Since 2004 (the first NBA Summer League season) the Detroit Pistons have a record of 665-769. In the Summer League, they haven’t exactly dazzled.
Like most Summer League talent, being the best player over the short offseason stretch doesn’t always guarantee NBA success, although it can be a good indicator of whether a player is in fact league ready.
With a very limited sample size of around four games per season, I have compiled a list of the Pistons’ five best players ever to hit the Summer League. Some names are forgettable, and some actually turned into NBA stars, so the litmus test of the Summer League is wildly inconsistent.
As the Detroit Pistons forge ahead into Summer League 2022, maybe a player will break out and throw his hat into the consideration of “greatest Detroit Summer League player ever,” which is an honor to some, and a laughable title to most.
This summer, the Pistons will play four games agusnst Portland, Washington, Indiana, and Cleveland. None of these teams have the most hyped rookies, so all eyes should be on Jaden Ivey unless Shaedon Sharpe shows out, which he didn’t, leaving the game after only six minutes with a shoulder injury, which is unfortunate.
Cade Cunningham will not return to the Vegas league this summer, as he already proved himself last year and does not need to start another season bothered by an injury. With some basketball to look forward to, let’s head back and look at the best Detroit Pistons to ever play in the Summer League.