For Better or Worse: The Most Memorable Draft Moments in Pistons History

There is nothing more simple, yet complicated, in the world of sports than the annual player draft. A franchise can make or break themselves for years to come with the selection of one pick.

The Detroit Pistons have been on both ends of that spectrum. From Isiah Thomas to Darko Milicic, we examine the five Pistons draft day moments that shaped the franchise for better or worse.

Best Pick: Isiah Thomas (1981, No. 2 Overall)

Without a doubt, the greatest player in the history of the franchise. Isiah Thomas was one of the premier point guards of all-time.

Coming off a National Championship at Indiana in just his sophomore year, Thomas decided to take off for greener pastures in the NBA. The league took notice when the little big man started making other players look silly on the basketball court.

He was the engineer of the "Bad Boy" Pistons of the late 80s and early 90s. You rarely saw him throwing down with opposing players, and that was because he was the quiet ring leader. He had his minions (Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn) do the dirty work for him.

Thomas had an edge about him. It was an edge the city of Detroit could identify with. He wasn't going to take flack from anyone. He led his Pistons to back to back championships, and was the captain of the team for over a decade. All he wanted to do was win. 

"Zeke," as he was commonly known, was a different breed of basketball player. But he was a different breed that was amazing to watch. Memories of a hobbled Thomas from Game Six of the 1988 NBA Finals stick out in my mind when I think of this man. He didn't mind putting other people on his shoulders when need be. His will, his smile, and his pure grit and determination led to him becoming the greatest Detroit Piston of all-time.

Biggest Steal: Joe Dumars (1985, No. 18 Overall)

I had someone else in mind for this title when I first started to sit down and hammer out this editorial. But then I thought about it a little more, and I realized that the pick of Joe Dumars with the 18th overall selection may have paid just as big of dividends for this franchise as Thomas.

Dumars came from a small school, and flew under the radar entering the NBA Draft. But it was the pairing of him with Thomas in the Pistons backcourt that would lead the team to consecutive NBA Championships. 

The clutch shooting and lock-down defense Dumars displayed on the court was thing of beauty, and a coach's dream. There wasn't much this guy could not do. Til' this day, Michael Jordan will tell anyone the hardest time he ever had on a basketball court was when he was matched up with Dumars.

The soft-spoken Pistons guard was featured on the cover of a 1989 Sports Illustrated issue, with the headline reading, "Can Any Stop Michael? Of Course Not, but Joe Dumars and the Pistons Come Closest."

• Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next

The best Pistons newsletter on the web