One more thing about the Pistons
Another thing about the Pistons triumph in the NBA Finals: to me, the Pistons represent the epitome of successful basketball under the new rules that allow zone defenses. Back when they still called illegal defense, NBA basketball was notoriously dull because you had so many isolation plays where 8 players stood around the court with their hands down their shorts.
The Pistons took advantage of the new rules to run a rotating swarm of players against Kobe and Shaq, and notably, the only game the Lakers won, they tied it on a 3-pointer when Kobe was isolated against Rip Hamilton. The Pistons have a center who essentially acts as a roaming rebounder and shot blocker because his offensive skills are so limited (similar to Rodman was for the Bulls in the late 90's, though Wallace is a superior shot blocker).
It's one good omen for the NBA as team play is more interesting and offers more hope to more teams that depth and teamwork can overcome superior individual talent (i.e., Kobe and Shaq).
The Pistons took advantage of the new rules to run a rotating swarm of players against Kobe and Shaq, and notably, the only game the Lakers won, they tied it on a 3-pointer when Kobe was isolated against Rip Hamilton. The Pistons have a center who essentially acts as a roaming rebounder and shot blocker because his offensive skills are so limited (similar to Rodman was for the Bulls in the late 90's, though Wallace is a superior shot blocker).
It's one good omen for the NBA as team play is more interesting and offers more hope to more teams that depth and teamwork can overcome superior individual talent (i.e., Kobe and Shaq).