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I figured it might be worthy comparing these two teams, as the 2003 Miami Heat team was SVG's first year as a coach and he led the team to a 42-40 record, which is within the optimistic portion of the range we are expecting this upcoming year.

2003 Miami Heat
Coach: Stan Van Gundy (Rookie)

Starting 5:
Dwyane Wade (Rookie) (16.2ppg)
Eddie Jones (17.3ppg)
Caron Butler (2nd Year) (9.2ppg)
Lamar Odom (17.1ppg)
Brian Grant (8.7ppg)

Key Contributors:
Rafer Alston
Udonis Haslem (Rookie)
Rasual Butler
Malik Allen

2014 Detroit Pistons
Coach: Stan Van Gundy

Starting 5 (wild guess):
Brandon Jennings
Jodie Meeks
Kyle Singler
Josh Smith
Andre Drummond

Key contributors:
Greg Monroe
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Caron Butler
DJ Augustin

Are the 2014 Detroit Pistons a stronger team than the 2003 Miami Heat? I think we are certainly deeper, and I would assume SVG is an even better coach now than he was in his first year, but The Heat probably had a stronger and more balanced starting 5...How would you compare these teams against each other?

Eddie Jones is one of the most underrated players since I started watching the NBA, great two-way player.

I have nothing further to add to this thread.

Were more talented but we were talented last year too. Talents not our problem can we gel as a team. If not were just the globetrotters with the Washington generals record.


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sc8581 wrote:Eddie Jones is one of the most underrated players since I started watching the NBA, great two-way player.

Amen to that! IF KCP could even come close to being Eddie Jones I'd cream my shorts

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NorCalFan wrote:Were more talented but we were talented last year too.

You must be too young to have watched that team. The Pistons team is NOT more talented than that 03 Heat team, it's note even close.

Rookie Wade was still an impact player, Jones (already mentioned) is criminally underrated, Butler was a stud small forward (we have the broken down version), Lamar Odom was actually an incredibly productive player in those days, and an amazing rebounder. I'll take Drummond over Bryan Grant any day.

That 03 Heat team gave the Pacers an amazing playoff series and had me rooting for them to topple the big dog. They were just a fun, athletic team to watch.

They were also really well balanced. Their only weakness was Grant at C, but at that time the league and particularly the Eastern Conference was incredibly weak at that position with Ben Wallace being the hands-down best center in the east despite little offensive ability.

That 2003 team was pretty darned talented.

They were better than us by a distinct margin at every position except one. Wade, Jones, and Butler? That perimeter would have absolutely laughed at ours (not that most teams today wouldn't also). Wade was a stellar rookie who would have contended for ROY in a non-Lebron season, and Eddie Jones was a remarkably balanced player who was close to all star level. He missed significant time, but was at peak level while he played. Lamar Odom also had a near all star year that year at PF. Best season for him bar none.

So yeah. Not even a justifiable comparison.

Actually, I guess we better hope SVG has developed a lot as a coach since then, because if he barely broke .500 with that roster we're in trouble. I think a full year of EJ would have made that record significantly better, too, though.

The thing to remember is- SVG definitely improved his teams over time. But, those teams also needed roster adjustments or significant signings. Bringing Shaq to Miami obviously elevated that club significantly. Rashard Lewis wasn't a huge name, but he was a perfect fit for what SVG wanted to do in Orlando.

SVG has never had to pull a team out of the sludge. In both cases, he took over a pretty well rounded team and made them better. With Detroit, he's going to have to mold them into an actual team before he can improve it. This current roster is a bunch of disjointed parts that do not fit.

Yep.

He did the best he could to add shooters to our horribly spaced roster, but in so doing he also added some guys who were not sure what ELSE they bring to the table (Butler, Meeks, Augustin). We'll be better in some ways but haven't improved at all in others.

This team could be anywhere from where we were last year to a lower playoff seed. Its hard to know, and there's no denying this is the worst roster SVG has had by far.

The 03 Heat squad had a bunch of high IQ players, the 14 Pistons squad may start 2 of the 3 lowest IQ ball players currently in the league.

Hell of a task for SVG

ImHeisenberg wrote:

NorCalFan wrote:Were more talented but we were talented last year too.

You must be too young to have watched that team. The Pistons team is NOT more talented than that 03 Heat team, it's note even close.

Rookie Wade was still an impact player, Jones (already mentioned) is criminally underrated, Butler was a stud small forward (we have the broken down version), Lamar Odom was actually an incredibly productive player in those days, and an amazing rebounder. I'll take Drummond over Bryan Grant any day.

That 03 Heat team gave the Pacers an amazing playoff series and had me rooting for them to topple the big dog. They were just a fun, athletic team to watch.

They were also really well balanced. Their only weakness was Grant at C, but at that time the league and particularly the Eastern Conference was incredibly weak at that position with Ben Wallace being the hands-down best center in the east despite little offensive ability.

Took the words out of my mouth Heis..

Snakebites wrote:Yep.

He did the best he could to add shooters to our horribly spaced roster, but in so doing he also added some guys who were not sure what ELSE they bring to the table (Butler, Meeks, Augustin). We'll be better in some ways but haven't improved at all in others.

This team could be anywhere from where we were last year to a lower playoff seed. Its hard to know, and there's no denying this is the worst roster SVG has had by far.

I can't argue with a word of this as to how it appears at the moment, but to provide some hope, team chemistry is a funny thing. The growth of young players in combination with the improved outside shooting might change the scenario to some degree. You have to think that SVG will play Smith at the 4 for the majority of his minutes and will not feature him as a shooter. Monroe will, QO or not, have to split minutes between the 4 and 5. Further, I'm thinking SVG's schemes have to be better than what we've seen lately. It's part of the fun of being a sports fan, you really never can tell what will happen.

Go Pistons!

Coherence wrote:The 03 Heat squad had a bunch of high IQ players, the 14 Pistons squad may start 2 of the 3 lowest IQ ball players currently in the league.

Hell of a task for SVG

Exactly, there are two players on this team that will continue to hold us back with theyre decision making. Maybe SVG can get that under control but I have my doubts. We literally have the two lowest IQ players in the league in the same starting lineup lol.

Still think the heat were stronger. wade>jennings, jones>meeks, Butler>Singler, Odom>smith, Grant<Drummond
(my opinion)

MotownMadness wrote:

Coherence wrote:The 03 Heat squad had a bunch of high IQ players, the 14 Pistons squad may start 2 of the 3 lowest IQ ball players currently in the league.

Hell of a task for SVG

Exactly, there are two players on this team that will continue to hold us back with theyre decision making. Maybe SVG can get that under control but I have my doubts. We literally have the two lowest IQ players in the league in the same starting lineup lol.

You can't teach BBIQ and awareness after so many years in the league. It's something you already kind of have to begin with.

I have no doubt SVG can mitigate the effects of SMennings on the court together, but the damages will always be there.

At these points in their careers Grant was still better than Drummond is right now.