Top 4 debuts for the Detroit Pistons: Can Ausar Thompson join them?

Which Detroit Pistons have had the greatest debut performances?

4. Bob Lanier (Rookie – 1970) – 22 points, 1 assists, 6 rebounds

Starting off a trend of highly rated draft picks starring in their debut, Bob Lanier excelled in his first game for Detroit. The Pistons selected Lanier 1st overall in 1970 and the big man would become a mainstay in Detroit for the next decade. During his rookie debut, Lanier put fans and the league on notice with 22 points and six rebounds, both good for team highs second only to Dave Bing and Steve Mix. Bob would go on to be an amazing representative for the city of Detroit and continue the success from his debut game. He would be named to eight NBA All-Star games, seven of which came during his time in the Motor City.

3. Blake Griffin (2018) – 24 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks

While not a rookie for Detroit, Blake Griffin was a trade deadline deal that was expected to ignite a middling Detroit Pistons roster. After a below-average first half of the season, sitting at 22-26 and ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, Detroit made a win-now decision to acquire the superstar. Even if the final result of the trade would prove to be disastrous, Griffin did exactly what was expected during his first game in Detroit. Griffin scored a team-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Finishing with a plus/minus of 23, Griffin willed Detroit to a win in his first game as a Piston, 104-102 over the Memphis Grizzles. On top of his box score performance, Blake had fans at LCA on their feet repeatedly with his electric dunking, something that sadly wouldn’t last here in Detroit.