The Detroit Pistons are a storied franchise, unfortunately, many of those stories take place longer ago than we’d care to admit. Since the 2000 season, Detroit has had 17 all-star game bids across eight players. Some of these stars spent only short and unimportant stints in Detroit, while others forged hall of fame careers in the Palace.
Since this week is without regularly scheduled basketball, and since the Detroit Pistons are not represented at All-Star Weekend, let’s look back on the glory days.
This list will rank all eight players on their time in Detroit. Any accolades or accomplishments outside of their time in Detroit are totally irrelevant.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 8 Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson was not The Answer in Detroit. In less than a season, he put up decent numbers, nothing special considering his career, and caused a lot of problems.
His massive ego allowed him to think he was still a superstar that a team should build around, and Detroit was not the fit he thought he needed, and he was not the fit the Pistons knew they needed. Thanks but no thanks.
If you only play 54 games for the team, last place is where you belong.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 7 Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Stackhouse came close to winning rings with Detroit, Dallas, and Miami. In Detroit, Stackhouse was a pretty big-time scorer who didn’t accomplish much, individually or as part of a team.
He actually wasn’t actively bad like Iverson was, he deserved his 2001 All-Star nod, but outside of a few very good years, he was just a better-than-average journeyman.
He was the anti to the Go to Work Pistons that followed. Not a lot of defense, and inefficient scoring, although the offensive numbers weren’t bad.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 6 Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin may be remembered as the best LA Clipper the franchise has ever seen, but this list is about Detroit. His first full season on the Pistons gave him his only All-Star nomination, and one could argue that it was the most well-rounded season of his career.
The transition to Detroit saw the high-flying dunker turn into a more back-you-down, knockdown jump shot scorer. He also became a veteran leader on a playoff team, although age took its toll and Griffin has been steadily declining up until his buyout, which mercifully saved the Detroit Pistons some future cap space.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 5 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond was never on a really good Pistons team, which is unfortunate as he would have been the perfect complementary piece to a ball-dominant small forward like Paul George or Jimmy Butler.
He was a two-time All-Star in Detroit and led the league in rebounds four times while averaging around 14 points with solid defense. Never a liability (aside from on the free-throw line), Drummond was a workhorse. He only played less than 75 games once, and that was his rookie season.
Drummond was consistently one of the better centers in the league, he just never had a complementary player to make a real push in the postseason.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 4 Rasheed Wallace
One could say Rasheed’s best years were spent in Portland, but that doesn’t really matter. He won a ring in Detroit. In Detroit, every one of his stats improved aside from points and assists, but he was on a better team and could take a more comfortable role.
He was an incredibly important asset to the 2004 team, but he was not the best or most important on that team. Without him, they may not have won, but without any of those players, the same case can be made.
His PER was the best on the championship team, but he didn’t put up as many shots as Chauncey, so the numbers aren’t the most important thing.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 3 Richard Hamilton
Rip Hamilton was the perfect complement to Chauncey Billups on the Pistons teams of the early aughts. While he didn’t score at high volume like other players at his position, his true shooting percentage of 46 percent is often forgotten about.
He was not the defensive specialist that his teammates were, but he provided efficient scoring in big minutes.
As a ballhandler and playmaker, his turnovers and assist ratio wasn’t awful, and he was able to avoid foul trouble. His stretch of three straight all-star games from 2005-07 was an anomaly, as he exploded into being the league’s best shooters from mid-range, and had a true shooting percentage of over 50 percent all three years.
Had Rip kept those numbers up for the rest of his career, he would have a case at the greatest Piston ever, but he didn’t, so he takes the third spot on this list.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 2 Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups put up the best years of his career in Detroit, there’s no debate. His trade to the Nuggets to create cap room is one of the most heartbreaking decisions in Detroit sports history. He was basketball in Detroit.
Billups had grit and grind, and played physical, scrappy basketball. He averaged a steal and two fouls most years, and most of those steals were the result of diving for the ball and getting dirty.
His scoring and facilitating numbers were fantastic, especially given the length of his career.
On paper, he was not amazing, just solid. That doesn’t really matter though, as he was the perfect complementary piece to everyone on the teams he played on. He made everyone around him better, not just one other star.
Detroit Pistons’ All Stars: No. 1 Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace created the position of undersized center/power forward, that PJ Tucker, Draymond Green, and Paul Millsap all currently play. His numbers were never awesome, aside from rebounds and blocks. And those numbers were phenomenal.
If anything, he deserved more than four Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He put up three blocks for three straight years, all while averaging more than a steal and half as a center. His rebounding was off the charts, rivaled only by Rodman and Drummond as the best rebounder in Pistons history. Yes, he only averaged 6.6 points with the Pistons, but I like defense, and he was the best player on some of the best NBA teams throughout the 2000s, he deserved an MVP Award at least once in his career, maybe over Garnett or Nash.