Detroit Pistons NBA Draft: What happened the last time Detroit picked 1-6

Detroit Pistons Draft History: With the first pick in the 1970 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select Bob Lanier

A 6-11 center out of St. Bonaventure, Bob Lanier established himself as one of the Pistons greats during his 10-year tenure with the team. Lanier averaged 22.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 681 games for the Pistons.

The Hall of Fame center had seven of his eight All-Star seasons with the Pistons. Lanier and the Pistons made four straight playoff appearances between 1973 and 1977, the first two appearances were alongside co-star Dave Bing. The Detroit Pistons never made it past the second round in those four seasons.

Lanier’s number 16 is one of 11 players’ numbers the franchise has retired. His number is also retired by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Detroit traded Lanier to the Bucks in 1980. He would spend the next four seasons in Milwaulkee before ultimately retiring at the age of 35.

Lanier was a Hall of Fame player for the Pistons during an era where the team had not seen much success. Detroit was able to put a star on the court for 10 years in the 70s. The team built around him was not able to accomplish anything more than a second-round exit in the playoffs.

Lanier might not have seen the same success as other Pistons greats, but his sheer talent and importance to the franchise put him up there with the likes of Isiah Thomas, Chauncey Billups, and Joe Dumars.