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The Pistons haven’t been feeling great lately, but don’t get this team wrong. The Detroit Pistons’ player talent dates back to the 1950s. The Pistons were one of the first NBA teams. Starting in Fort Wayne, the Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957, where they have played ever since. The Pistons won three NBA championships in 1989, 1990 and 2004. Many players from those teams will be featured here, but there are a few others outside of the championship team.
The Pistons have five Eastern Conference titles and 11 division titles. There were some very competitive Pistons in the ’80s and 2000s. Picking 10 people is difficult. In the long run, the Pistons have 11 retired numbers, and we have to be in the top 10. Some players may be left out, and that’s because this team has been blessed with some top talent.
This is the greatest Detroit Pistons player of all time.
Honorable Mention
Prince Tayshaun
Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Detroit: 12 (2002-2012, 2014-2015)
Detroit: 12.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career: 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.5 blocks
Honors: NBA Champion (2004), 4-time All-Defensive Second Team (2005-2008)
Four of the five starters of the Pistons dynasty in the 2000s are on the list. Prince is a solid starter for these teams. During that time, he was a solid player. He finished his career with the fifth-most games played, the most of any player during that dynasty. Prince ranks fifth in 3-point percentage and is one of five players with more than 500 career field goals.
Prince also ranks in the top 10 in field goal percentage, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists and blocks, and is one of eight players to score over 10,000 career points. From 2005 to 2008, Prince was named to the All-Defensive Second Team for four consecutive years. Prince is seriously underrated when it comes to role players.
Vinnie Johnson
Credit: Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Content Services LLC
Years in Detroit: 10 (1981-1991)
Detroit: 12.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 12.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: 2-time NBA champion (1989, 1990), retired by the Pistons on the 15th
When it comes to role players, Johnson is the Prince of the ’80s. Johnson didn’t win any major awards, but he accumulated a ton of numbers during his time with the Pistons. Johnson played in 798 games, the fourth-most in franchise history. He ranks seventh in field goal percentage and eighth in offensive rebounding. On top of that, he ranks sixth in assists with 2,661 and seventh in steals with 708.
Johnson was nicknamed the “microwave oven” because of its heating power. When he’s inserted into the game, he’s going to score quickly and well. He made the most of his minutes. His most legendary contribution came in Game 5, when he threw a 14-footer with 0.7 seconds left to beat the Portland Trail Blazers to their 1990 championship.
gene tree
Years in Detroit: 6 (1957-1962)
Detroit: 18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.4 APG
Career: 14.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.7 APG
Honors: 5-time All-Star (1958-1962), All-NBA First Team (1960, All-NBA Second Team) (1961)
The most durable player in franchise history is Gene Shue. He is the record holder for minutes played per game. During his six years with the Pistons, Shu averaged 39.5 minutes per game. He was also good enough to make five All-Star games during his time. The Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957, and Shue made the transition a lot easier.
Shu was popular during his time with the Pistons because he was the team’s best player. His best season was in 1959-60, when he averaged 22.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. He played the full 48 minutes in 11 games. Shu was eventually traded to the New York Knicks in 1962.
Andre Drummond
Photo Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Detroit: 8 (2012-2021)
Detroit: 14.4 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG
Career: 13.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.5 blocks per game
Honors: 2-time All-Star (2016, 2018), NBA All-NBA Third Team (2016), 4-time Rebound King (2016-2018, 2020), Best Rookie Second Team (2013)
When looking at centers, Drummond is one of the most efficient. He leads the league in rebounding, including a record 2,834 offensive rebounds. He ranks second in defensive rebounding and second in career rebounding. His rebounding was solid, and he had team-record defensive rebounding percentages of 33.3 percent and total rebounding percentages of 24.6 percent.
On defense, he totaled 927 blocks and ranked fifth all-time in steals with 823. Offensively, he took advantage of his opportunities. His 54.1 percent shooting from the field is a team record. That efficiency helped him earn the third-best player efficiency rating. He also ranks in the top 10 in defensive win shares and total win shares.
Georgia Deli
Credit: NBA.com
Detroit: 19.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.7 APG
Career: 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game
Honors: 5-time All-Star (1955-1959), All-NBA First Team (1958), All-NBA Second Team (1957), NBA Scoring Champion (1958)
Yardley was one of the best overall scorers in the ’50s. With the Pistons, he made five All-Star teams. His offense is good enough, and he ranks 10th in offensive win shares, while his 21.1 player rating ranks fifth. What makes Yardley most endearing is his talent and tenacity. Under Yardley’s leadership, the team advanced to the NBA Finals twice.
Yardley led the league in scoring in 1957-58. He averaged 27.8 points per game for a total of 2,001 points. This is the first time an NBA player has scored 2,000 points in a single season. He also set NBA records for free throw attempts (808) and free throw percentage (655). It was the only time he was named to the All-NBA First Team.
Larry Foster
Years in Detroit: 7 (1950-1957)
Detroit: 15.0 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 1.9 APG
Career: 13.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game
Honors: 6-time All-Star (1951-1956), All-NBA First Team (1955), All-NBA Second Team (1952), Rebounding Leader (1952)
One of the best rebounders in franchise history was a league rebounder in 1951-52. Foster is tied with Mel Hutchins for the rebounding lead at 13.3 rebounds per game. His career-high 13.4 rebounds came in 1853-54, while his other career highlights included leading the league in 48.7 percent shooting in 1954-55.
Foster ranks sixth with 5,200 career rebounds, but he’s one of six players with at least 5,000 on the team. Although after that time, he was in the top 10 in both offensive win shares and total win shares. His highest stat was fourth in PER with a 22.0 rating.
10. Richard Hamilton
Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Detroit: 9 (2002-2011)
Detroit: 18.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career: 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 rebounds
Honors: NBA Championship (2004), 3-time All-Star (2006-2008), retired No. 32 Pistons
Every team needs the third piece of the Big Three, and Hamilton is that player. He is often overlooked by others like Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace. What many forget is that Hamilton is a consistent scorer in this league. That includes scoring at least 18.0 points per game in all but three seasons of his nine-year tenure. His career average of 20.1 points per game comes from the 2005-06 season, when he led the league in 3-point percentage at 45.8 percent.
Hamilton was 10th in the game, ninth in 3-pointers made and sixth in field goal attempts. His 11,582 career scoring ranks sixth on the all-time scoring list. For shooting guards, Hamilton could also pass the Rock as he ranks seventh in career assists with 2,419. To prove that Hamilton was overrated in his era, he was the most used offensively of any player in the 2000s. His 26.7% usage rate remains sixth on the all-time list.
9. Grant Hill
Years in Detroit: 6 (1994-2000)
Detroit: 21.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Career: 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 rebounds
Honors: 5-time All-Star (1995-1998, 2000), All-NBA First Team (1997), 4-time Best Second Team (1996, 1998-2000), Rookie of the Year (1995), Rookie of the Year No. 1 Team (1995)
It’s a legitimate question to wonder what would have happened if Hill never left. If Hill never left the Pistons, would the dynasty of the 2000s happen or would it be better? Hill left the Pistons in 2000 and went on to hold a record 29 triple-doubles. Putting a player like Hill on the same lineup as Hamilton, Prince, Billups and Wallace could be just as terrifying for the Eastern Conference.
Despite playing for six years, Hill was a standout scorer, ranking ninth all-time in career scoring with 9,393. His career average of 21.6 points is tied for fourth with Kelly Tripka. He also ranks in the top 10 for career defensive rebounds, assists and steals. In terms of efficiency, Hill’s 22.4 PER ranks second, while the Pistons are third on offense at 27.6 percent.
8. Dennis Rodman
Image Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Detroit: 7 (1986-1992)
Detroit: 8.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Career: 7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.6 rebounds per game
Honors: 2 NBA Championships (1989, 1990), 2 All-Stars (1990, 1992), All-NBA Third Team (1992), 2 Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991), 5 Most Best defensive team (1989)-1993), rebounding leader (1992), No. 10 retired by the Pistons
With Rodman, the Pistons “bad boy” is a deadly combination. When Rodman entered the league with the 27th overall pick in 1986, he already had a chip on his shoulder. He blends well with the personality on the field and has no problem doing the dirty work. His defense was critical to championship seasons, and he was named to the All-Defensive Team in two championship games and was named the best overall defensive player in 1990.
Rebounding is the name of Rodman’s game. He ranks fifth in career rebounds, fourth in defensive rebounds and third in offensive rebounds. On the defensive end, his career 399 blocks rank 10th all-time. While Rodman isn’t a lethal scorer, he’s efficient when it comes to shooting. His 55.8 career 2-point percentage is a Pistons record.
7. Bill Ranbir
Credit: Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Content Services LLC
Years in Detroit: 13 (1981-1994)
Detroit: 13.4 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Career: 12.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.5 blocks per game
Honors: 2 NBA championships (1989, 1990), 4 All-Stars (1983-1985, 1987), rebounding champion (1986), retired No. 40 Pistons
Joining the Pistons is the best thing for Laimbeer and the team. Laimbeer was traded from the Cavaliers to the Pistons and was an instant double-double threat when he was pushed into the lineup. Laimbeer is the leader of the “bad boy” Pistons. He is the most aggressive and physical player on the team. This has resulted in many players disliking him, but Laimbeer has publicly stated that he was never worried about others liking him.
He wants to win and he will do whatever he needs to do. Laimbeer led the league in rebounding with 13.1 rebounds per game in 1985-86. That was seven years in which Lambiel averaged a double-double. He just missed it during the championship season, but averaged 9.6 rebounds in those two years. Laimbeer is the best rebounder in team history with 9,430 career rebounds, 1,200 more than runner-up Drummond. He also holds a record of 7,001 defensive rebounds.
6. Dave Bean
Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Detroit: 9 (1966-1975)
Detroit: 22.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: 6-time All-Star (1968, -1969, 1971, 1973-1975), 2-time All-NBA First Team (1968, 1971), All-NBA Second Team (1974), Rookie of the Year…
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