Indiana Pacers: 4 historical teams to emulate next season

The Indiana Pacers could learn from the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons’ blue-collar, physical type of team play

The Indiana Pacers are currently on the headlines with their recent feature on a recent Netflix documentary, and while that brings up some painful memories for fans, taking a peek on how a former archenemy operated should equate to some deep prospective knowledge, save for some tears in retrospect.

The early 2000s Detroit Pistons were the epitome of blue-collar and selfless basketball. Bannered by some of the league’s most bruising enforcers in Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace, two heady but physical backcourt pieces in Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, and a highly talented defender in Tayshaun Prince, the franchise enjoyed years of success, which eventually culminated in a championship in 2004 against the star-studded Lakers as heavy underdogs.

That underdog mentality and selfless style of basketball is an ideal pattern to follow for the Pacers next season. Luckily, not only do they have Rick Carlisle who knows the 2003-04 Pistons up close with their many battles against each other, but the new man on the sidelines himself acknowledged those Detroit squads as an inspiration for how he views the team next season (subscription required).

On the court, Rasheed Wallace’s stretch-big skillset could do wonders for Myles Turner. While Ben Wallace’s otherworldly defense will probably be never reachable for Domantas Sabonis, he could at least learn a thing or two from his outstanding positioning on D. Meanwhile, Prince’s smart defending could be a great source of insight for TJ Warren.