AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit Pistons are off to one of the best starts in NBA history because a championship-caliber team has found a way to improve.
New coach Flip Saunders has managed to help the 2004 champions, who fell just short of repeating last year, become more explosive on offense while maintaining their stifling defense.
"He has brought a new brand of basketball here,'' Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups said. "We're not boring to watch anymore.''
The Pistons focused on their defense and were deliberate on offense the previous two seasons under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, and the two years before that with Rick Carlisle as coach.
Now, if they're open early in the shot clock, they shoot - instead of being forced to run plays their previous coaches called from the sideline. They rarely walk the ball up the court anymore, choosing to push it for easier baskets.
At the other end of the court, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace patrol the paint as well as any two in the league while Tayshaun Price, Richard Hamilton and Billups harass opponents with chest-to-chest defense on the perimeter.
Detroit is among the top teams offensively, averaging 100 points entering Friday's game against Memphis, and still ranks among the best on defense, giving up 90.6 points a game. Last year, the Pistons averaged 93.3 points and allowed 89.5 per game.
But the most gaudy numbers are in the wins and losses columns.
The Pistons were 35-5 through 40 games, trailing just three teams in NBA history and tied with two others.
Three teams were 37-3 at the same point: the Chicago Bulls (1995-96), Philadelphia 76ers (1966-67) and Los Angeles Lakers (1971-72). The 1991-92 and 1996-97 Bulls also won 35 of their first 40 games.
Those five teams all won championships.
"The worst thing that any team can do is think about their record,'' said Detroit assistant coach Ron Harper, who helped the Bulls win a league-record 72 games a decade ago. "The minute you start thinking more than one game ahead, you will start losing. We never even thought about 70 wins in Chicago until we got to around 65. Then it became a goal, but we were still focused on the next game.''
The Pistons were expected to be good this season, though most thought Miami or Indiana would be better in the Eastern Conference. Some predicted an adjustment period with their third coach in four seasons.
Entering Friday's games, the Western Conference-leading Spurs had twice as many losses - including two to Detroit, by 15 points each time - and every other team in the Eastern Conference had three times as many losses.
"They have a point to prove to a lot of people, and they go out to prove that every night,'' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "They feel like they blew one last year, and the only way to prove that point is by winning it again.''
Hamilton said the Pistons are more hungry to become a champion again after having the title taken away seven months ago by San Antonio.
"We're on a mission,'' he said.
And Detroit has the ultimate incentive to play well every game before the games really count from April through June.
"We're motivated to keep this up because we want home-court advantage, after losing Game 7 on the road at San Antonio last year,'' Ben Wallace said. "That will help us get back to being champions.''
While the Pistons have changed coaches frequently in recent years, they've resisted changing their nucleus.
They have begun games with the same lineup for nearly two years since Rasheed Wallace was added, and four starters have been together during 11 playoff series the past three postseasons.
"The last three years, they've been great, but they're better now than they've ever been,'' said former NBA guard Steve Smith, who was on the Heat's team against Detroit in the conference finals last year. "The biggest thing is their continuity and chemistry.''
The Pistons have won so many important games, home and away, they don't seem to get rattled or nervous late in games. They know Billups or Rasheed Wallace will take and make a key 3-pointer; or Hamilton will connect on another mid-range jumper; or Prince will make a stop, or Ben Wallace a block.
"I've been here for five months, and this team still amazes me with its poise,'' Saunders said.
Detroit's record has been so impressive that the Motor City is making comparisons to the 1984 Tigers, who also won 35 of their first 40 before going on to win the World Series.
"There are a couple similarities,'' said former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell. "One, the Pistons get it and we got it, in terms of playing as a team and not just giving it lip service. Two, they don't rely on one guy every night, just like we didn't have one star that we depended on every game.
"When we were 35-5, Sparky (Anderson) would always say that it didn't mean anything unless we won the whole thing.''
The Pistons are saying that, too.
"If we don't win the title, no one will remember that we were 35-5,'' Saunders said.
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