Detroit Pistons' Rasheed era, 15 years later: A look at best moments
15 years ago, the "Bad Boys" swagger returned to the Detroit Pistons, when Rasheed Wallace made his Motor City debut
Detroit Pistons' Rasheed era, 15 years later: A look at best moments 15 years ago, the "Bad Boys" swagger returned to the Detroit Pistons, when Rasheed Wallace made his Motor City debut Check out this story on Freep.com: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2019/02/20/detroit-pistons-rasheed-wallace-era/2916141002/
Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press Published 7:38 a.m. ET Feb. 20, 2019 | Updated 7:39 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2019
How former Detroit Pistons played during the 2018-19 season
Time to check in on 14 former Detroit Pistons to see how they performed during the 2018-19 regular season ... *age as of March 1. David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Knight, PG, Cavaliers. Played with Pistons in 2011-13. AGE: 27. AVERAGES: 6.8 points, 1.8 assists, 31.8 3P%, 18.9 minutes, 39 games (27 with Cavs, 12 Rockets). Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports
Khris Middleton, SF, Bucks. Played with Pistons in 2012-13. AGE: 27. AVERAGES: 18.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 37.8 3P%, 31.1 minutes, 77 games. Raj Mehta USA TODAY Sports
Jonas Jerebko, PF, Warriors. Played with Pistons in 2009-15. AGE: 31. AVERAGES: 6.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 36.7 3P%, 16.7 minutes, 73 games. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports
Greg Monroe, C, 76ers. Played with Pistons in 2010-15. AGE: 28. AVERAGES: 5.3 points, 4 rebounds, 48.7 FG%, 11.2 minutes, 43 games (3 with 76ers, 2 with Celtics, 38 with Raptors). Eric Hartline / USA TODAY Sports
D.J. Augustin, PG, Magic. Played with Pistons in 2014-15. AGE: 31. AVERAGES: 11.7 points, 5.3 assists, 42.1 3P%, 28 minutes, 81 games. Reinhold Matay, Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG, Nets. Played with Pistons in 2014-16. AGE: 25. AVERAGES: 16.8 points, 4.6 assists, 33.5 3P%, 28.1 minutes, 68 games. Nicole Sweet, USA TODAY Sports
Ersan Ilyasova, PF, Bucks. Played with Pistons in 2015-16. AGE: 31. AVERAGES: 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 36.3 3P%, 18.4 minutes, 67 games. Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports
Aron Baynes, C, Celtics. Played with Pistons in 2015-17. AGE: 32. AVERAGES: 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 34.4 3P%, 16.1 minutes, 51 games. David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Lakers. Played with Pistons in 2013-17. AGE: 26. AVERAGES: 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 34.7 3P%, 24.8 minutes, 82 games. Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports
Avery Bradley, SG, Grizzlies. Played with Pistons in 2017-18. AGE: 28. AVERAGES: 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 35.1 3P%, 30.2 minutes, 63 games (14 with Grizzlies, 49 with Clippers). Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Morris, F, Celtics. Played with Pistons in 2015-17. AGE: 29. AVERAGES: 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 37.5 3P%, 27.9 minutes, 75 games. Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports
Tobias Harris, F, 76ers. Played with Pistons in 2016-18. AGE: 26. AVERAGES: 20 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 39.7P%, 34.7 minutes, 82 games (27 with 76ers, 55 with Clippers). Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports
Boban Marjanovic, C, 76ers. Played with Pistons in 2016-18. AGE: 30. AVERAGES: 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 61.5 FG%, 11.7 minutes, 58 games (22 with 76ers, 36 with Clippers). Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Tolliver, PF, Timberwolves. Played with Pistons in 2014-16 and 2017-18. AGE: 33. AVERAGES: 5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 37.7 3P%, 16.6 minutes, 65 games. Harrison Barden, USA TODAY Sports
On Feb. 20, 2004, the "Bad Boys" swagger returned to the Detroit Pistons.
That's because the final piece of the championship-level contender made his debut at the Palace.
Just before the NBA trade deadline that season, the Pistons pulled off a three-team trade to acquire Rasheed Wallace. The then-two-time All-Star with a mercurial game and temperament proved to be the missing link as the team went on to win the 2004 championship.
Travel with us down memory lane, as we highlight the good, the fun and the ugly that came with 'Sheed's six seasons with the Pistons.
Rasheed Wallace, wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey, reacts to the crowd's applause during a Detroit Pistons rally after the team's victory parade, June 17, 2004, in Detroit. (Photo: (AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza))
Well, technically
If old William Shakespeare was right and all we have in this world is our reputation, then Joe Dumars, Larry Brown and Pistons fans were right to be worried when Wallace was acquired.
Fresh off of the first of six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals, the Pistons had a nice team, but seemed to lack some scoring in the frontcourt as Ben Wallace - no relation - had established himself as a top-notch defender and Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton were emerging as an elite backcourt.
But bringing in Rasheed meant more than just bringing in his inside-outside game and solid defense.
The attitude. The perceived "me-first" vibes. And the techs. Oh, the techs.
While the technical fouls didn't totally stop during his Pistons tenure, Rasheed was able to reign things in. Most of the time.
Bad omen?
And much like the rest of his six seasons with the Pistons, things didn't go totally as planned.
The Timberwolves visited the Palace on Feb. 20, 2004, just a day after the three-team, seven-player trade was announced. Both Rasheed and Mike James were in uniform and ready to go, and Wallace came off the bench to play 12 first-half minutes.
But by halftime, word go to the Pistons that the paperwork for the trade hadn't yet made the league office, so while the crowd couldn't understand it at first, 'Sheed was rendered a mere spectator in the second half. The Pistons lost the game, 88-87.
Guaran-Sheed
His first big moment didn't come during a game, but right after.
Just after losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Indiana, Rasheed left no confusion about how he felt.
"I'm guaranteeing Game 2. That's the bottom line. That's all I'm saying. They will not win Game 2. You heard that from me. Ya'll can print whatever you want. Put it on the front page, back page, middle of the page. They will not win Game 2."
Rasheed scored just 10 points in the game. But thanks to Tayshaun Prince's legacy-defining block, the Pistons did indeed win Game 2, 72-67 (yikes – these scores back then, wow!).
Finals performance
The Pistons dispatched the Pacers in six game to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years. Their mission: Knock off the L.A. Lakers, a group that had won three of the last four titles and had a bonafide super team with four eventual Hall of Famers and all-time great coach Phil Jackson.
But the underdog Pistons were up to the task, splitting the first two games in L.A. before cruising in Game 3 at the Palace.
And in Game 4, with the Lakers grasping for options and Karl Malone injured, some how Slava Medvedenko found a way to draw the ire of Rasheed.
It didn't end well for the Lakers.
Detroit won Game 4, 88-80, and won the series and the title in five games.
That summer, Rasheed signed a five-year, $57 million deal with the Pistons, meaning the fun at the Palace was just getting started.
Ball don't lie!
It wasn't a new phrase – those who hooped on playgrounds understood the mantra – but Rasheed popularized the classic basketball justice edict.
If you get a call you don't deserve, the ball will find a way to right the wrong.
Rasheed's "ball don't lie" yelp after opponents missed the first of two free throws annoyed referees and the league so much, it became an offense worthy of a tech.
The Pistons were trying to successfully defend their NBA title in 2005 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. With the series tied, 2-2, Game 5 at the Palace went down to the wire.
Up two with 9 seconds left, the Piston needed one more stop. Just don't give up a 3, especially against renown playoff performer Robert Horry.
But, well, Rasheed left him open on the left wing.
The Pistons lost that game by one, and the series in seven. It marks the last time Detroit hosted a Finals game.
All-Star form
The following season, with new coach Flip Saunders, the Pistons were determined to host every playoff series they played. The stormed out to a 24-3 start and were rewarded with four All-Stars in 2006, including Rasheed.
He, along with Hamilton, Billups and Ben Wallace even helped turned the tide in the midseason exhibition, tilting the game for the East.
The energy they had during the season seemed to fizzle in the spring as they fell in the Eastern Conference finals to Miami. Rasheed would later be named an All-Star replacement in 2008.
From looong distance
One of the laments of Pistons fans during this era was that Rasheed shot too many 3s and didn't punish opponents in the post enough.
But one night against the Nuggets, he had no choice.
On March 26, 2007, the Pistons were down three with less than a second to go. The Denver inbound pass was knocked away to Rasheed, who launched a prayer from about 60 feet.
Prayer answered.
The Pistons went on to win the game in overtime after likely the most memorable shot of his Detroit career.
Goes splat
But the magic of 2004 could never be recreated, and from 2006-2008, the team fell in the East finals.
The most disappointing of those defeats has to be 2007, when after taking a 2-0 series lead, the Pistons lost the next four to a young LeBron James and a Cavaliers team that paled in comparison.
After the series ended in Game 6 in Cleveland, the hallway camera seemed to sum up what Pistons fans felt like as it appeared the run was over.
Hey, Coach!
In his time with the Pistons, Rasheed averaged 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. He left after the 2009 season, signing with the Celtics. After stints in Boston and New York, and a pair of retirements, Rasheed returned to the teeam.
As an assistant coach.
Serving on Maurice Cheeks' staff, Rasheed mentored Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond - then in his second season - and the other bigs.
But it was far from a buttoned-up whistle-blowing coach. He was still the same ol' 'Sheed.
Nowadays, you can catch him on NBA media outlets, sharing his wisdom from his 18 years in the league. And he made returns when his ex-teammates, Ben Wallace, Billups and Hamilton, had their numbers retired by the organization.
Rasheed Wallace kisses the NBA trophy after the Pistons' win over the Lakers. (Photo: EUGENE GARCIA KRT)
Like many things in life, you have to take the good with the bad. No player may have best typified that than Rasheed Wallace, as you can see by these memories.
Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.
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