Detroit Pistons: Ranking the top-8 Pistons’ drafts of all-time

The Detroit Pistons have never been that great at the NBA Draft.

In fact, it is much easier to put together a list of worst Pistons’ draft picks than best, as they just haven’t hit much, especially in the modern era.

Pistons’ fans hope that all changed in 2020, when Troy Weaver selected four players who already look like they could be special.

Saddiq Bey is one of the top rookies from his class by about any measure.

Isaiah Stewart has a bit of a Ben Wallace vibe and is already a fan favorite because of his hustle and defense.

Saben Lee has certainly outplayed his second-round draft status, and though the book is still out on rookie Killian Hayes, there is a lot to be excited about.

But where does this draft rank in Pistons’ history?

We took a look at the “modern” drafts, as old school drafts had too many players to evaluate fairly.

Drafts used to have as many as 16 rounds, so we’ll be leaving off some important Pistons, including guys like Dick Groat (1952), Dave DeBusschere (1962), Dave Bing (1966) and Bob Lanier (1970) as it was a much different game back then and the draft a massive endeavor.

So these drafts will only go back as far as 1981, a special year for the Detroit Pistons for many reasons.

Here are the top-8 Pistons’ drafts of all time, starting with number eight.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 8

2012: Andre Drummond/ Khris Middleton

This one is bittersweet, as neither of these guys still play for the Detroit Pistons. Drummond was a stat machine for the Detroit Pistons but it never really translated to many wins, as he is not good enough to be the centerpiece of a  team. Drummond was always meant to be the 3rd or 4th best player on a good team but the Pistons never put one around him.

Middleton is one that still makes Pistons’ fans angry, as he was simply given away for nothing and has since become an All-Star for the Milwaukee Bucks, a classic case of a team giving up too early on a player.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 7

1993: Lindsey Hunter/ Allan Houston

These two were both fan favorites, Hunter because of his aggressive and relentless defense and Houston because of his sharpshooting.

Houston might be the best shooter Detroit ever had and another guy who they probably regretted losing, as he went to the Knicks as a free agent.

The Pistons drafted Grant Hill the next season and it would have been nice to see he and Houston grow together, which will remain one of the bigger “what-ifs” in Pistons’ history.

Houston ended up being known more for his albatross of a contract, which pretty much ruined the Knicks and forced a rule change in the NBA.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 6

2002: Tayshaun Prince

This may seem high considering there was only one player taken but that player was a key piece of the Goin’ to Work era and has to be considered one of the greatest draft picks the Detroit Pistons ever made.

Prince was taken 23rd overall out of Kentucky and if that draft were done again he might go as high as #2 behind Yao Ming.

Tayshaun was the prototype of the modern 3-and-D wing, a guy who could defend all over and knock down timely long-range shots. He’s perhaps most famous for having one of the greatest blocked shots in NBA history when he chased down Reggie Miller in the playoffs.

I’ll never get tired of watching this:

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 5

2020: Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Saben Lee

Ok, so technically the Detroit Pistons only drafted one of these guys, Killian Hayes, and got the rest in trades but I am still counting them since Troy Weaver was the one making the selections.

This might be a bit of recency bias but the Pistons don’t have a good draft history so there is a strong argument that this one could end up even higher.

Bey has already won Eastern Conference Player of the Week and continues to climb the Rookie Ladder. Stewart and Lee look at least like solid role players for the future and Killian Hayes has star potential. That is not a bad haul, especially considering all but one of them were chosen outside of the lottery.

Two of them ended up in the top-five of CBS’ recent rookie ratings, so this draft could end up being viewed as one of the best of all-time in a few years.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 4

1994: Grant Hill

I think there is a good chance that 2020 ends up supplanting this one eventually, but it is hard to put it ahead of the draft that netted one of the greatest Pistons of all time.

Grant Hill was a triple-double machine before people even really knew what that meant. Though his time was mired with injuries and mediocre teams, Hill was spectacular in his six seasons with the Pistons.

In fact, only LeBron James and Oscar Robertson had more combined points, rebounds and assists through their first six seasons than Grant Hill had in his time in Detroit.

Grant Hill deserves his spot in the Hall of Fame for being one of those players that literally changed the game. The Pistons eventually traded him and even that worked out, as it brought back Ben Wallace and started the most successful era of Pistons’ basketball.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 3

1985: Joe Dumars/ Spud Webb

This was an interesting draft, as the Pistons nabbed one of their all-time greats, as well as one of the most compelling players to ever grace the NBA in Spud Webb.

Dumars became a foundational piece of two title teams as well as the GM who put together another. He was a gifted two-way player who was most famous for being the only guy in the league who could really “slow down” Michael Jordan.

Webb didn’t play for the Pistons, as he was traded to the Hawks, but they did draft him in the 4th round. If you are not familiar (congrats on still having your youth!) go back and watch the Slam Dunk contests featuring Spud Webb, as they are some of the best of All-Time.

Dumars was not only great for the Pistons but made the Hall of Fame and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players of All-Time.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 2

1986: John Salley/ Dennis Rodman

This one may be a personal preference but when you can get two of the core members of the Bad Boys in one draft, that’s pretty good.

John Salley had a long and productive NBA career, winning multiple titles in Detroit before winning one with the Bulls and one with the Lakers, though he was not really a big part of those teams. Salley was a shot-blocking machine and was a key part of the Pistons’ legendary defense from that era.

There is an argument that Dennis Rodman is the greatest second-round draft pick of the modern era, as he ended up being possibly the league’s greatest rebounder of All-Time and a guy whose defense and energy helped bring titles to multiple teams.

Say whatever you want about Rodman’s personal life and antics but what you can’t deny is that the guy was a force. He is a five-time champion, made multiple All-Star and All-NBA appearances and pretty much led the league in rebounding for a decade.

There is an argument that Dennis Rodman is the best pick the Detroit Pistons ever made when you look at his production vs. draft position.

Detroit Pistons’ Top drafts of all time: No. 1

1981: Isiah Thomas/ Kelly Tripucka

It’s hard to ignore the draft that produced the greatest Piston of all-time, Isiah Thomas, who was the player who turned the entire franchise around, transforming them from laughing stock to perennial contender.

The Pistons were mostly god-awful in the 70’s but look how the wins started piling up after 1981 and you can see the effect that Thomas had on the franchise. His toughness came to personify the Detroit Pistons and he is one of the greatest point guards of all-time by any measure, one of the first to lead his team in scoring as well as assists.

But don’t overlook Kelly Tripucka! He may look goofy (he does) but this guy was a player too. He averaged as many as 26.5 points per game for the Pistons in his six-year stint in Detroit and made two All-Star Teams himself, so he was no slouch.

There were certainly some big what-ifs from the 2020 NBA Draft, but it is shaping to be one of the best in Pistons’ history. Will it ever eclipse any of the ones ahead of it on the list? Let’s hope so, as fans of the Detroit Pistons have been waiting for a long time to feel hopeful again.

This is the draft that could finally bring some sustained success back to Detroit.