“I strongly believe 2004 Detroit Pistons would have beaten any team in any era in 7-game series” - Former NBA champion holds Pistons' title winners in high regard, calls them “greatest defensive team”

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins believes the 2004 Detroit Pistons team were good enough to defeat any team from any era in a seven-game series. Perkins said the Pistons' defensive prowess was unmatched and would carry them to victory.

Here's what the ESPN analyst tweeted:

"I strongly believe the 2004 Detroit Pistons would have beat ANY team in any ERA in a 7 game series! That is arguably the greatest defensive team in NBA History! Don’t mind me tho and Carry on …"

The 2004 Detroit Pistons were indeed one of the best defensive teams of all time. They managed to stifle an LA Lakers team searching for their fourth title in five years.

LA had a star-studded squad, led by Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Many felt their offensive prowess would help them prevail against Detroit's stingy defense. But that was not the case as the Pistons won the series in five games.

Detroit Pistons produced monstrous defensive performances in the 2004 Finals to topple the LA Lakers

The Pistons limited the Lakers to only 81.8 points per game on 41.2% shooting across five games in the NBA Finals in 2004. LA had averaged 90 points per game on 45% shooting heading into the series.

After splitting the first two games, the Pistons held the Lakers to only 68 points in Game 3, a franchise low for LA in a playoff contest. Detroit went on to win the next two games to seal the series.

Detroit held Kobe Bryant to 22 points per contest (he averaged 25 before the Finals) on only 38% shooting. No player other than Shaquille O'Neal (26 PPG) and Bryant averaged more than seven points per game. Derek Fischer was LA's third-best scorer with 6.4 points per contest.

The 2004 Detroit Pistons featured Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and capitalized on friction between O'Neal and Bryant to cause one of the biggest upsets in Finals history.

Defense has been instrumental in helping teams win championships. However, Perkins' take that the 2004 Pistons would beat teams from any era may be slightly over the top. The game has evolved over the years and two-way teams have dominated over the last decade.

The 3-point shot has changed the landscape of the NBA. The 2004 Pistons played in an era where the league average for 3-point attempts was only 14.9. It's now at 35.2.

Comparing eras isn't practical even if they do make for an interesting debate.

Recommended Video

Guess the Lakers players!