Top 10 Detroit Pistons of All Time

Active players are not eligible to be on this list. The Detroit Pistons have been an up-and-down organization since its inception. Those ups have been very high and those downs have been very low. Today, we are going to look at the top 10 Pistons of all time.

10) Rip Hamilton

Rip Hamilton played with the Pistons for nine seasons, averaging at least 17 points per game eight times. He was the leading scorer on the 2004 championship team and helped lead the Pistons to six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals (2003-2008). He made all three of his All-Star appearances during that stretch (2006-2008).

Rip Hamilton’s Top 10 Plays With the Detroit Pistons

9) Dennis Rodman

Rodman was used defensively to cover players at all five positions. He won Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1990 and 1991 and was named NBA All-Defensive 1st team five straight times from 1989-93.

DENNIS RODMAN THE WORM

8) Bob Lanier

led the team in scoring seven consecutive seasons, from 1972-79, and his 22.7 point per game is still the best career mark of any Piston. Lanier was a great rebounder also, unfortunately, Lanier was on some bad Pistons team which hurts how he is remembered by some fans.

Bob Lanier’s Career With the Detroit Pistons

7) George Yardley

Yardley was the first player ever drafted by the Pistons and the pick was pretty good considering that Yardley would end up in the Hall of Fame. Yardley was a great scorer on the wing, averaging 19.2 points during his career. In 1958 he led the NBA with 27.8 points per game. Yardley made six consecutive All-Star games, from 1955-1960. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966.

George Yardley: Detroit Pistons Career Overview

6) Dave Bing

Until Isaiah Thomas showed up in Detroit Bing was the greatest guard in the first 20 years of the franchise, too bad the teams he played on were horrible. Bing led the team in scoring five consecutive seasons (from 1967-71), and assists in each of the nine seasons he was with the team (1967-75). Bing averaged 22.6 points per game in his time with the Pistons.

Dave Bing: Career Mixtape

5) Bill Laimbeer

Laimbeer was an elite rebounder for the Pistons and he was a big man who could shoot the ball from almost anywhere on the court. He was an enforcer for the “Bad Boys” and was willing to mix it up with anyone. Hard-nosed would be the word to describe Laimbeer.

Bill Laimbeer – Captain Chaos

4) Chauncey Billups

The highlight of Billups career was the 2004 NBA Finals victory over the Lakers, a performance that earned him MVP honors. He averaged 21 points and 5.2 assists per game during the series, shooting 51 percent from the field. Billups also made three All-Star teams with the Pistons (2006-08), and was named to All-NBA teams in 2006 and 2007.

Chauncey Billups Top 10 Career Plays

3) Ben Wallace

Wallace won four Defensive Player of the Year awards during his stretch with the Pistons (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006), made five All-NBA Defensive teams, and played in four All-Star games. He led the league in rebounds twice (2001 and 2003), blocks once (2002) and defensive win shares four times (2002-05). Wallace was a key reason to the Pistons 2004 World Championship as at the time he was the premier perimeter defender in the NBA.

Ben Wallace- Pistons highlights

2) Joe Dumars

Dumars is a Hall of Famer, the architect of the 2004 championship team, a six-time All-Star, and made five All-NBA Defensive teams. Dumars was a clutch performer on both ends of the court and teamed up with Isaiah to make one of the best backcourts in the history of the NBA.

Joe Dumars Career Highlights

1) Isaiah Thomas

No doubt on the greatest Piston of all time. Thomas played all 13 of his NBA seasons with the Pistons and was named to 12 All-Star teams. Thomas is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and owns the Pistons record book. The Pistons were a mess when Thomas arrived and he would go on to lead the Pistons to 3-straight finals and back-to-back World Championships.

HD Highlights of Isiah Thomas