Rick Fox on '04 Lakers - 'I knew we'd get exposed by Detroit'

[jayfan]

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2015/05/29/los-angeles-lakers-detroit-pistons/28143415/

Good stuff.

[Velocirap31]

That was a great series, it wasn't even close. It was nice to see Payton and Malone's ring chase fail.

[kamil]

That was a great series, it wasn't even close. It was nice to see Payton and Malone's ring chase fail.

Just as it was nice seeing a ring chase fail in 2011. :cheers:

[Braincells]

It was a mismatch of epic proportions. 04 Detroit was just an epic team and had one of the best defenses of all time.

[VIP2000]

Lakers got their asses handed to them but let's not act like the Pistons weren't the underdogs. Because everyone at the time picked the Lakers to win.

Heck, Pistons weren't even favored against Indiana in the previous series.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Their '02 team showed how their team lacked no depth honestly. The 2003 team had huge gaps of talent after Kobe and Shaq. At least in 2001 they had a healthy Horace Grant and a great defender (in my opinion), Tyrone Lue.

Robert Horry though was amazing in the playoffs in 2002 in terms of being clutch. Kobe bricked SO many game winners in that year's playoffs. Crazy to think he hit another "big" shot in the 2005 finals.

[IllegalD]

Lakers got their asses handed to them but let's not act like the Pistons weren't the underdogs. Because everyone at the time picked the Lakers to win.

Heck, Pistons weren't even favored against Indiana in the previous series.

That same Detroit team went back to the Finals the very next year and took the other great dynasty of that era (the Spurs) to 7 games and were some Robert Horry heroics away from repeating. All while their coach awkwardly flirted with the NY Knicks looking to jump ship.

Seems to me like in hindsight that team didn't get enough credit at the time from the people making those predictions.

Rasheed Wallace (4x Allstar)
Chauncey Billups (5x Allstar, Finals MVP)
Ben Wallace (4x Allstar, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Mutombo for record)
Richard Hamilton (3x Allstar)
Tayshaun Prince (4x All Defensive 2nd team/elite wing defender)
Mehmet Okur (1x Allstar)

Tally: 5 Allstar Level players (2 future HOFs in Billups and Wallace)

And it's not a stretch to consider Rasheed Wallace "Hall-of-Fame Level" talent that didn't consistently play up to that potential 'cause he was content not being "the man". They win that 2nd year, or Portland doesn't collapse in 2000, who knows...?

Larry Brown (HOF Coach, only to win both NCAA and NBA chips)

[VIP2000]

That same Detroit team went back to the Finals the very next year and took the other great dynasty of that era (the Spurs) to 7 games and were some Robert Horry heroics away from repeating. All while their coach awkwardly flirted with the NY Knicks looking to jump ship.

Seems to me like in hindsight that team didn't get enough credit at the time from the people making those predictions.

Rasheed Wallace (4x Allstar)
Chauncey Billups (5x Allstar, Finals MVP)
Ben Wallace (4x Allstar, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Mutombo for record)
Richard Hamilton (3x Allstar)
Tayshaun Prince (4x All Defensive 2nd team/elite wing defender)
Mehmet Okur (1x Allstar)

Tally: 5 Allstar Level players (2 future HOFs in Billups and Wallace)

And it's not a stretch to consider Rasheed Wallace "Hall-of-Fame Level" talent that didn't consistently play up to that potential 'cause he was content not being "the man". They win that 2nd year, or Portland doesn't collapse in 2000, who knows...?

Larry Brown (HOF Coach, only to win both NCAA and NBA chips)

Keep in mind that was during the time where the Eastern Conference was considered at its weakest. So people automatically thought the Lakers or Kings/Timberwolves or Spurs or whatever team was coming out of the West was gonna win the Finals. So while the Pistons played historically great defense throughout the season without any "superstars", they were still overlooked.

I think the Pacers won something like 62 games that year with a MVP candidate Jermaine O'Neal and most people thought they would win the ECF.

[Eric Cartman]

Lakers 3rd best player was Luke f*cking Walton.

Not to mention Kobe played like trash aside from game 2, not his fault though, we talking about GOAT level defense.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Keep in mind that was during the time where the Eastern Conference was considered at its weakest. So people automatically thought the Lakers or Kings/Timberwolves or Spurs or whatever team was coming out of the West was gonna win the Finals. So while the Pistons played historically great defense throughout the season without any "superstars", they were still overlooked.

I think the Pacers won something like 62 games that year with a MVP candidate Jermaine O'Neal and most people thought they would win the ECF.

2002/2003 Nets kind of cemented that and cemented that "stereotype" even though the Eastern Conference ends up winning 2 of the next 4 championships after 2003. Pacers were ridiculous in 2004, I remember that being the best Pacer team since their Finals team in 2000. I think people also forget how good Jermaine O'Neal was before his laundry list of injuries.

[rzp]

Fisher, George (very important role player at time), Fox, and especially Karl fking Malone, ALL INJURIED/HALF-LEG.

Add Phill Jackson incompetence to make Payton work along side the triangle.

I know Rick Fox just want to praise that amazing Pistons squad.

But this healthy Lakers would be a whole dif history.

[T_L_P]

According to Fox, Malone was good to go in game 5 but he chose to sit because he knew they'd lose. :lol

[NBAplayoffs2001]

According to Fox, Malone was good to go in game 5 but he chose to sit because he knew they'd lose. :lol

Lmao I remember reading that too :oldlol:

[ProfessorMurder]

According to Fox, Malone was good to go in game 5 but he chose to sit because he knew they'd lose. :lol
Good to go isn't healed. You don't go fromissing playoff games with an injury like that to perfectly fine.

Playing at 50% isn't very helpful, and they were getting crushed anyway.

[YouGotServed]

That same Detroit team went back to the Finals the very next year and took the other great dynasty of that era (the Spurs) to 7 games and were some Robert Horry heroics away from repeating. All while their coach awkwardly flirted with the NY Knicks looking to jump ship.

Seems to me like in hindsight that team didn't get enough credit at the time from the people making those predictions.

Rasheed Wallace (4x Allstar)
Chauncey Billups (5x Allstar, Finals MVP)
Ben Wallace (4x Allstar, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Mutombo for record)
Richard Hamilton (3x Allstar)
Tayshaun Prince (4x All Defensive 2nd team/elite wing defender)
Mehmet Okur (1x Allstar)

Tally: 5 Allstar Level players (2 future HOFs in Billups and Wallace)

And it's not a stretch to consider Rasheed Wallace "Hall-of-Fame Level" talent that didn't consistently play up to that potential 'cause he was content not being "the man". They win that 2nd year, or Portland doesn't collapse in 2000, who knows...?

Larry Brown (HOF Coach, only to win both NCAA and NBA chips)

lmfao @ this clown counting Okur's all star selection as a jazz like it means something when discussing the 04 pistons. Dude barely got off the bench.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Still trying to forget the '04 Finals.

[L.Kizzle]

That same Detroit team went back to the Finals the very next year and took the other great dynasty of that era (the Spurs) to 7 games and were some Robert Horry heroics away from repeating. All while their coach awkwardly flirted with the NY Knicks looking to jump ship.

Seems to me like in hindsight that team didn't get enough credit at the time from the people making those predictions.

Rasheed Wallace (4x Allstar)
Chauncey Billups (5x Allstar, Finals MVP)
Ben Wallace (4x Allstar, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Mutombo for record)
Richard Hamilton (3x Allstar)
Tayshaun Prince (4x All Defensive 2nd team/elite wing defender)
Mehmet Okur (1x Allstar)

Tally: 5 Allstar Level players (2 future HOFs in Billups and Wallace)

And it's not a stretch to consider Rasheed Wallace "Hall-of-Fame Level" talent that didn't consistently play up to that potential 'cause he was content not being "the man". They win that 2nd year, or Portland doesn't collapse in 2000, who knows...?

Larry Brown (HOF Coach, only to win both NCAA and NBA chips)
But at that time, only Sheed and Big Ben had been All-Stars (2 times each.)

[DMV2]

But at that time, only Sheed and Big Ben had been All-Stars (2 times each.)
He's a Kobetard so he has to make the 04 Pistons look like the greatest defensive team ever assembled.

Everybody knows that Kobe's shitty ass performance was the other reason why the Lakers got crushed.

[jayfan]

But at that time, only Sheed and Big Ben had been All-Stars (2 times each.)

Yep. And it had been 3 years since Sheed's last all-star appearance.




.

[TheGreatDeraj]

He's a Kobetard so he has to make the 04 Pistons look like the greatest defensive team ever assembled.

Everybody knows that Kobe's shitty ass performance was the other reason why the Lakers got crushed.

Not true at all. Even in the article, Billups blames SHAQ! Not that I completely agree, but still to blame Kobe for that series against an all time great defense is a joke. Many other things went wrong that series, one such example, Karl Malone re injuring his knee in the finals.

[QUOTE=Chauncy Billups]Former Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups added: "You know, man, I was very, very confident, even before we started Game 1 of that series. In our two meetings against them during the season, we had our way with them. We did. With the team we had

[houston]

94 rockets = 04 pistons

[wang4three]

Shouldn't have been there to begin with. Stupid Fisher shot, should've been two years of epic battles of Spurs-Pistons!

[Hey Yo]

That same Detroit team went back to the Finals the very next year and took the other great dynasty of that era (the Spurs) to 7 games and were some Robert Horry heroics away from repeating. All while their coach awkwardly flirted with the NY Knicks looking to jump ship.

Seems to me like in hindsight that team didn't get enough credit at the time from the people making those predictions.

Rasheed Wallace (4x Allstar)
Chauncey Billups (5x Allstar, Finals MVP)
Ben Wallace (4x Allstar, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, tied with Mutombo for record)
Richard Hamilton (3x Allstar)
Tayshaun Prince (4x All Defensive 2nd team/elite wing defender)
Mehmet Okur (1x Allstar)

Tally: 5 Allstar Level players (2 future HOFs in Billups and Wallace)

And it's not a stretch to consider Rasheed Wallace "Hall-of-Fame Level" talent that didn't consistently play up to that potential 'cause he was content not being "the man". They win that 2nd year, or Portland doesn't collapse in 2000, who knows...?

Larry Brown (HOF Coach, only to win both NCAA and NBA chips)
That season was only Prince's second year in the league. He was still very raw, yet able to shut Kobe down and making him force up some god awful shots.

[JellyBean]

Rick Fox is one cool dude. Great points. Detroit was just better than the Lakers that year. The Pistons were focused. Like Rick Fox said, the Lakers probably thought (I am a casual Lakers fan btw), "Hey we have 4 Hall of Fame guys on this roster. No way we losing to these chumps." The Pistons played great and they out worked the Lakers that year.