The greatest Detroit Pistons of all time by height

Detroit Pistons: Greatest player at each height

7’1”

James Edwards

Do not underestimate James Edwards. For those who don’t know, the Pistons had a difficult choice in the immediate aftermath of winning their first championship in 1989. See, the NBA was welcoming in the Minnesota Timberwolves, which meant conducting an expansion draft. That required the newly crowned champions to leave some players exposed and led to some heart-wrenching moments for all involved. Jack McCloskey, who was then the team’s General Manager, opted to protect James Edwards (and Vinnie Johnson) which meant, essentially, handing Rick Mahorn over to the NBA’s newest team.

What that goes to show, among other things, is how truly valuable James Edwards was to the Pistons. He may not have made a lot of money, nor played a lot of minutes, but that’s because he – like many of his teammates – sacrificed for the greater good. Edwards, who averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds a game during his four seasons with the team. Not bad numbers for someone who barely averaged 20 minutes a game. He was a fantastic backup to Bill Laimbeer in an era when low-post scoring was at a premium. It hurt to let Mahorn, arguably the baddest of the Bad Boys, get taken away by the Timberwolves, but that it happened serves as a testament to Edwards’ value. He is, after all, the greatest Piston ever who measured 7 feet and an inch tall.