Three's Company, or Four? NBA Teams Stock Stars for Playoff Runs

Another dangerous four, who have been pushed aside in the playoffs the last two seasons, are the Detroit Pistons.  In 2004, you can make an argument for them, but today, Tayshaun Prince has become an amazing player on both ends of the court, and with the experience this team has together, they have a shot at the NBA Finals in a weaker Eastern Conference (yet we all know the road goes through the Celtics this year).

Like them or not, the Pistons are flexing their muscles with talent.  Chauncey Billups gives Detroit very solid point guard play, with exceptional defense and clutch shooting.  Richard Hamilton is possibly the best mid-range shooter in the NBA.  Rasheed Wallace has very good range and defense.  With the growth of Prince, the Pistons are "four on the floor" most of the time, due to their stellar training staff (or their great stroke of luck).

Combined stats: 61.4 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 16.2 APG

You can also make the case for the New Orleans Hornets, who are stacked with two current All-Stars, one of the best shooters in the league, and a defensive beast at center.  Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler have driven the Hornets into the top seed of the Western Conference, and these four could be a more lethal version of last season's Golden State Warriors.  Teams have something to sweat about in New Orleans, and it's not just MVP candidate Chris Paul.

Combined stats: 68.7 PPG, 29.7 RPG, 15.4 APG 

After two incredible, unexpected trades turned the Western Conference into the frightening, mean bully we all knew in grade school, Mark Cuban decided to build his four.  The Dallas Mavericks brought back Jason Kidd to pair with Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry, all with the ability to have 15-20 point games for the Mavericks.  It's tough to believe the Mavericks will have the size up front to deal with the larger, more powerful frontcourts in the league, but if the right path is available to them in the playoffs, they could easily follow the yellow brick road into the conference finals.

Combined stats: 69.6 PPG, 26.8 RPG, 19.8 APG 

Rumors are swirling about the Spurs or the Denver Nuggets stealing Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings.  If the disgruntled star is headed to Colorado, or packing his bags for the Alamo, you can add another team to the list.

In a sport where satisfaction was achieved by putting together the perfect duo, or even the most absurd trio of players, four's company is now knocking on our door. 

Note: combined stats are not projected statistics, just the four averages added up per team 

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