The Detroit Pistons are eight years removed from an eight-season stretch of playoff success, achieving the ultimate goal in 2003-04 with Chauncey Billups and company. In the seven full seasons since, they've made the Eastern Conference playoffs just once.

That hasn't been a product of their defensive effort. The franchise is 25th in effective field goal shooting and 15th in offensive rating, but the Pistons rate seventh defensively and ninth overall in nERD. All that despite playing at the league's slowest pace since 2000.