Detroit Pistons: Top 5 small forwards in franchise history
Detroit Pistons top small forwards #4: Kelly Tripucka
Kelly Tripucka was drafted at 12th in the 1981 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, which was one of the best drafts in team history. In his debut season he quickly emerged as one the games best small forwards. His first season he averaged 21.6 points 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists starting all 82 games for the Pistons.
In the Eastern Conference with small forwards like Larry Bird, and Julius Erving he made the All star game as rookie. This has only been done 16 times in the history of basketball, putting him with such players such as Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael Jordan to name a few. Tripuka and Isiah Thomas became the first teammates to accomplish this since Bob Pettit and Frank Selvy who did it in 1955 with the Milwaukee Hawks.
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These two instantly formed a vicious duo, with Tripucka’s shooting touch and Thomas’s ability to get to the basket. Most fans saw them as a match made in heaven and their production validated it. Kelly was a flat-out scoring machine with the Pistons, setting records along the way. He broke the Pistons’ rookie record for points in a game, scoring 49 points against the Warriors which still stands today.
He’s in the Pistons record books and NBA record books as well. Tripucka in 1983 participated in the highest scoring game in league history. On this night he helped lead his team to a 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Scoring 35 points in a wild game that had three players with 40+ points and Kiki Vandeweghe leading all scorers with 51 points. This wasn’t the only record setting night that season.
January 29th, he scorched the Chicago Bulls for a franchise record 56 points, breaking the previous record held by Dave Bing. He shot a miraculous 18/26 from the floor and made 20/22 free throws. This record held up for eighteen seasons until it was broken by Jerry Stackhouse. Ironically he broke the record against the Bulls, as did his predecessors.
Although he was only a Piston for less than five years, Tripucka made his mark on the organization. His scoring prowess and the way he helped change the culture of the team is why he’s on this list.