The greatest Detroit Pistons of all time by height
Detroit Pistons: Greatest player at each height
6’11”
Bill Laimbeer
Let’s start with Andre Drummond as he is the last Piston, other than Cade Cunningham, around whom the franchise was built. We felt lucky when he slid to us in the draft, and we got excited when we saw him rip down rebounds. But the team never won much with him in the middle. John Salley and Mehmet Okur are both champions, and both had important roles off the bench in their respective heydays. Yet, neither one was as talented as the next two people we have to take a look at: Bill Laimbeer and Rasheed Wallace.
Which of these two gets the nod ultimately goes back to the question itself, as the details truly matter. Wallace was the most gifted of the bunch. He was ahead of his time and would have thrived in today’s game. Imagine him on the floor as a 4 or a 5 with the current roster. He would be dominant. No disrespect to Jalen Duren, James Wiseman, Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Stewart or Bojan Bogdanovic, but ‘Sheed would overshadow them all.
On the other hand, Laimbeer might not thrive in quite the same way.
Was Gilbert Arenas right about Bill Laimbeer?. light. Related Story
Yet, this goes back to deciding who is the greatest PISTON of all time as categorized by height. Wallace spent six seasons in Detroit, averaging 13.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and won one championship. Laimbeer played 13 seasons for the Pistons, averaged 13.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and won two championships. I love ‘Sheed but in my mind the case is clear: Bill Laimbeer is the best 6’11” Piston of all-time.
However, for you Rasheed fans out there, some sites list him at 6’10”, which means stacking him up against Bob Lanier. I’d love to hear from you in the comments as to whether or not Wallace would get the nod if he were reclassified at 6’10”.