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flickr user Dave Hogg, Pistons starting 5, CC BY 2.0
Who are the top Detroit Pistons of all time? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Richard Hamilton: acquired in a straight-up trade for Jerry Stackhouse, Hamilton spent nearly a decade in Detroit, with highlights including 18.4 points per game, three All-Star selections, and an NBA title in 2003-2004.
9. Dennis Rodman: spending the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Pistons, Rodman was a tenacious rebounder and defender on the 2x championship “Bad Boys” teams; he was a 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA, and 5x All-Defensive selection who won the first two of his seven straight rebounding titles and was also Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
8. Bill Laimbeer: the hard-nosed (and perhaps dirty) center of the “Bad Boys”, Laimbeer spent the vast majority of his career with the Pistons (12.5 seasons), making four All-Star teams, earning the rebounding crown in 1985-1986, and winning a pair of titles.
7. Chauncey Billups: after bouncing around with four teams, Billups finally found a home with Detroit in the 2000s, earning three straight All-Star selections with a pair of All-NBA and All-Defensive nods as the Pistons’ tough-nosed point guard; known as “Mr. Big Shot” for coming through in the clutch, he was named Finals MVP in 2003-2004 while leading the team to its first title in nearly 15 years.
6. Grant Hill: the son of former football star Calvin Hill, Grant was one of the best all-around players in the NBA during the mid to late-1990s before injuries took their toll – in six seasons with the Pistons, he began his career as co-Rookie of the Year and went on to make five All-Star and All-NBA teams while averaging 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
5. Ben Wallace: the career record-holder for most NBA games played by an undrafted player, Wallace was a defensive force for the Pistons in the early 2000s: a record-tying 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 6x All-Defensive, 2x rebounding champion, 5x All-NBA, and 4x All-Star who helped Detroit win the 2003-2004 championship.
4. Bob Lanier: the #1 overall draft pick in 1970 by Detroit, Lanier averaged 20-and-10 (22.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game) en route to seven All-Star teams as a member of the Pistons in the 1970s.
3. Dave Bing: bursting onto the scene as Rookie of the Year in 1966-1967, Bing averaged 22.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in nearly a decade with Detroit, good for six All-Star and three All-NBA selections as part of his Hall of Fame career.
2. Joe Dumars: Isiah Thomas’ backcourt mate on the “Bad Boys” teams that won back-to-back championships (including Finals MVP in 1988-1989), Dumars was a tenacious two-way shooting guard who made six All-Star, three All-NBA, and five All-Defensive teams during his Hall of Fame career.
1. Isiah Thomas: a 12x All-Star and the leader of the “Bad Boys” teams of the 1980s, Thomas guided the Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles in-between the Lakers and Bulls dynasties, and was the best point guard of the decade outside of Magic Johnson.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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