You have to say that the Detroit Pistons have built a pretty successful organization in the new millennium. While the term "dynasty" is usually reserved for sports teams that put together a string of championships, we can surely make an exception for the Pistons.
After beating the Orlando Magic 91-86 to win its second-round series in five games, Detroit is now making its sixth straight trip to the Eastern Conference final. It marks the first NBA team to accomplish the feat since the Los Angeles Lakers did it from 1984 to 1989.
Out of the five attempts in the conference final, the group hasn't come through in the clutch, advancing to the NBA Finals only twice and winning it once - in 2004 over the Lakers.
But the Pistons have run into hot teams in the East: the New Jersey Nets in 2003 with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, the Miami Heat in 2006 with Dwayne Wade and Shaq, and the Cleveland Cavaliers last year's with LeBron James.
The team had Cleveland on the ropes last year, of course, with a 2-0 series lead before "King" James took over and single-handedly beat Detroit in six games. The Pistons were the victims of James' amazing performance that saw him steal Game 5 in OT, scoring the Cavs' final 25 points, including all 18 points in the overtime session.
Despite capturing only one championship during the streak, the achievement is still amazing. The same core of players have remained in Detroit and kept winning, even after losing the scoring and rebounding of Ben Wallace after his departure two seasons ago.
In all six seasons, starting in 2002-2003, the Pistons have basically sported the same starting rotation with Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace.
Even when one of the key players go down to injury, role players like Antonio McDyess and veteran Lindsey Hunter as well as the other starters rev up their game and contribute accordingly. After losing Billups to a hamstring injury in Game 3 against the Magic, players collectively stepped up and filled the void to win the next two games, including a 90-89 comeback win in Game 4, and take the series. This kind of collective effort is what has made the Pistons organization so successful in the last six seasons.
Now, basketball fans may argue that the East is filled with more than a few weak teams and is wide open for any team to win and advance through the playoffs.
That said, the more dominant teams still have to show up every night and compete because, as the Pistons found out in their opening-round series against Philadelphia, even the seemingly weaker teams in the conference can take a run at the big boys.
Detroit just keeps winning basketball games, even when most believed the Pistons' mini-dynasty was over after coughing up the 2-0 series lead against the Cavaliers last year.
Here we are watching yet another long playoff run from the Pistons with their spot in the Eastern Conference final already secured. They will now await the winner of the Boston-Cleveland series, hoping that both teams wear each other down in a seven-game series.
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