Sports Illustrated today had a one-page article on the Pistons and whether the starting 5 should rate among the best ever. Here's a few excerpts: "Detroit's success has led some to wonder where its starting five ranks among all-time quintets. Cavs coach Mike Brown recently called them one of the best in history. Billups says, 'I gotta rate us up there in the top five alltime.' Dumars sounds a more cautionary note: 'Until this team wins multiple championships, let's hold off on those comparisons.' "


Another interesting tidbit: "After two years under Larry Brown and season under Flip Saunders, these Pistons are almost self-coached or, as Saunders puts it "self-patrolled." On offense, Billups often calls plays unilaterally. Explains Ben Wallace, 'If Chauncey calls a play and Flip calls a play from the sideline, we're like 'Hold up, Coach, we already got one.' Timeouts are akin to comittee meetings, and a bad shot is fodder for peer review. ... 'Not taking anything away from Flip but it's easy for him,' says Billups. 'We have no ego battles out there. No one is out there complaining they need more shots or this and that.' "


Obviously, the article was written before the Pistons went down 3-2. Not that any of it is untrue but I'm guessing SI would have taken a different approach if they had more time before publication. At the time of publication, the series was tied 2-2.

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