No slouch on the bench, Detroit's Larry Brown has earned a reputation as one of the best teachers in basketball. AP

DETROIT -- It's not often Larry Brown gets called a dog by one of his players. But ask Pistons backup point guard Mike James to describe his coach's tenacity -- and the positive effect it has on his team -- and he can't help himself. "He's like one of those little dogs with bite -- those mean dogs," James cackled Monday. "All the frustrations he takes out on us, we go take it out on our opponents. We're pit bulls. He's a Chihuahua."

With apologies to Taco Bell, Brown is the most popular Chihuahua in Motown these days. Thanks in large part to his skillful coaching, the Pistons have the heavily favored Lakers down 3-1 in the NBA Finals. And in these Finals, Brown hasn't dropped the chalupa. In fact, should the Pistons go on to win the NBA title, the biggest individual winner won't be Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace. It will be Brown, the team's 63-year-old coach who was brought this season specifically to take the team to the next level, beyond the Eastern Conference finals it had reached under Rick Carlisle last spring.

As important as Hamilton's emergence, Rasheed's acquisition and the Pistons' stifling team defense has been, this series belongs to Brown. After 21 years, he looks to finally have that NBA championship ring within his grasp. It's the only thing missing from his Hall of Fame résumé, even if he doesn't want to admit it. "I've been taught my whole career it's really not about me," Brown said on Monday, his team on the verge of one of the biggest Finals upsets in history. "It's about these players. I got in this profession because I've had a great background. I've really been fortunate and always wanted to do the best job I can as a coach. I never really thought about all this stuff."

Maybe not, but Brown will be what most people remember about this team. It's partly because Detroit lacks star power, but it's also because Brown went head-to-head in the Finals against nine-time ringmaster Phil Jackson.

One of the more interesting subplots these past two weeks has been the subtle sniping going on between the two legendary coaches. For example, Jackson pointed out before Game 1 that Brown had never won an NBA title. Brown, in response, has tweaked the Zen Master by repeatedly mentioning Jackson's nine rings, at one point saying "I just hope someday I can be like that guy." At Monday's practice, Pistons assistant coach Herb Brown perhaps provided a glimpse into his brother's feelings about Jackson when he said: "Everybody knows [Larry's] a great coach. I really don't think that's a part of it at all. I've never heard anybody say Larry Brown's a great coach but he hasn't won a championship -- until Phil Jackson brought it up." Ouch. Apparently this Jackson-Brown feud isn't running on empty.

The funny thing is, this year's Pistons team probably isn't even Brown's best coaching job. After all, he twice got the Clippers to the playoffs. He also won an NCAA title in '88 with Kansas. In terms of in-game strategy, Brown has even made some questionable moves during these Finals. His decision not to foul Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant  in the final moments of Game 2 arguably cost Detroit the game. He also has sat Rasheed Wallace and others for long stretches after they picked up their second fouls in the first half, presumably to the consternation of many a Pistons fan.

But Brown sure has had the right game plan for the Lakers. His decision to defend Shaq mostly with single-team coverage has worked, cutting off any open looks for the Lakers' supporting cast. He elected to put long-armed small forward Tayshaun Prince on Bryant, with the other Detroit defenders helping out, which has frustrated Bryant into hoisting a slew of poor shots and a rather dismal 39 percent shooting mark. And his heavy use of screen-and-rolls to pull Shaq out of the lane has produced a host of high-percentage shots for a Detroit team that can knock them down.

Though Detroit's effectiveness has grabbed everyone's attention these past few weeks, Brown has been massaging his team into this position all season. He convinced Billups to buy into his system and find a happy medium between looking to be the Pistons' primary scorer and running the offense. He encouraged two-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace to look more for his offense. He made the oft-demonized Rasheed feel at home.

"We got longer, younger and more athletic," Billups said. "This year we played a little more up-tempo than we did last year."

According to Billups' backcourt mate Hamilton, "the thing about [coach Brown], man, he just keeps us level-headed ... He keeps us down to earth. He keeps us ready and keeps challenging us. You know, he doesn't ever let us get satisfied."

James, who joined the Pistons in a midseason trade, admits Brown can be tough at times. But he says Brown always treats players fairly and has the respect of everyone in the locker room. "Whatever he says, we believe him. We believe it will work," James said. "He's not afraid to get in [anyone's] face. From Rip and Chauncey and Rasheed to Darko [Milicic]. He's not going to bite his tongue."

That's especially true about the perception that winning a title this season would somehow validate his career. On Monday Brown noted that many great coaches haven't won titles, specifically mentioning Jerry Sloan and Rick Adelman. He added it was more important to him to be recognized for having convinced his teams to play the right way. "Most people that understand the game know whether you're doing a good job or not, whether you're getting the most out of your players or not," Brown said. "I think this team tries to play the right way and respects the game and respects one another. So that would be the most significant thing. It would show how when you do things the right way, these are the things you can accomplish."

Win or lose, Brown was never going to be considered a mutt as a coach. But soon he could have the NBA championship ring to secure his place as one of the all-time top dogs.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.