What made the "Bad Boys" so great? Question for the seasoned Piston fan, what was it that made the "Bad Boys" (especially Isaiah Thomas) so great. I didn't get into basketball until 93' (cause I wanted the Suns to beat the Bulls) but I know he had a helluva legacy and was regarded highly. I've seen the same highlights over and over, but they don't show the deminsions of the players. How did he carry himself? How did his teammates regard him? You can look at records, but that doesn't share the feeling of being a true Piston fan. More about Isaiah because he seems to be a legend. I got a chance to see Jordan and know the why's and where's of him, but not Isaiah so much.
They were good because of their physical play and the mindset that if they don't let their opponents score then they would win. Theor philosophy was "Defense wins championships."
The bad boys basically scared the hell out of every team they faced. No one wanted to attack the rim as they knew they would be smashed to the ground. Rodman and Laimbeer were quite a duo inside. Then you had guys coming in off the bench who would do their part. The thing that was so good about Isiah was his abilty to hit so many big plays late in games while still running the offense so well by getting guys involved. Truely an amazing scorer. Joe Dumars was such a great fit in Chuck Daily's offense and was really underrated in what he did for the Pistons. The defense is what the bad boys were known for and saying they were great on the defensive end is an understatement. Anyone that makes MJ struggle has to be a great defensive team. If you think Karl Malone was a dirty player with his elbows you should of seen Bill Laimbeer. Boy oh boy did he like to go after guys. Although he was still well respected.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">The bad boys basically scared the hell out of every team they faced. No one wanted to attack the rim as they knew they would be smashed to the ground. </div> 1) I remember hearing that Jordan had said that beyond a shadow of a doubt, Joe Dumars was the toughest defender that he had to go against. 2) Was there alot of fouls and ejections with the Bad Boys. Just looking at some of the NBA's Greatest Games, it would be hard for a fan of the glory days to watch the "pretty-pretty-princess" version of the game now. Even since I've been watching, the game is getting so lame and the players so fragile and sensitive that I can't enjoy it. I have never played games with touch fouls and would be extremely pissed to have any brush with a whistle. This is supposed to be a sport of men. We need to go with the international way of fouls.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">If you think Karl Malone was a dirty player with his elbows you should of seen Bill Laimbeer. Boy oh boy did he like to go after guys. Although he was still well respected.</div>Not just Laimbeer but also Rodman. One play that sticks out in my mind is in the playoffs against the Bulls. Scottie Pippen is going in for an uncontested layup and Rodman just shoves him (while in air) and Pippen goes face first into the back of the basket. Pippen breaks his nose and I think it stayed crooked after that. Damn those boys are BAD.
The Bad Boys had all the hall marks of a great team. Balanced scoring, depth, and a superstar who hit big shots and made big plays. The reason they prevoke a strong reaction was because of their style of play and their dramatic rise and fall. The Bad Boys unseated two very loved teams in Bird's Celtics and Magic's Lakers plus they stood in the way of MJ's Bulls. Combine that with their physical and somewhat thuggish style of play... this made them hated by a lot fans. They were loved because of the way they perservered. The Bad Boys almost seemed snake bittin at times. They lost series to Boston because of AD and Vinnie colliding heads, a momentum killing delay because of a loose pigeon in Boston Garden and Isiah's famous heartbreaking pass being intercepted by Bird. They lost to LA because of a incredibly dumb shot by Rodman and Isiah injuring his ankle. Things that would cause teams to break up but the Bad Boys always came back. The Bad Boys didn't come together one year and win the title. It took them several hard fought and very close series over a three to four year period for them to break through to a NBA championship. Isiah was the most determined player I have ever seen. That is what made him a legend. He was blessed with incredible quickness, amazing court vision, above average jumpshot, underrated hops and a strong upperbody and large hands that allowed him to release the ball at awkward angles and hold off defenders. Isiah was very tough and played through just about every injury. He would attack the lane with reckless abandon. He didn't care how hard you hit him or if he got hurt. Isiah would continue to attack the basket. Isiah was a very smart,unselfish player who studied the game in order to learn how to win. Isiah realized the Pistons weren't going to win if he lead the league in scoring so he was more then willing to differ to his teammates when they were hot and was adept at getting them the ball and picking out mismatchs on the court. Isiah would hang around and question past and current players on championship teams in effort to learn what made them champions and what his team was lacking. On the court Isiah could be explosive. He had that famous 25 pt outburst against the Lakers and once scored 9 points in less then 30 seconds to win a game. Isiah is disliked by some players because of his competiveness and mean streak. He was quick to respond with a right hook if you tried to rough him up but I think that is what allowed him to dominate at his size. The fact he couldn't be intimidated. The only negative on Isiah was he could be prone to taking bad shots and his love for making a spectaculer pass would cause him to turn the ball over. Isiah's greatest attribute as a player was his leadership. The Bad Boys were built in his image. They were a talented, determined and unselfish group that believed in doing whatever it takes to win. I think that is what best sums up Isiah as well.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ego1970:</div><div class="quote_post">They lost to LA because of a incredibly dumb shot by Rodman </div> This one made me laugh out loud. I'm just curious as to why this shot was so bad? I asked a friend who is an avid Bulls fan about the Pistons and Bulls in Jordans early years. He said that the Pistons just always found a way to beat the Bulls.....ALWAYS. Thanks to helping me understand the team and the Piston history more. It seems kinda weird to me that there were only 3 teams around this era vying for the championship. Were there any up-and-comers that just fell short season after season (Hawks, Spurs, Blazers)? Teams that came close, but the Celtics, Pistons, or Lakers just edged them somehow? Kinda like our modern day Kings and Pacers.
I don;t think anybody would have even cared about the "Bad Boys" if they didn't win the championship. Everybody would have critezied them, but you can't talk about a team that wins the NBA Finals two years in a row. They were a great basketball team, I don't care what else they did.
Isiah Thomas was so cool and an awesome basketball player!! I definately think he was the biggest contributer to the team and i dont think they could have won without em' and you cant forget joe dumars, and bill lambier<<er however you spell his name! Ballahollic #42
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sabretooth:</div><div class="quote_post">1) I remember hearing that Jordan had said that beyond a shadow of a doubt, Joe Dumars was the toughest defender that he had to go against.</div> Yeah I remember seeing footage of the bad boys going to work on MJ, every time he drove to the basket, he got smashed down hard, thats where most of any of his injuries came from.
