Detroit Pistons · Franchise era 4 of 7
The Grant Hill bridge: the Detroit Pistons story
Franchise era
1994–95—1999–00
The Grant Hill bridge
Detroit Pistons
The story in one sentence
Hill became an immediate All-NBA player, but Detroit never built a playoff winner strong enough to match his talent.
01
An all-around star carries the transition
02
Grant Hill, Allan Houston and Jerry Stackhouse gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for going to work.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1994–95
What came before
Thomas led a deep, punishing team through three straight Finals and championships in 1989 and 1990.
1997
Eastern Conference First Round: Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks
1999
Eastern Conference First Round: Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks
2000
Eastern Conference First Round: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat
After 1999–00
What came next
A cast assembled through shrewd trades reached six straight conference finals and upset the Lakers for the 2004 championship.
The core