10 best duos in Detroit Pistons’ franchise history

10 best duos in Detroit Pistons’ history

#2: Chauncey Billups & Richard Hamilton

Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups was going to be near the top of the list with someone, but it was a difficult choice to make when looking over that “superstarless” championship team of 2004. As you know by now, Ben Wallace did make this list, where he was paired with Rasheed Wallace, but he was almost etched in here – and perhaps, he should have been. With that said, in the end, Richard Rip Hamilton ended up being Chauncey’s partner as the two were the bread and butter of the Goin’ to Work squad.

Rip is one of the greatest off-ball shooters the game has ever seen. While he doesn’t belong in the Reggie Miller/Ray Allen pantheon, he was cut from that cloth, and at his peak a joy to behold. He never stopped moving until he got free for an open look as he ran his defender through the Wallace walls before eventually draining a jumper. His mid-range excellence has come to mind every so often in recent times while watching Cade Cunningham execute. But this bullet point belongs to Rip and Mr. Big Shot.

Chauncey Billups was the leader of that Pistons team. He had the respect of all of his teammates, the knowledge needed to run a championship caliber offense without having a Kobe Bryant-like superstar to bail him out, and the skill to execute it all in the most pressure-packed moments. In fact, Mr. Big Shot drained numerous meaningful shots for the Pistons as they climbed to the top of the NBA mountain. With the game on the line, you wanted Chauncey to have the ball in his hands, and if he did give it up, you hoped he was dishing it to Rip.