2002–03 Detroit Pistons season

The 2002–03 Detroit Pistons season was the 62nd season for the Detroit Pistons as a franchise, their 55th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 46th season in Detroit, Michigan.^[1] During the off-season, the Pistons acquired Richard Hamilton from the Washington Wizards,^[2][3][4] and signed free agent Chauncey Billups.^[5][6]

With the addition of Hamilton and Billups, the Pistons got off to a fast start by winning 12 of their first 16 games of the regular season. The team posted two six-game winning streaks in December, and between January and February, and held a 32–15 record at the All-Star break.^[7] However, the Pistons suffered a seven-game losing streak between February and March, and lost six of their final nine games of the season, but managed to finish in first place in the Central Division with a 50–32 record, and earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference.^[8] The team's record tied the 1976–77 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst record by a number one-seeded team in NBA history; the Pistons were also the only team in the Eastern Conference with 50 or more wins this season, while the Western Conference had six teams with 50 or more wins during the regular season.

Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while Billups averaged 16.2 points and 3.9 assists per game, and led the team with 149 three-point field goals, and Clifford Robinson provided the team with 12.2 points per game. In addition, and off the bench, sixth man Corliss Williamson provided with 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while Chucky Atkins contributed 7.1 points and 2.7 assists per game, and starting center Ben Wallace averaged 6.9 points, 15.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.2 blocks per game, and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and was also named to the All-NBA Second Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.^[9][10] Meanwhile, three-point specialist Jon Barry contributed 6.9 points per game, Turkish rookie center Mehmet Okur averaged 6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and starting small forward Michael Curry provided with 3.0 points per game.^[11]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Wallace was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star appearance.^[12][13][14] Wallace also finished in eighth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[15] while Billups finished in sixth place in Most Improved Player voting,^[15] Williamson finished in fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, with Barry finishing in ninth place,^[15] and head coach Rick Carlisle finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[15]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, the Pistons faced off against the 8th–seeded Orlando Magic, a team that featured All-Star guard Tracy McGrady, rookie power forward Drew Gooden, and Darrell Armstrong. Despite having home-court advantage in the series, the Pistons struggled and faced elimination as the Magic took a 3–1 series lead, after the Pistons lost Game 4 on the road, 100–92 at the TD Waterhouse Centre.^[16][17] However, the Pistons managed to win the next three games, which included a Game 7 home win over the Magic at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 108–93 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series.^[18][19][20]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by All-Star guard Allen Iverson, Keith Van Horn and Eric Snow. The Pistons took a 2–0 series lead over the 76ers, but then lost the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 loss to the 76ers at the First Union Center, 95–82. The Pistons managed to win the next two games, including a Game 6 win over the 76ers at the First Union Center in overtime, 93–89 to win the series in six games, and advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since the 1990–91 season.^[21][22][23]

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons then faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion New Jersey Nets, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and second-year star Richard Jefferson. The Pistons lost the first two games to the Nets at The Palace of Auburn Hills, before losing the next two games on the road, including a Game 4 loss to the Nets at the Continental Airlines Arena, 102–82, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep.^[24][25][26] The Nets would advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, but would lose to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals.^[27][28][29]

The Pistons led the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 839,278 at The Palace of Auburn Hills during the regular season.^[11][30] Following the season, Carlisle was fired after two seasons with the Pistons, and would take a coaching job with the Indiana Pacers.^[31][32][33] Meanwhile, Robinson was traded to the Golden State Warriors,^[34][35] Barry signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets,^[36] and Curry was traded to the Toronto Raptors.