Pistons' blueprint could become the norm

Updated: June 21, 2004, 1:26 PM ET
By Terry Brown | NBA Insider
Hubie Brown may have just won Coach of the Year honors, but the clock is ticking. LeBron James should consider this a warning, too. Kiki Vandeweghe, your time is almost up.

That's because in 2001, the Detroit Pistons finished the season 32-50 after Grant Hill dumped them and headed to Orlando to win the NBA title with Tracy McGrady as the Eastern Conference foils for the Los Angeles Lakers.

But in 2004, only three years later, the Pistons actually defeated the Lakers for the NBA title while the Magic finished with the worst record in the entire NBA.

But such is life in the NBA, where Magic Johnson won his first NBA title as a rookie, Larry Bird and Tim Duncan won their first rings in their second seasons and Shaq and Kobe went exactly four seasons together before claiming their first of three titles.

If it's going to work, then history says it's most likely going to work fast.


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