Thirty years ago, Pistons had a great bench, but not so much anymore

Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus, using a formula he created, ranked the best NBA benches of all time. It certainly didn’t surprise me the Pistons were included, given how strong their Bad Boys-era reserves and the Alternatorz were. But I was surprised which unit actually qualified, even if it was on a technicality:

"10. 1981-82 Detroit Pistons (33.5) The 1980s featured few deep benches, and this Pistons unit ranks as the decade’s best. Perhaps the problem was that some of the best reserve talent ended up playing for teams like the Celtics and Lakers, who had relatively few minutes to offer. Early in the 1981-82 season, Detroit picked up Vinnie Johnson from Seattle, but Johnson was still about a year away from becoming "the Microwave." The group was led by Terry Tyler, an excellent rebounder from the wing, and also gets credit for Bill Laimbeer. Laimbeer started all 30 games he played with the Pistons, but came off the bench in Cleveland."

This year, the Pistons’ bench ranks 29th, according to Pelton’s formula – ahead of only the Lakers.