Whether you love them or hate them, the Detroit Pistons have played a huge role in NBA history. From their days as the Fort Wayne Pistons to 2023, where they are still waiting to build their next world champion, the Pistons have made some of the biggest moments in NBA history come to life. Featuring stars everyone loved to hate, such as Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Dennis Rodman, the Pistons took on the role of the bad guy and played it better than anyone else in NBA history. This isn’t just about their Bad Boy era, either. The entire history of the Pistons has been written in blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, and brutal physicality.
Just as we have done with franchises such as the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks in the past, today we will crack open the doors to the Detroit Pistons franchise and break down the greatest players in their history. These 30 players are undoubtedly the ones that have defined what it means to be a member of this great and storied team over the years. Through championships, accolades, skill, and production, we have ranked these 30 players based on their standing in franchise history until one remains at the top for the title of Pistons GOAT.
This is the Detroit Pistons’ all-time GOAT Pyramid.
Tier 5
Lindsey Hunter, Rick Mahorn, Dave DeBusschere, Kelly Tripucka, Curtis Rowe, John Long, Bailey Howell, Blake Griffin, Terry Mills, Ray Scott, M.L. Carr
The Pistons GOAT Pyramid gets kicked off with memorable players from their franchise’s history who sit a little lower on the list due to lack of accolades and production but did enough to get here. The first of these players is Lindsey Hunter, who played 17 seasons in the NBA and 12 with Detroit. During his younger years, from 1994 thru 2000, Hunter was an 11.2 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 1.5 SPG player. After taking three seasons away from the team and venturing elsewhere, he returned to minimally help them win the 2004 NBA championship off the bench.
Rick Mahorn is the first Bad Boys member to make the cut onto the Pistons GOAT Pyramid. Mahorn played with the Pistons for four seasons from 1986 thru 1989 and two more seasons in 1997 and 1998. In his first stint with the team, Mahorn averaged 7.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG as their starting power forward and in some time off the bench. Although his numbers are nothing spectacular, Mahorn’s part in helping Detroit usher in the Bad Boy era cannot be understated.
Dave DeBusschere is more well-known for his time winning two championships with the New York Knicks during the early 70s. However, DeBusschere is also a Pistons legend in his own right. DeBusschere spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with Detroit, where he made three All-Star teams from 1966 thru 1968. He averaged 17.5 PPG and 12.3 RPG over that stretch for Detroit and 16.4 PPG and 11.4 RPG in 29 games of the 1969 season before being traded to New York.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Kelly Tripucka was a star with the Pistons during the early 1980s. Tripucka made his debut for the Pistons in 1981-82. He became an All-Star as a rookie and averaged 21.6 PPG to go with 5.4 RPG and 1.1 SPG. He would average 26.5 PPG in 58 starts the following season and earn another All-Star appearance in 1984, averaging 21.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG. Tripucka averaged 21.6 PPG in five seasons with the Pistons, by far the most productive stop of his 10-year career.
Curtis Rowe had a short-lived eight-year career in the NBA. Five of those seasons were spent with the Pistons from 1972 thru 1976. The 6’7’’ power forward would average over 16.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG during his second season with the team, but they finished with a record of 40-42. In 1976, Rowe would earn the only All-Star selection of his career, averaging 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG on 46.8% shooting. Rowe would play three more seasons in the NBA with Boston before retiring in 1979.
John Long had a long career in the NBA with the Pistons, Pacers, and Hawks. Long played 10 seasons with Detroit over the course of his career, which began with eight seasons from 1979 thru 1986. Long was productive for them during these first eight seasons averaging 15.9 PPG and 1.1 SPG. His best season came in 1982 when he averaged 21.9 PPG on 49.2% shooting in 66 starts. Long would also be with the Pistons off the bench when they won the NBA championship in 1989.
Bailey Howell has been featured in our GOAT pyramid series before for his time with the Boston Celtics. Earlier on in his career, Howell was a perennial All-Star with Detroit from 1960 thru 1964. In five seasons with the Pistons, Howell earned four straight All-Star appearances with them from 1961 thru 1964. He averaged 22.0 PPG and 12.2 RPG in those four seasons and, in 1963, earned the only All-NBA Team selection of his career, averaging 22.7 PPG and 8.2 RPG.
Blake Griffin spent a short time with the Detroit Pistons from 2018 thru 2021 after being traded from the Clippers. In his first full season with the team, Griffin became an All-Star for the sixth and final time in his career as well as his last All-NBA Team selection. He averaged 20.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 5.0 APG during his time with the Pistons which included just two full seasons in 2019 and 2020. As great as he was with the team, like Drummond, the team’s success did not reflect his effort, which limited Griffin to Tier 5.
Terry Mills played six seasons with the Detroit Pistons in his career, five of which came from 1993 thru 1997. Mills was never an All-Star, but he certainly peaked with the Pistons during the 90s as a player. In his first three seasons with the team, Mills averaged 15.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG, mostly as their starter at power forward. Mills would make a return to Detroit after a few years away in 2000, making 78 starts but averaging just 6.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG.
The Detroit Pistons chose Ray Scott with their fourth overall pick in the 1961 NBA Draft, and for the five and a half seasons they had him, he did not disappoint. Scott was a 15.5 PPG scorer in five of the six seasons he spent in Detroit and the 45 games he played for them in 1967 before being dealt to Baltimore. Scott averaged 16.0 PPG and 10.7 RPG during his career with the Pistons and reached the playoffs twice during his time there.
The final member of Tier 5 is M.L. Carr, who spent just three seasons with the Pistons from 1977 thru 1979. During those three years, Carr was among the best defenders in the NBA at the small forward position and won a steals title in 1979, averaging 2.5 SPG. For the entirety of his three seasons, Carr averaged 14.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 2.1 SPG, while the team made the playoffs just once.
Tier 4
Tayshaun Prince, George Yardley, Mark Aguirre, Vinnie Johnson, Jerry Stackhouse, Gene Shue, Andre Drummond, Adrian Dantley
The next class of players on this Pistons GOAT Pyramid are all valuable pieces to teams that achieved success during their time there. The first of these pieces is underrated defensive stalwart Tayshaun Prince. His athleticism and basketball IQ were the two things that stood out most about Prince on the court, which made him a key piece to their defensive identity in the 2000s. During his decade with Detroit, Price helped them capture the 2004 NBA championships and earned four All-Defensive Second Team selections from 2005 thru 2008. Although an unsung hero of those Pistons teams, Prince was a key contributor to their success for an entire decade.
George Yardley is one of the oldest members of the Pistons’ GOAT pyramid, having made his NBA debut in 1953 when the Pistons were still in Fort Wayne. Yardley led the Pistons to two NBA Finals appearances in 1955 and 1956, but they fell both times to the Nationals and Warriors. Yardley earned five All-Star selections as a member of the Pistons and averaged 19.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG in five-plus seasons there. In 1958, the Pistons’ first year in Detroit, Yardley won the scoring title averaging 27.8 PPG on 41.4% shooting.
Mark Aguirre is one of the stars that put the Dallas Mavericks on the map during the 1980s. After spending seven and a half years in Dallas, Aguirre was sent to the Pistons in a deal that included Adrian Dantley returning to Dallas. Taking on a lesser role with the Pistons, Aguirre would contribute to back-to-back NBA championships for Detroit in 1989 and 1990. Aguirre averaged 12.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG for Detroit as their starting small forward in the 1989 championship run and 11.0 PPG off the bench in 1990. Aguirre’s contributions to two championship teams landed him on Tier 4 quite easily.
Also known as “Microwave”, Vinnie Johnson spent nine-plus seasons out of 13 in the NBA with Detroit during the 80s and 90s. Johnson was consistently one of the best bench players in basketball during his time with the Pistons. From 1983 thru 1989, Johnson appeared in 567 games with just 109 starts and averaged 13.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.5 APG for Detroit. As an iconic piece to both the 1989 and 1990 championships as well as their franchise during the 80s, Johnson lands on Tier 4 as well.
For the four-plus years he spent in Detroit, Jerry Stackhouse looked as if he were headed for superstar status. After spending a few seasons with the Sixers, Stackhouse was dealt to Detroit during the 1997-98 season. After an injury-filled first season that saw him play just 42 games, Stackhouse erupted. He became an All-Star in 1999-00, averaging over 23.5 PPG in 82 games played. The following season, he would play 80 games for Detroit and average 29.8 PPG on 40.2% shooting. In total, he earned two All-Star selections and averaged 22.1 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG in four and a half seasons with Detroit.
Gene Shue is another Fort Wayne/Detroit Player from the 50s and 60s who makes his way onto Tier 4. Shue played with the Pistons from 1957 thru 1962 and became one of the league’s best players during that time. Shue would make five All-Star appearances, with the Pistons averaging 19.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.4 APG during that stretch. He recorded two seasons of over 22.0 PPG as well as two seasons with more than 5.5 APG.
Andre Drummond has a case to be higher on this list as one of the team’s greatest rebounders and interior presences ever. However, Drummond was a part of some really bad Pistons teams, which certainly hurts his standing here. Drummond was a two-time All-Star in Detroit as well as a four-time rebounding champion. He played seven and a half seasons with the Pistons and ranks first in franchise history with over 2,800 offensive rebounds.
The final member of Tier 4 is a legendary scoring machine, Adrian Dantley. After his All-Star days in Utah were done, Dantley played just two and a half short seasons with the Pistons from 1987 thru 1989. Dantley played well for Detroit despite not making any All-Star Games while wearing their uniform. Over 192 games, he averaged 20.3 PPG and 3.8 RPG on 52.5% shooting. His lack of individual accolades during this period of his career prevents him from moving any further up the pyramid.
Tier 3
Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Bob Lanier, Dave Bing, Grant Hill, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace
Every Pistons player that you will see from here on out are some of the most accomplished in franchise history and had an immense impact on delivering NBA championships. The first of these players is the face of the Bad Boy era and the NBA’s most hated man, Bill Laimbeer. As one of the first stretch fives in basketball, Laimbeer was a unique offensive weapon that didn’t need to score often in order for there to be team success. Laimbeer anchored the Pistons’ interior defense with his rebounding and physically grueling defensive effort. Laimbeer helped the Pistons capture back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990 and is one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures ever.
Dennis Rodman rose to stardom in the 90s for his wild hair and antics while winning championships with the Chicago Bulls. During the 80s and early 90s though, Rodman rose to stardom for his play on the court and the overall mastery he showed on the defensive side of the ball. He was also the NBA’s best rebounder, winning two rebounding titles with them in 1992 and 1993. Overall, Rodman won two championships and two Defensive Player of the Year awards and earned two All-Star selections in seven seasons with Detroit from 1987 thru 1993.
Bob Lanier should go down as the greatest big man in Pistons’ history. Lanier played nine-plus seasons with the Pistons from 1971 thru 1979 and earned seven All-Star selections as well as three top-10 finishes for MVP. Lanier averaged 22.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 2.0 BPG during his time with Detroit and led them to the NBA playoffs four times. He ranks third in points and rebounds in franchise history as well as fourth in blocks.
Dave Bing is another Hall of Famer towards the top of our pyramid for his contributions to the Pistons from 1967 thru 1975. In Bing’s nine seasons with Detroit, he earned six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year in 1967, and three All-NBA Team selections. He averaged 22.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, and 1.4 SPG during his career with Detroit and helped lead them to the playoffs three times. Bing is third in assists and fourth in points in Pistons history.
Grant Hill made his mark on the Pistons franchise as a young star out of Duke with huge expectations. He was a guard/forward hybrid who looked like the first elite talent that could have taken the league over after Michael Jordan. Despite injuries derailing those expectations, Hill still had a few great years with Detroit from 1995 thru 2000. Hill was a five-time All-Star who led the Pistons to the playoffs four times before injury took away hopes of superstardom. During those All-Star seasons, Hill averaged 21.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 1.6 SPG for Detroit and was among the best players in the NBA.
Richard, aka Rip Hamilton, was a big part of the Pistons’ history during his time with them in the 2000s. What Hamilton provided on offense was exactly what a defensive team like Detroit needed on offense to become NBA champions. Hamilton played with Detroit from 2003 thru 2011 and was a three-time All-Star from 2006 thru 2008. He averaged over 21.0 PPG for Detroit in the playoffs and Finals during their 2004 NBA championship season and on four other occasions in the playoffs.
The final member of Tier 3 made his presence known immediately when he showed up in Detroit. After realizing that first-round pick Darko Milicic was not the guy they thought they drafted second overall, the Pistons made a move to bring in notorious bad boy Rasheed Wallace in 2003-04. Wallace provided an edge that fit perfectly into Detroit’s system as they went on to win the NBA championship that season. In five and a half seasons with the Pistons, Wallace earned two All-Star selections and averaged 13.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.6 BPG.
Tier 2
Joe Dumars, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace
Other than the man sitting at the top of the pyramid, these three players had the biggest impact on championships in Detroit Pistons history. Joe Dumars was a two-way star for the Pistons from 1986 thru 1999, the entire 14 years he played in the NBA. He earned six All-Star selections and peaked as a 23.5 PPG scorer in 1993. His greatest contribution to the Pistons came in their championship runs in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, Dumars helped lead the Pistons to a four-game sweep of the Lakers in the Finals and earned Finals MVP honors with 27.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 0.5 SPG. Dumars also added three All-NBA Team selections and five All-Defensive Team selections to his resume over the years and is the greatest shooting guard in Pistons history.
Chauncey Billups led the Detroit backcourt into battle from 2003 thru part of 2009, where he became one of the best two-way point guards in the game. On defense, he served as the first line of defense very well and helped Detroit gain its defensive identity in the 2000s. On offense, he was as clutch as they come and incredibly smart with the ball in his hands. Billups would earn Finals MVP for his performance in the 2004 NBA Finals averaging 21.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG. With Detroit, Billups earned four All-Star selections, three All-NBA Team selections, and two All-Defensive Team selections.
The final member of Tier 2 is the greatest defender in Pistons history. Ben Wallace won four Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Pistons from 2002 thru 2006, winning two rebounding titles and a blocks title as well. Despite being a minimal threat on offense, Wallace was the NBA’s most feared interior presence, usually holding a significant advantage over all opponents. His effort in the 2004 NBA Finals on Shaq is legendary and can’t be credited with what won them that championship. Aside from his defensive awards, Wallace was also a four-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA team selection with Detroit from 2001 thru 2006.
Tier 1
Isiah Thomas
Whenever somebody brings up the Detroit Pistons, Isiah Thomas, and with good reason. Thomas’ leadership, speed, control, and ability on the court were unmatched, as were his heart and passion for playing the game. Thomas is the all-time leader in Pistons history in points, steals, and assists, showing his ability to dominate multiple facets of the game. Thomas is who gave the Pistons their swag and energy as they won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. He went toe-to-toe with the best his era had to offer and never backed down. He was named Finals MVP in Detroit’s 1990 championship win over Portland, averaging 27.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.0 APG, and 1.6 SPG. In his 13 years with the Pistons, Thomas was named a 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA Team selection, and a two-time All-Star Game MVP. There is no doubt that Isiah Thomas is the Pistons’ GOAT.
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