'We were a 2017 team in the 1980s' - Isiah Thomas on how the 'Bad Boy Pistons' would've fared in the mid-2010s NBA

In the late 80s to early 90s, the Detroit Pistons, led by point guard Isiah Thomas, were one of the NBA's top teams, clinching two championship titles.

Reflecting on these successes in 2017 with German media, Zeke compared the "Bad Boys" style of play to modern basketball, sharing some interesting insights. The Hall of Famer was confident: their success back then wasn't just a product of their era but could have likely occurred in a later NBA period.

"In my opinion, we would have quite a lot of success [in today's NBA era]...In a way, we were a 2017 team in the 1980s. That's also one of the reasons we were so successful. With this style, we would do well even today," said Thomas, per Spox.

Zeke shared his thoughts

The team from Motor City—known as the "Bad Boys Pistons"—got its nickname for its controversial "win-at-all-costs" style, which sometimes included overly aggressive plays and tactics.

Thomas, who wasn't exactly a model player himself, said the legendary team couldn't act the same way today. This fits the common view that today's NBA is "softer" than in the past when referees were often more relaxed in how they called the game.

Zeke noted that "Of course, we couldn't play as physically as we used to," but he added that he doesn't think the Pistons would "perform much differently than we did back then" in other aspects. For example, the former 12-time All-Star mentioned that they already ran "a lot of pick-and-rolls" back then—something that fits perfectly with today's style of play.

Three-point dilemma?

Detroit's roster at the time, led by head coach Chuck Daly, was full of personalities who embraced their bold approach. They were also highly talented with a deep bench, leading Isiah to suggest they wouldn't fear facing later great teams in a hypothetical matchup.

"Our guards would do just fine—Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, and myself—and athletically, Dennis Rodman and John Salley would be at least as good as today's guys," explained the 1985 assists leader.

Zeke specifically highlighted his former teammate Bill Laimbeer, who could "shoot threes" and "hold his ground under the basket," making him "already a stretch-five back then."

This addresses the final point: long-range shooting. As most people know, modern NBA games are often called "three-point contests," with teams taking many shots from beyond the arc—the key to success is making those shots count.

However, examining the Pistons' roster at the time reveals few clear-cut sharpshooters. Lambs was proficient enough for a big man but not an exceptional shooter. Meanwhile, Dumars and Henderson both shot 40 percent from downtown in the 1989-90 season, but on low volume (0.7 attempts per game).

Given the team's limited shooting skills, which were common for that era, they would probably have a hard time in today's game, where this aspect has become so important.