Unrequited Legacy: Are The Pistons The Most Underrated?

This season is all but over for the Detroit Pistons.  After their most recent showing in game two of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears that this could be the end of the Pistons as we know them.

Their face bloodied, their bones weary and their heart broken, this group of Pistons are quickly limping off center court, ready to crawl home and regroup for next year. 

It is obvious from the way they are playing that they have reached the end of their will to win, and all that is left is a broken former champ, easily bested by a younger, faster and stronger opponent. 

Hats off to the LeBrons...er, the Cavs.  While they have not always conducted themselves with class, they have earned their chance to challenge for the title. 

While their stay at the top of the Eastern Conference will only last as long as their star stays in town (and this writer believes that the fateful day that the "King" walks away is only a year away), it is clear that with the injury to Kevin Garnett in Boston, Cleveland is the top team in the East.

Good for them. 

The real story is where this leaves the legacy of the Detroit Pistons. 

The Pistons of the past 20 years are the most underrated franchise in basketball.

Think about what the Pistons have done since 1989.

They have won three titles.

They have only missed the playoffs five times in the last 20 years.

They ended the reigns of the great Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers teams of the 1980's, beating both teams on their way to winning their first title in 1989.  Neither team won another title with Larry Bird or Magic Johnson, respectively.

They linked those two great dynasties with arguably the best legacy of that era, the great Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990's that won six titles. 

Just as they are now the last stepping stone for the most transcendent talent of this generation, LeBron James, they were also the last stepping stone for the most transcendent talent of any generation, Michael Jordan.

They reached six straight Conference Finals.  The last team to have a similar streak to this was the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980's who reached eight straight Conference Finals.

They ended the reign of the great Lakers team of the 2000's, defeating Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson in five games in what would be the last season in which all three would be together.

Similarly, they were the team that stood between Karl Malone and an elusive championship.  In what many viewed as a form of poetic justice given the fact that Malone, who years before had given Isiah Thomas a cheap shot that required over 40 stitches, had chased a title by leaving his beloved Utah Jazz.

While many believe that the Pistons employed a style that was unwatchable, they were loved by their home town fans, selling out a record 259 straight home games.  Additionally, most people blame the economy in Michigan for the end of the streak; Michigan currently leads the nation in unemployment with 12.8%.

Furthermore, the Pistons have led the league in attendance in six of the last seven seasons. 

What truly is amazing about how the Pistons have won, is that they have done it as a true team.  They are the only team to win titles without the benefit of an MVP.  Not only did their team in 2004 win without an MVP on their team, but their 1989 and 1990 teams likewise were without a true superstar.

However, this is probably the greatest hindrance for the fame of the Pistons.  They are regularly overlooked when great teams are discussed.  The level of disdain or perhaps just apathy directed towards this franchise is undeniable.  Columnists and prognosticators look past the Pistons because they are not a sexy team.

They do not have a superstar, and they do not score a ton of points.  They are not known for their flash, but rather for their grit and defense. 

This year the Pistons bucked that trend and brought in a superstar, Allen Iverson, and the results were disastrous.  For the first time since 2001, the Pistons had a losing record. 

Regardless, this has helped to cement the Pistons as a thorn in the side of the league.  After the Pistons lost in the 2005 NBA Finals against a similar team, the San Antonio Spurs, the league changed many of their rules in order to tilt the advantage from the defense back to the offense. 

The era of defensive-minded basketball was essentially bookended by the Pistons.

Now, as the former champs exit the stage, their legacy will likely exit with them. It will look a lot like they did as far as the rest of the league is concerned; no flash, no sizzle, and no lasting memory.

Just don't expect their fans to go quite so quietly.