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Top 5 centers in Detroit Pistons history

By Brandon Marlow

Apr 24, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) takes a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) takes a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bob Lanier

The Pistons may never see a dominant scoring center like Bob Lanier ever again.

Lanier was the focal point of the Pistons throughout the 70s, and while he didn’t experience the success of the late 80s or mid 2000s, he still had one amazing career.

He was the first overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft and immediately had an impact, averaging 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds.

The next season he took his game to a whole other level, averaging 25.7 points and 14.2 rebounds.

Lanier would average similar numbers for the rest of his career in Detroit, finishing with an average of 22.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Similar to Bill Laimbeer, Lanier had a very polished all around game, averaging 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 2 blocks per game.

He may very well have averaged far more steals and blocks than he did, as the NBA didn’t even record these stats until his fourth season, where he averaged a career high 1.4 steals and 3 blocks per game.

Lanier also left his mark on the record books.

For the Pistons he is third all time in points (15,488), third in blocks (859), eighth in assists (2,256) and second in total rebounds (8,063).

He also has top ten season averages for points, rebounds and blocks per game.

Next: Three preseason storylines for the Detroit Pistons

Lanier doesn’t often get the recognition of championship players like Ben Wallace and Laimbeer, but he is undoubtedly an all time great.