The Most Iconic Detroit Pistons Bench Players (Post-Teal Era)

Mehmet Okur – A player who is more often recognized for his time spent with the Utah Jazz, the Pistons drafted “Memo” in the 2nd round of the 2001 NBA Draft to be their ‘stretch-five’ of the future.

Mehmet was a primary contributor for the team from 2002-’04, helping the Pistons to their championship victory in his second year.

One of the true, original three-point shooting big men in the league, Okur shot 35-percent on three-pointers in his time with the Pistons. Those numbers were enough to get him a six-year, $50-million offer sheet from Utah Jazz. While many fans were sad to see him leave, he was simply too big a luxury for Joe Dumars to keep on the roster.

Similarly to why the Pistons were forced to move on from Corliss Williamson, the team was faced with some key roster decisions, and Okur was one of the odd men out. Dumars had to consider the fact that his core players would be wanting new contracts soon, and so ultimately he made the choice to move on from luxury players coming off the bench.

Okur went on to become Complex’s 13th ranked worst NBA All-Star selection of all-time, so fans can be the judge of that particular roster decision. For more on the moves of Joe Dumars, check out this piece by Adrian Wojnarowski in 2008 that really delves into Dumars’ thought process surrounding the Allen Iverson trade: it’s a fun read, *sighs*.

Anyways, I will, and I hope other fans will as well, always remember him as an entertaining player, who played the game in a new and exciting way. I’ll end the “Memo” discussion with an awesome recording (historical document, if you prefer) of his 2004 Championship speech for some good nostalgia: