Detroit winning with unorthodox methods

The Detroit Pistons traded away their leading scorer from a season ago and still won more games than any other team in the Eastern Conference this year. They lost three of their first four games with the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs and still advanced to the semifinals. They lost two games in Philadelphia by a total of 23 points and their point guard to a busted ankle and, well, they're still here in the playoffs after losing last night's contest to the New Jersey Nets in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"This league has become so much about hype and style and promotion until people are having a hard time getting their arms around something that's of substance," said Joe Dumars in the NY Times. "People have a hard time getting their arms around us because they don't embrace the team concept."

And while we still can't figure out exactly how the Detroit Pistons keep winning except to substitute words like chemistry and team for athleticism and talent, here are three unorthodox reasons why no one else can seem to stop them.

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