The 2001–02 NBA season was the Pistons' 61st season, the 54th in the National Basketball Association, and the 45th in the Detroit area.[1] After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Pistons selected Rodney White from the University of Charlotte with the ninth pick in the 2001 NBA draft. During the offseason, the team acquired Clifford Robinson from the Phoenix Suns and Jon Barry from the Sacramento Kings. Under new head coach Rick Carlisle, the Pistons won 14 of their first 20 games, but then suffered a 7-game losing streak in December. However, after a 19–20 start, they would win 15 of their next 18 games, returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence, finishing first place in the Central Division with a 50–32 record, thanks to a 123–89 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to close out the season. They won the divisional title for the first time since the 1989–90 season.
Ben Wallace averaged 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game and was named Defensive Player of The Year, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team. Corliss Williamson averaged 13.6 points per game off the bench, and was named Sixth Man of The Year, and Carlisle was named Coach of The Year. Jerry Stackhouse led the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game, but was not selected for the All-Star Game. Robinson was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and rookie center Željko Rebrača was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons would defeat the Toronto Raptors in five games, and advance to the second round for the first time since 1991. However, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, they would lose in five games to the 3rd-seeded Boston Celtics after winning Game 1. Following the season, Stackhouse was traded to the Washington Wizards,[2] White signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets, and Dana Barros was released to free agency.
The season saw the team revert to its traditional color scheme of red, white and blue.