2001-02 Detroit Pistons: Back on Track

2001-02 Detroit Pistons: Back on Track

2001-2002 Detroit Pistons: Transitioning Back to Contention

The latter part of the 1990s saw the Detroit Pistons modestly making the playoffs, only to exit in the First Round each time. Star players like Grant Hill, who was traded, and Joe Dumars, who retired, had left the Pistons, leading the organization to shuffle the deck and build a new roster. The start of the 2000s was a sign that things were about to drastically improve, as the 2001-02 Detroit Pistons weren’t far from becoming true contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Regular Season Resurgence

In the 2001-02 NBA season, the 2001-02 Detroit Pistons went 50-32, winning the Central Division by six games over the Charlotte Hornets. The Pistons went 26-15 on their home court, The Palace of Auburn Hills, and 24-17 on the road. They went 20-8 in divisional play, going 3-1 in head-to-head divisional matchups against the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors, and 2-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Key Contributors

Small forward Jerry Stackhouse had one of the best seasons of his NBA career, posting 1,629 points, 315 rebounds, 403 assists, and 77 steals, while making 86 of 300 3-point shots and 495 of 577 free throws. Power forward Clifford Robinson had 1,166 points, 386 rebounds, 89 steals, and 95 blocks, making 115 of 304 3-point shots; Robinson was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Small forward Corliss Williamson had 1,063 points and 319 rebounds, making 411 of 806 field goal shots and 240 of 298 free throws, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

Point guard Chucky Atkins had 957 points, 263 assists, and 72 steals, making 138 of 336 3-point shots. Shooting guard Jon Barry had 739 points, 274 assists, and 94 steals, making 121 of 258 3-point shots and 108 of 116 free throws. Center Ben Wallace would go on to anchor Detroit’s great run in the mid-2000s, and his defensive skills were already among the best in the NBA. Wallace had 609 points, 1,039 rebounds, 138 steals, and 278 blocks, making 255 of 480 field goal shots. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, made the All-Defensive First Team, and earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

Center Zeljko Rebraca had a long journey before reaching the NBA, having been drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1994, but he didn’t start playing in the league until the Pistons gave him a chance. Rebraca had 513 points, 290 rebounds, and 73 blocks, making 189 of 374 field goal shots and 135 of 175 free throws, and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. Point guard Damon Jones made 69 of 186 3-point shots, and point guard Dana Barros made 24 of 71 3-point shots.

Rick Carlisle Wins Coach of the Year

One part of the transition back to championship contention was head coach Rick Carlisle. While he wouldn’t be around to see the culmination of his contributions to the Pistons, Carlisle helped right the ship in Detroit in 2001-02 and was rewarded with the NBA Coach of the Year Award.

2002 NBA Playoffs

First Round: vs. Toronto Raptors

The 2001-02 Detroit Pistons got reacquainted with division rival Toronto in the First Round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and much like in the regular season, Detroit got the best of the Raptors, eliminating them three games to two. In Game 1 on April 21 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pistons crushed the Raptors 85-63. Jerry Stackhouse had 20 points and 4 assists, while Ben Wallace had 19 points, 20 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Corliss Williamson added 14 points and 6 rebounds.

In Game 2 on April 24, the Pistons beat the Raptors 96-91. Stackhouse had 31 points and 5 rebounds, making 4 of 7 3-point shots. Wallace had only 7 points, but his defensive contributions were stellar: 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. The next two games belonged to Toronto, as the Raptors evened the series at two games apiece. In Game 3 on April 27 at the Air Canada Centre, the Raptors won 94-84, and in Game 4 on April 29, they won 89-83. In the deciding Game 5 on May 2 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pistons won 85-82. Corliss Williamson stepped up as Detroit’s scorer with 23 points, while Chucky Atkins had 14 points and 4 rebounds, making 2 of 5 3-point shots. Wallace had only 6 points but once again excelled on defense with 17 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Eastern Conference Semifinals: vs. Boston Celtics

Detroit’s transition into a championship-caliber team was beginning to show, but the Boston Celtics proved the Pistons still had more work to do, bouncing them from the playoffs four games to one. The only Detroit victory in the series came in Game 1 on May 5 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, a 96-84 win. Clifford Robinson had 30 points and 3 blocks, making 6 of 10 3-point shots. Jerry Stackhouse had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Guard Michael Curry had 15 points and 4 rebounds, making 3 of 3 3-point shots, while Ben Wallace had only 5 points but chipped in 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Offseason Moves and the Road Ahead

More moves would have to be made for the 2001-02 Detroit Pistons to complete their transition into an NBA Championship contender, including the acquisitions of talented players like Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince. Another change came at the head coaching position, as Larry Brown took over and led the Pistons to the NBA Finals stage in both 2004 and 2005.