and performances.
I believe that was the year Kobe was a 6th man and was voted in as a starter by the fans. He shouldn't have been anywhere near the all-star game (well, the dunk contest).
Good Players but a great team. Contrasting team is the Heat, good players but not a great team yet. The great teams like the Pistons and Spurs have a core of guys that have played with each other for a while, something the Heat don't/won't have if Riley blows up his team this off-season when they don't win the championship again. Riley just has to be as patient as Joe Dumars and the results will come.
It remains to be seen if patience will work. The Heat team has talent but is not well put together. Their chemistry may never develop enough for them to make a serious run.
I think that Rip Hamilton would put up superstar numbers if that was what his team needed him to do. I really do think he could average around 25 points a game. That said, it's admirable that he takes less of the individual glory for the sake of the team.
Chemistry, every player on the starting rotation is a key to his team and that's why I don't think Chauncey Billups should get the MVP...even though he's been clutch this season, this team is all about the 5 starting players on the court