Top 20 Players in Franchise History

This was not one of those things I wanted to be right about. But back in the spring, I predicted that the NBA lockout would engulf the entire season and there would not be basketball for at least a year.

And with the labor situation deteriorating into the land of lawyers, it appears that that just might be the end of this prospective season.

But that doesn't mean we can't talk basketball, and more specifically, the Detroit Pistons.

This is a very storied franchise, although the most interesting chapters have come in the past 30 years.

This is a team that has won three championships, twice thwarting the legendary Lakers, topping icons such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

What is most amazing about this team is the fact that they have done this without the benefit of the tried-and-tired model of building around a superstar. The Pistons have not had luck with superstars, and so have been forced to build true teams.

This franchise resembles the city it represents, and they have a fan base that has been recognized as one of the best in sports.

Here are the top 20 players in team history.

20. Kelly Tripucka

Kelly Tripucka burst on the scene along with Isiah Thomas, and became the team's top scorer.

For each of his five years with Detroit, Tripucka averaged at least 19 points per game, and found a way to score despite not having blazing speed or great size.

Tripucka was a scrapper, and while the team eventually dealt him for Adrian Dantley, Tripucka still remains in the top five in team scoring average per game at 21.6.

19. Jerry Stackhouse

The Jerry Stackhouse era in Detroit was a tough one. He was a part of the team that underachieved during the Grant Hill years, scrapped their way to mediocrity in the aftermath of his departure, and eventually made it to the playoffs during the early days of the Ben Wallace years.

Stackhouse was a very talented scorer that used his ability to create space and get to the hoop to propel the Pistons to unlikely playoff run in 2002.

However, Stackhouse could not get the Pistons over the hump, and eventually his trade for Rip Hamilton did just that.

That being said, Stackhouse did have some great years with Detroit, including the 2001 season when he scored nearly 30 points per game.

He has the third highest point per game total in Pistons history behind only Bob Lanier and Dave Bing.

18. John Long

John Long often gets forgotten when talking about all-time great Pistons, but he shouldn't.

Long is in the top 10 among team leaders in points, steals and games played.

He was in many ways a Detroit institution, coming out of Romulus, attending Detroit-Mercy and getting drafted by the Pistons in the second round.

He played parts of 10 seasons with Detroit in three different stints, and had a career best season in 1982 when he averaged 22 points per game.

An all-around offensive threat, Long retired from basketball in 1997 with Toronto at the ripe old age of 40 after a comeback from a six-year hiatus.

17. Rasheed Wallace

When Detroit added Rasheed Wallace in 2004, he was the missing piece that put them over the top.

Fans loved his talent, but hated his tendency to turn it on and off when the mood arose.

That being said, he was arguably the most talented power forward to ever play for Detroit. His jump shot was un-blockable, he could intimidate with his mouth and his length, and he was a low post scorer unlike anyone that Detroit had seen in years.

Rasheed departed in shame, but left his mark on the record books where he remains in the top 10 in team blocks and defensive rebounds.

16. Lindsey Hunter

The best on-the-ball defender since Joe Dumars, Hunter's career in Detroit got off to a rocky start. Pegged as Isiah Thomas' successor at point guard, Hunter never really found his niche at that position.

Instead, he developed into a very good complimentary player alongside Grant Hill and Joe Dumars before moving on to other stops in Toronto and Milwaukee.

Eventually, Hunter found his way back to Detroit and provided stellar defense in helping the Pistons win it all in 2004.

In many ways, Hunter's return to Detroit excorcised his demons and Thomas' heir to the point guard throne, and immortalized himself as a Pistons great.

15. Dave DeBusschere

Though known mostly for his days in New York, DeBusschere was actually quite a Detroit product.

Raised in Detroit, he attended Detroit-Mercy and was a territorial draft pick by Detroit (for a very short period of time, teams were allowed to draft players that were from their region and were essentially entitled to those players).

DeBusschere was most famous for being the youngest player/coach in NBA history.

Eventually he moved on to New York where he was a champion, but he still is in the top 10 in Detroit history in total rebounds and rebounds per game.

A gritty competitor, he was nicknamed the "big d" for his defensive intensity.

14. Ray Scott

Before Ben Wallace and Dennis Rodman, Ray Scott was the undersized big man that roamed the paint for Detroit.

Blessed with exceptional athletic ability, Scott still is in the top 10 in franchise history in rebounds and rebounds per game.

He averaged a double-double in his first three seasons, topping out with nearly 18 points and 14 rebounds per game in 1964.

13. Grant Hill

Grant Hill was an interesting player to sum up in Detroit.

He was one of the top three players in the game, yet was never truly embraced by fans in Detroit.

He was labeled as soft, too nice, and did not accurately represent what most Pistons fans wanted in their team.

That being said, he is fifth all time in defensive rebounds, fifth in assists, seventh in steals and eighth among scoring leaders in team history.

Hill often gets overlooked by Pistons fans because he played during a very forgettable era of Pistons basketball, as well as for the way that he left the team.

But if you are honest with yourself, Hill is obviously one of the top 20 players to ever wear the Pistons jersey.

12. George Yardley

Obviously, I never saw Yardley play. He was the best player on the Fort Wayne Pistons that later relocated to Detroit during the 1950's.

But he was a Hall of Famer and he did average over 27 points per game in 1958 which led the NBA. That's really all I've got. Great talent during a slow time in basketball in Detroit.

11. Tayshaun Prince

Tayshaun Prince was an unlikely star with Detroit.

When he was drafted out of Kentucky, few thought that his frame would hold up to the riggers of the NBA game.

Boy were his critics wrong.

Prince went on to become one of the most durable players in NBA history, and his offensive and defensive game made him a fan favorite.

Prince is a free agent and could easily depart. If and when he does, he will leave a lasting legacy in Detroit.

He is in the top 10 in points, blocks and offensive and defensive rebounds.

10. Vinnie Johnson

For nearly the entire decade of the 1980's, few people personified instant offense like Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson.

Known for his muscular frame and the ability to jack knife through the lane, Johnson hit perhaps the most iconic shot in team history when he sunk the Portland Trail Blazers with 0.07 seconds left in 1990 to lead the Pistons to their second title.

Johnson still ranks in the top 10 in team history in points, steals, assists and offensive rebounds.

9. Richard Hamilton

It is starting to become easier to forget that Rip Hamilton was such an instrumental part of so many great Pistons teams as his recent behavior and play is making fans want to run him out of town.

But Hamilton has perhaps the greatest mid-range scoring game in Pistons history and has hit countless big shots in his career.

His place is secure on the all-time Pistons lists, where he fits in the top 10 in points and assists.

8. Dennis Rodman

Before the wedding gown spectacles, the marriage to Carmen Electra, and the myriad brushes with the law, Dennis Rodman was simply "the worm" in Detroit.

A player that brought energy and enthusiasm, not to mention an Energizer Bunny-like ability to never quit, Rodman was one of the key cogs in a team that won two titles.

As his game progressed, he turned into one of the league's all-time great rebounders, especially on the offensive end.

What is lost on many people that get caught up in his antics is the fact that few players were as smart on the court, or as generous off it. I have plenty of stories I have heard from people in-and-around Detroit about how great Dennis was with their kids and their families, and more than a couple folks will tell you that he was all class.

Rodman trails only Bill Laimbeer on the Pistons all-time list of offensive rebounders and is in the top five in overall rebounds.

7. Bob Lanier

Without a doubt the greatest big man to ever play for Detroit, Bob Lanier was the first overall pick by Detroit in 1970.

Throughout his career, he played for mediocre Detroit teams that never really won anything.

That being said, it was not his failure as he paced the team in scoring and rebounding throughout his time with the team.

All being said and done, he still is the team's all time leader in points per game, rebounds per game, and is second in blocks per game.

A classy ambassador for the game, Lanier was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame.

6. Bill Laimbeer

Through the years, few players have been more vilified than Bill Laimbeer. And with good reason, as few players played with the same ferocity and determination as the Pistons big man.

However, what is lost on many people is the fact that Laimbeer actually was a great player. He led the league in rebounding, had a killer perimeter jump shot, and was one of the best outlet passers of his generation.

Laimbeer is the Pistons all-time leading rebounder and is in the top 10 in blocks, points, assists and steals.

5. Dave Bing

Dave Bing attacked the game of basketball with a sense of style and grace not often seen prior or since. 

Known for his feathery touch and fantastic court vision, Bing is still in the top five in both points and assists in team history, and trails only Lanier in points per game for his career.

Bing has continued his contribution to Detroit since retiring, developing many businesses and even becoming mayor of Detroit.

4. Chauncey Billups

The Detroit Pistons have had a great history of legendary point guards. Dave Bing was the standard of the 70's, Isiah Thomas was the man in the 80's, and after a decade of stagnant play, Chauncey Billups stepped into play in the 2000's.

Though not nearly as quick as his predecessors, Billups possessed unequal range and a sense of control that made fans always feel comfortable.

Nicknamed "Mr. Big Shot" for his tendency to hit the clinching daggers, Billups went from a lottery bust that bounced from place to place to the team captain for a Pistons team that recaptured glory in 2004.

Billups is in the top five in all-time in assists and is the Pistons all-time leader in free throw percentage.

3. Ben Wallace

In a lot of ways, Ben Wallace re-awoken Detroit to basketball in the 2000's.

A throw-in during the Grant Hill sign and trade with Orlando, Wallace immediately made his presence known in the paint on defense, and became the driving force behind the Pistons renaissance.

Wallace embodied Detroit's persona as an underdog that out works its opponents, and spearheaded a defense that set all kinds of records during their title run in 2004.

Wallace is the team's all time leader in blocks, and is in the top five in steals and rebounds.

2. Joe Dumars

The greatest perimeter defender in team history, Joe Dumars was instrumental in helping the Pistons win two titles as a player, and built the team that won the third team title.

Dumars was best known for his quiet demeanor and rainbow three point shots. Few could play as tough defense as Dumars, prompting Michael Jordan to call him the best defender he ever played against.

Dumars was the NBA Finals MVP in 1989 and has the second highest total of all Pistons in points, assists and steals.

1. Isiah Thomas

For my money, Isiah Thomas was the greatest little man to ever play the game.

His ability to take over games despite being only six-feet-tall was legendary, and his fire and determination inspired his entire team to achieve. He was simply a cult of personality.

The tales of Isiah are legendary. There was the time he scored 16 points in just over 90 seconds against the Knicks in the playoffs. There was the time he went toe-to-toe with seven-footer Bill Cartwright.

But for me, the single greatest moment of his career was a loss. Playing on a severely sprained ankle, Thomas scored 43 points against the Lakers in the 1988 Finals, including 25 points in the third quarter. That was the first game that I remember watching as a kid, and it was a game that brought tears to my eyes and made me a believer in Detroit Pistons basketball.

The Pistons lost that game and that series, but they had me forever as a fan from that day forward.

Thomas is the Pistons all-time leader in points, assists and steals.