The "Bad Boys" are back in town

In the 1980's, the Detroit Pistons were a team made up of such superstars as Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Lambier and Dennis Rodman.

Those players helped the Pistons become the most hated team in the league, but at the same time, they won a championship and became a team still talked about today.

Now it's 2002 and with such outcasts as Ben Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Chucky Atkins, and one of the many Barry brothers, Detroit landed the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

All of the players on the Pistons came into the league with no hype, except Stackhouse, who originally looked to be a flop anyway. But with Dumars, now team president, leading the way into the off-season making some key pickups, they now are a team to be reckoned with.

Stackhouse is the scorer, but not the same way he was last year. His minutes are down, shot attempts are down, and scoring is down. However, Detroit has won more games and has the best chance to come out of the East.

The real story of this team, however, is Ben Wallace, better known as Dennis Rodman 2K.

What he brings to the team is intensity and a lot of heart.

Never mind the fact that he is 6'7", with an armspan of a man 7'2", Wallace is a superstar in the making without ever scoring more then 20 points in a single game.

Winning the Defensive Player of the Year award is less then he deserves.

One of only four men to ever lead the league in blocks and rebounding in the same year, Wallace has shown he can play with the best of them.

Wallace is the freight train to Stackhouse's choo choo of scoring.

When Stackhouse or any other Piston player puts up a shot, you know Wallace will always have your back if you miss, which gives the whole team much more confidence to be aggressive on offense.

Sure it doesn't hurt to have Barry knocking down threes and other long-range jumpers on a consistent basis, but you sure love it that if he's off, Wallace will grab the board or block a shot on the other end.

So basically, what I'm trying to say is that the only team that could beat them is out west.

The L.A. Lakers, of course, are still the odds on favorite to win it all, but who wouldn't love to see Shaq vs. Wallace and Jerry vs. Kobe.

The only other series I'd really enjoy seeing is the Lakers vs. Celtics just to bring back '80s nostalgia. But instead of Magic and Kareem battling McHale and Bird, it would be Kobe and Shaq matching skills with Walker and Pierce.

All in all, this is the NBA playoffs we all needed to have. Players playing defense, coaches coaching all game (except Isiah Thomas who hasn't coached all season), and arena roof tops blowing off because of MVP chants by the fans.

Whip out your tight jeans and t-shirts, grow yourself a mullet, the '80s are back!