The Detroit Pistons have had some great role players over the years to go along with their stars.
The team was known for it in the Bad Boys’ era, as they had a bench full of players who all contributed and knew their roles.
The 2004 title squad exemplified this ethos, as it was a perfectly formed team with everyone in the rotation contributing something and playing their part.
The Pistons have also had great role players who weren’t on the best teams, but either became fan favorites through their toughness, hard work or “wow” factor.
Here are five Detroit Pistons’ role players who range from hard working and high-flying fan favorites to key pieces on great teams.
Detroit Pistons: 5 unforgettable role players
The Fan Favorites
Anthony Tolliver
Few players fit the idea of a “role” player than Anthony Tolliver. He was the type of underdog player that made him popular wherever he went, and he went plenty of places. Tolliver played for 14 teams in his NBA career, including two stints with Detroit.
Tolliver was undrafted out of Creighton, so was immediately an underdog coming into the NBA. But his size, shooting and hustle eventually got him a shot, and Tolliver carved out a nice NBA career for himself as a 3-and-D bench player.
He helped the 2015-16 Pistons to the playoffs and probably had the best season of his career in 2017-18 after returning to the Motor City after a one year stint in Sacramento. Tolliver averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting over 43 percent from 3-point range on just under five attempts per game, shooting numbers Detroit would love coming off their bench now.
He won over fans with hustle and always seemed to make something happen when he came into games. Anthony Tolliver is not a household name but he was a great teammate and an underdog who fans loved to cheer for.
Will Bynum
Will Bynum was another underdog who fans loved to cheer for. He too was undrafted, and the 6-foot point guard bounced in and out of the NBA before finding a home in Detroit for six seasons.
Bynum was never a key cog on a winning team because the teams he was on never won. Bynym played for some woeful teams in one of the low points for the franchise.
But at least he was fun to watch! Bynum had some huge scoring games for the Pistons off the bench and provided highlight reel dunks that gave the fans some reason to watch. Few guys his size regularly dunked on people, but Bynum was not afraid to try and posterize anyone.
I encourage you to go and watch some of Bynum’s dunks, he truly was something else.
He was never on any good teams but his style of play won over fans when there wasn’t much else to get excited about, so for that, I’ll always remember Will Bynum.
Detroit Pistons: 5 unforgettable role players
Key Parts of Title Teams
Corliss Williamson
Big Nasty only played for the Detroit Pistons for four seasons but he made a big impact as a role player. Williamson won 6th Man of the Year for the Pistons in 2001-2, averaging 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds off the bench for a team that won 50 games.
Williamson was a key part of the 2003-4 title team, again providing offense and toughness off the bench. Williamson might best be remembered for the number of fights that he got into, but he was a bucket and could carve teams up in the mid-range and post.
Lindsey Hunter
Hunter is one of my favorite Pistons of all time, a guy who played 12 seasons in Detroit as parts of two different eras.
I always felt Hunter was underrated, as he never made the All-Defensive team even though he was one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the league, a guy with a relentless motor who would hound opposing guards from end-to-end.
Hunter was also a underrated offensive player, as he averaged over 14 points per game in a season and had a four-year stretch for the Detroit where he averaged double digits and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range.
He wasn’t really a role player under he returned to Detroit for the 2003-2008 seasons, when he was more of a defensive specialist and not a guy who took many shots. Hunter would usually be brought in to slow down the other team’s point guard or to try to get in his head, and he was a key player on the 2004 championship team even though he didn’t play big minutes.
Detroit Pistons: 5 unforgettable role players
The Best 6th Man of All Time
Vinnie Johnson
Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson played 10 seasons for the Detroit Pistons, and is not only the team’s greatest 6th Man of all time, but arguably one of the greatest in NBA history.
Johnson was a mid-range bucket back when teams dared to shoot them, a guy who put up double digits off the bench for seven straight seasons in Detroit, including some of the biggest clutch shots in team history as part of two title teams.
One of the more underrated parts of Johnson’s game was his durability, as he played all 82 games seven times for the Pistons. His first season Johnson came over in a trade from Seattle, and in the other two he played 79, and 78 games, so Johnson missed just seven games total in nine full seasons in Detroit.
But Johnson will most be known for his scoring outbursts in the playoffs, including hitting the game winner that clenched the second title.
Johnson set the tone for what a role player can be, showing that you don’t have to be in the starting lineup to be a star.
All of these players were unforgettable in their own way and make up part of the Pistons’ great legacy of role players.