Back in 1989 and 1990 the Detroit Pistons faced a dominant shooting guard and created ?The Jordan Rules? to defend him.

In this season?s Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons have taken that methodology and applied it to Miami?s shooting guard, creating ?The Wade Rules.?

Instead of having TayShaun Prince, the lanky defensive specialist guard Dwyane Wade straight-up, Larry Brown elected to have a permanent shadow face guard Wade at all times for Game 4.  Between Richard Hamilton, who was Wade's defender for the majority of the game, as well as Chauncey Billups, Lindsay Hunter and Prince, they managed to fluster Wade throughout the contest.  

All this and Wade still scored 28 points.

In Game 5 the Pistons should take it one step further.  They have allowed Wade to attack the basket with a friendly path throughout the series with not much more than a token hand slap.  Every time he drives to the basket and they won?t be able to cleanly block his shot, they need to knock him down to the hardwood.

A slasher like Wade, even though he is one of the best built athletes in the world, will wear down over 48 minutes if he is fouled very hard, yet clean, each and every time he elevates in the paint.

Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman were the ones principally assigned to guard Jordan during the Chuck Daly days and each defender used a very different tactic.

Dumars would back off Jordan, forcing him to shoot jumpers.  Remember at this point Jordan was still developing his outside shot that finally came along during the Bulls? second championship run when he had a barrage of 3-pointers against the Blazers.

On the other hand, Rodman forced Jordan to drive, utilizing his length to affect his shot.

Hamilton and Hunter have played the Dumars role, while Prince has played the role of Rodman.

Dumars was and in many ways still is one of the toughest men you could possibly battle against.  His mental toughness gave Jordan an initial shock, which opened things up for the other Detroit defenders as the game and Jordan wore on.

Without a Dumars and since Prince?s reserved nature cannot possibly duplicate Rodman?s explosive defensive tendencies, the Larry Brown Pistons have adapted.  

?The Wade Rules? are understated and this is because they can afford to be and because they must be.  As great of a player Wade is right now, he remains light years behind the Michael Jordan of 1989.  

Michael Jordan also never had Shaquille O?Neal waiting on the weak side.  He had Bill Cartwright and Horace Grant and if he was lucky, Scottie Pippen might be open for the briefest of moments.

So while Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Elden Campbell must stay glued to Shaq, the Detroit off defender must meet Wade at the goal every single time and knock him to those indents on the hardwood that still have the Jumpman symbol.

Christopher Reina is the Executive Editor of RealGM.com and may be reached at [email protected].