Detroit produces the top teams in both the NBA and NHL

The top teams at the end of the NBA and NHL regular seasons are from the same city for the first time, with the Pistons and Red Wings combining to pull off the feat for the Motor City.

"It's always cool to be a part of anything that hasn't happened before," Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press. "This is a great sports town, and the fans around here are about to really have some fun following both teams."

The Red Wings ended the regular season Tuesday with an NHL-best 58 wins, and the Pistons closed Wednesday night against Washington, entering the game with an NBA-best 64 wins.

"We both established ourselves at home with great crowds, and both have been the best teams on the road," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "Different sports, but it's like we've been looking at each other in the mirror."

Detroit faces the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the first-round playoffs Friday night, and the Pistons will open the postseason this weekend against the eighth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.

If the Red Wings and Pistons win titles in two months, Detroit will be the first city to have NBA and NHL teams win championships in the same year.

Anything less will be a disappointment for both teams -- and their fans -- because of a championship-or-bust mentality that has been cultivated with sustained success.

The Pistons won it all two years ago, came just short of repeating last season and have won 50-plus games five straight years. The Red Wings won three titles in a six-year span before two straight early exits in the playoffs before the lockout that canceled last season.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said his players did not want to touch the Presidents' Trophy -- awarded to the NHL team with the best record -- because they want to hoist the Stanley Cup.

For Detroit fans, they know it's wise to enjoy the Pistons and Red Wings while they're in season because the other two pro teams in town -- the Tigers and Lions -- will likely let them down.

Detroit hasn't had a baseball team with a winning record since 1993 and hasn't won a World Series since 1984. The Lions have been the NFL's worst team since 2001, and they have one playoff victory since their last title in 1957.

For the Motor City's Big Four, success -- or lack of it -- seems to come from the top.

Mike Ilitch owns the Red Wings and Tigers, and his hockey team's reign atop the league was established when he hired general manager Jim Devellano in 1982.

"Hockey wasn't on the map when Mike Ilitch bought the team, but Jimmy D. did a great job by changing that," said Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who has kept Devellano's momentum going since being promoted in 1997. "We would not be the franchise we are today without Jimmy D.'s moves and vision."

Holland kept the Red Wings on top this season despite cutting their payroll almost in half to get under the salary cap because of the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement.

While it was Jimmy D. who turned around the Red Wings, who used to give cars away to attract fans, Joe D. made the Pistons a championship-caliber team after they sunk following back-to-back titles he helped them win as a player in 1989 and '90.

Brendan Shanahan said the Pistons were irrelevant when he started playing for the Red Wings in 1996.

"It was like they didn't exist," Shanahan said. "It's been great to see what Dumars has done to turn the Pistons around because I root for all of the pro teams around here."

The Lions and Tigers have been harder to pull for because their owners -- William Clay Ford and Ilitch -- have not seemed to find a GM like Devellano, Holland or Dumars.

That doesn't stop Dumars, who has evolved into a "certified Detroit sports fan" since being drafted by the Pistons in 1985.

"My wish would be that all four teams could be contenders," he said. "The Pistons and Red Wings are there, and the other two are not far behind. I think the Lions are going to take (Michael) Huff in the draft to help right away, and I think the Tigers have a chance to be in the playoffs."

>>By making a conference finals, Detroit proved themselves ready to make the next step. The Mavs aren't ready.<<

You are really making a fool out of yourself.

DALLAS MADE THE CONFERENCE FINALS, DUDE. And as stated several times, it doesn't matter whether they did or didn't, as there is no one progression to a championship. Explain how SA and LA won a championship with worse progressions than Dallas has made.

>>BTW, Dallas' last five years are NOT better than Detroit's prior to winning in 2004. <<

This is just WRONG. Go back and read post 52. There's no way you can say Detroit's was better. NO WAY.

>>Detroit improved their showing each year and won a fricking title.<<

Prior to winning the title, Dallas had done better than they had.

Your arguments still boil down to you attempting to say that because Dallas hasn't won a title, they can't or won't win one. That's truly idiotic. I don't understand why you are having such a hard time understanding what you wrote.

>>They never made it back to the confernece finals after getting there once. <<

Actually, they've been to the WCF twice. Once in the last 5 years, but that's not the issue. There's no rule requiring one to be in the finals the year after being in the conference finals, or there's no way one can win. That's idiotic.

>>How in the heck do you figure that going backwards towards your goal is better than going forwards toward your goal? <<

As before, you are making things up. I didn't say is was "better." What I said was that it had happened.

>>Dallas winning this year would indeed be from out of nowhere because they haven't shown an ability to beat the Western conference's only complete team, the San Antonio Spurs when it counts...in May.<<

They beat them twice in May two or three years ago and likely would have won that series had Dirk not gotten hurt. No excuses; SA won, but your statement is incorrect. Besides, this is a different team with a different coach.

Again, by your standard, Detroit had not shown it could beat Boston in 1987, so I guess that proves they didn't beat them the next year or two. You can't get away from your circular reasoning, since that's the only basis you've given for your arguments. Not matchups, coaching, talent, fans, whatever. Just history. But history is never on the side of a team that's never won a championship. Just like the Cowboys were called "next years champions" back in the late '60s and early '70s due to their repeated losses in conference championship games or Super Bowls, wasn't an indication that they weren't going to eventually win one.

>>Stack REALLY does suck in the playoffs though<<

He played OK last night.

I think the Mavs win this series in 4 or 5 games, then wait for what will likely be SA in the second round. I think that series goes 6 minimum, and its questionable whether the off time the Mavs will likely (but not certainly) get will help or hurt. I think this year, it will help because of injuries.

However, if last night is any indication, I think the Mavs have a very good chance to defeat the Spurs in what will likely be a very good 7 game series -- probably the best series of the entire playoffs this year. After that, frankly, I'm not that worried since I think the Mavs match up well with Detroit. Of course, that assumes Detroit wins the East, which they should do.

I was worried that the Mavs had lost the series in one game Sunday by playing poorly (compared to how they played in the first round, but understanding the opponent was much tougher) and not taking advantage of SA's lack of rest. Apparantly, last night's win was in large part the result of SA's first round series, since SA didn't have a lot in the tank to do much other than scream at the officials. The other good thing about last night was that Dirk had a good, but not great game. If he lights it up this weekend in Dallas, we are in good shape.

I predicted before this series started that Dallas would win in 6. At this point, its just wishful thinking: I don't care if I'm right or wrong as long as they win!

I did see part of the Pistons game. They'll probably beat Cleveland in 5 at worst.

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