Having Led Michael Jordan’s Nightmare Team, Isiah Thomas Brings Up His Defensive Playoffs Record

One of the most dominant NBA teams in the history of the game was the Detroit Pistons from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nicknamed the ‘Bad Boys,’ the dominant squad won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990 and featured a Hall of Fame roster including Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, Adrian Dantley, and the team’s coach, Chuck Daly.

The reason the ‘Bad Boys’ were so tough was because of their intense physicality, specifically on defense. The team was a nightmare for many teams in the East, none more than the Bulls of that era, led by Michale Jordan.

MJ was eliminated by the Pistons two years in a row from the playoffs due to the team’s ‘Jordan Rules’ scheme, where they roughed up His Airness every chance they got. Jordan finally conquered the Pistons in 1991, but his battle scars remained forever.

Leading the Pistons was Thomas, a 12-time All-Star who was considered one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. His scoring prowess was a huge reason the ‘Bad Boys’ won consecutive titles. In 1990 he averaged 27.7 PPG in the playoffs and ended up winning NBA Finals MVP.

Yet the Baby-Faced Assassin also heavily contributed on the defensive side of the ball, something that is often overlooked in his career. It’s a good thing Thomas decided to remind the NBA universe about that earlier today.

Thomas took to Instagram and shared a post about his incredible defensive performance in the 1988 playoffs. That postseason, he recorded 66 steals in 23 games, a record that still stands to this day. “Every team I played on in play-off competitions, high school, college, and pros, has been ranked as one of the top defensive teams ever,” said Isiah in the caption.

 

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A post shared by Isiah Thomas (@isiahthomas)

That wasn’t all he wrote, either. “Don’t be a weak defender in the playoffs; defense wins Championships!” he added. The message should be inherited by most of the NBA as the league prepares to kickstart the Play-In tournament ahead of the 2025 postseason. Thomas’ Pistons face off against the Knicks in the first round, a series that is expected to be extremely physical.

Perhaps Zeke’s words are a warning to the teams who are not mentally prepared for the playoff grind. Whatever team emphasizes defense will be crowned this year’s champion. The ‘Bad Boys’ did in their era. Who will do it in this one?

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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