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

Jason Maxiell – Fresh off a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Pistons’ selected Jason Maxiell with the 26th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. Jason Maxiell was a bouncy, power forward out of the University of Cincinatti, actually ranking third all-time in blocked shots for the school.

While Jason Maxiell never really became a star in the league, he was a strong contributor off the Pistons’ bench over the next eight years. He did spend a few years in the starting lineup, but…

…I think most fans would prefer to think about Maxiell in terms of his role as an energetic and versatile reserve player. In those years, Maxiell provided a youthful punch off the bench while the Pistons were still competing for titles (see below).

However, once the Pistons started to decline as a team, Maxiell was thrust into a more featured role. He averaged 23.5 minutes per game in his final two years with the team; two years many Detroit basketball fans are still trying to forget. Maxiell was undersized for a starting power forward at the time, and he didn’t have much help around him. Nevertheless, us fans still remember and appreciate the time he gave us off the bench.