2004 Pistons' shot-clock Era playoff defensive records

[coastalmarker99]

2004 Pistons' Shot-Clock Era Playoff Defensive Records

Allowed under 90 points in 18 playoff games

Allowed under 85 points in 16 playoff games

Allowed under 80 points in 11 playoff games

Allowed under 75 points in 6 playoff games

Allowed under 70 points in 6 playoff games

Allowed 65 or less points in 3 playoff games

One of 2 teams (1998 Bulls) to allow under 60 points in a playoff game

Allowed under 40% FG in 12 playoff games (NBA record)

Allowed under 35% FG in 5 playoff games (Tied-NBA record, 1999 Knicks)

Allowed under 30% FG in 2 playoff games (Tied-NBA record, 1999 Knicks)

Least PPG allowed in a shot-clock era Playoff run of any length

The 2004 Pistons allowed 80.696 PPG

slightly lower than the 2000 Heat at 80.700 PPG allowed

Excluding Overtime periods

the 2004 Pistons allowed 78.6 PPG for the Playoffs in regulation

compared to 79.9 PPG allowed for the 2000 Heat

The 2004 Pistons had a 92.0 DRTG in the Playoffs

This is the lowest DRTG any team has had in a Post-1st Round Playoff run in the 3-point era (1980-present)

The 2000 Spurs had a 91.4 DRTG, but this was in a 1st Round loss of only 4 games

The 2005 Pistons also allowed the least PPG in a post-2004 rule changes Playoff run of any length at 85.6 PPG allowed.

Teams that were number 1 in the Playoffs in all 3 of these categories - PPG Allowed

DRTG

OPP FG%

Teams that Passed the 1st Round

1986 Celtics (18 games)

1988 Pistons (23 games)

1989 Pistons (17 games)

1990 Pistons (20 games)

1997 Heat (17 games)

1999 Spurs (17 games)

2010 Magic (14 games)

2014 Wizards (11 games)

Teams that Lost in 1 Round

1976 Bullets (7 games)

1977 Cavaliers (3 games)

1981 Suns (7 games)

1983 Hawks (3 games)

1985 Rockets (5 games)

The 1988-1989-1990 Pistons did this 3 years in a row, no other team has done it for 2 consecutive Playoffs

Playoff DRTG is not available on Bball-ref pre-1974

Playoff OPP FG% is not available on BBall-ref pre-1971

The 1971 Bucks (14 games) - led the Playoffs in PPG allowed

led the Playoffs in OPP FG%
had the number 1 regular season DRTG

It is likely that one or more of Russell's Celtic teams achieved this in the Playoffs, but Playoff DRTG and OPP FG% is not available for the 1960s Celtics.

They led the Playoffs in least PPG allowed in 1961 and 1964-1965-1966. And had the number 1 regular season DRTG under Russell every year aside from 1968 when they were ranked 2nd.

The 2004 Pistons allowed 0.06% higher OPP FG% than the Nets while playing more than twice the games (23 to 11).

If not for that, they would have led all post-1st Round teams of all-time in PPG allowed, DRTG, and OPP FG% since the Playoff data for those stats have been available and in the 3-point era (1980-present)

[coastalmarker99]

2004 Pistons Force Six 24-Second Violations in one game vs. Nets


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Ynk38OskE


2004 Pistons Force 24 Turnovers, Finish 12 Dunks (Ben Wallace Draws Five Offensive Fouls)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYRBCl6x8cQ


Pistons Man-to-Man Defense - 2004 ECF Game 6 - 4th quarter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhfQ8CXvkPs

[coastalmarker99]

Kobe Bryant - Game 1 of the 2004 NBA Finals (Shot by Shot, 10-27)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tDpobypzSo


Kobe Bryant - Game 2 of the 2004 NBA Finals (Shot by Shot, 14-27)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Cc9alS1T8



Kobe Bryant - Game 3 of the 2004 NBA Finals (Shot by Shot, 4-13)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic6GsITKM_4




Kobe Bryant - Game 4 of the 2004 NBA Finals (Shot by Shot, 8-25)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fAcGwRtYWI



Kobe Bryant - Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals (Shot by Shot, 7-21)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9YLH8ao4KA

[dankok8]

Those Pistons were ridiculous. They are easily one of my favorite teams ever. Their biggest mistake was changing their identity after and becoming more offensively oriented. It didn't help that Big Ben also began to decline after 2004 and wasn't quite the same force on D.

By the way one thing that people don't realize is that while Shaq didn't have a particularly great Finals in 2004 either. He was bad on defense, got badly outhustled on the boards by Big Ben and even his scoring is misleading. He had one monster game IIRC with like 37/20 or something and another 30/10 game and the rest of the games he struggled.

[hold this L]

GOAT-level defense. Still can't believe they didn't make Ben a HOF.

Only team this century to win without a superstar.

[SouBeachTalents]

GOAT-level defense. Still can't believe they didn't make Ben a HOF.

Only team this century to win without a superstar.
2014 Spurs

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Along with the 05 version, those Indy teams were also dominant defensively.

Both teams had above average defenders at every position.

[imdaman99]

Them and Celtics of 08 were the best post 2000 defense I've seen. Feel bad for the guy who had to play them in the Finals.

[kennygriffin]

and people give kobe shit for basically having to do isolation 1 on 5 shit vs the goat team D.. maybe if shaq didn't hide on the weak side and could do a pick and roll it might have been more effective

[taabhimself]

i'll never forget the Nets fouling with 10 seconds left and down 20 so that they could get the ball back and break 70. then dumbass Aaron Williams celebrating like his tip-in won the game. like my dude you just lost by 20 and you are celebrating.

[fsvr54]

Greatest defensive team of all time and my favorite non-Hawks team ever.