Now we’re at the cream of the crop … sort of.
On Wednesday, I introduced Part 1 of my top 25 countdown of Pistons players from 2000 and beyond, with Nos. 25-15. Today, we finish off the list with the final 14 players.
In case you missed the first part — or couldn’t stomach a trip down memory lane — here is the criteria: To be eligible for consideration, a player must’ve played at least 100 games with Detroit from the 1999-2000 season to now. As far as how I ranked the players, natural ability held weight, but so did importance to the franchise and the ability to properly fill or exceed a role.
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Let’s find out who is No. 1.
14. Rodney Stuckey (2007-14): The middle of the pack was as difficult as the tail end for me. Here, it essentially depends on preference. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was No. 15, has a case to swap with Stuckey, as he was significantly better on the defensive end for the Pistons. I still feel like I slighted Antonio McDyess (No. 18) a bit, so he could easily be in this spot, too. But I went with Stuckey because he was a double-figure scorer in six of his seven seasons in Detroit, primarily off the bench. Stuckey didn’t live up to the unfair expectation put on him to lead the new era of Pistons basketball, but on the right team, I do think he would be remembered more fondly. The dude could score. It wasn’t always efficient, but he had tricks in his bag. I’m expecting this choice to ruffle some feathers, but I honestly struggled with Stuckey’s placement.
13. Greg Monroe (2010-15): If only Monroe had been more mobile and had a consistent jump shot. “Moose” was your prototypical big man, one crafty enough to score on most defenders with an array of post moves and that sweet left hand, but his defensive limitations ultimately made him expendable. It also didn’t help that the team around him during his peak in Detroit featured both Andre Drummond and Josh Smith. One or the other (Drummond) is fine, but two seasons of both … well, we know how that ended. Monroe, though, flirted with a double-double every season outside of his rookie year. Only one other person on this list can say that.
12. Clifford Robinson (2001-03): I personally forgot how solid “Uncle Cliffy” was in his two seasons in Detroit. Robinson was a nice complement to Ben Wallace in the lead-up to the 2004 title, shooting 37.8 percent from 3 in his first season and 33.6 percent the following year on three-plus attempts per game. He was a double-figure scorer in his only two seasons with the Pistons, started 149 games and helped them get to the Eastern Conference semis and finals before he was traded.
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11. Corliss Williamson (2000-04): Williamson’s accolades speak for themselves. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2001-02 season, when he averaged 13.6 points per game. He also was one of the faces of the bench unit that bailed out the starters on a few occasions during Detroit’s championship run in 2004. Williamson’s impact, and ranking, goes beyond the numbers.
10. Reggie Jackson (2014-20): Say what you want about Jackson’s style, but when he was healthy for the majority of a season, the Pistons made the playoffs. When he was hurt, they were picking in the lottery. Jackson is the franchise’s best lead guard since Chauncey Billups (excluding Allen Iverson’s lone year), and he flirted with All-Star consideration during the 2015-16 season, when he averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game. Jackson’s injuries were a big “what if” for Detroit.
9. Tobias Harris (2015-18): Harris was here for just three years, playing only 157 games after being traded from Orlando and before being dealt in the package for Blake Griffin. In that time, though, Harris was a versatile scorer and he helped the Pistons make the playoffs in 2016. He was a knockdown 3-point shooter leading up to the Clippers trade, shooting more than 40 percent on 5.8 attempts in 48 games for the Pistons in the 2017-18 season.
8. Jerry Stackhouse (1997-2002): The youngsters may not know how dominant of a scorer Stackhouse was for the Pistons. He earned his first All-Star appearance during the 1999-2000 season, when he averaged 23.6 points and 4.5 assists. The next year, Stackhouse topped that by leading the NBA in total points scored and fell second to Iverson in the points-per-game scoring title, averaging a career-best 29.8. He scored 21 a night on the Detroit team that made the 2001-02 Eastern Conference semifinals.
7. Andre Drummond (2012-20): As divisive a player as there’s been over the last decade, Drummond turned into one of the NBA’s all-time great rebounders not too long after the Pistons selected him in 2012. Drummond’s a three-time rebounding champion, and he’s averaged a double-double every season excluding his rookie year. A two-time All-Star and 2015-16 All-NBA selection, Drummond made two playoff appearances with Detroit.
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6. Rasheed Wallace (2003-09): The missing piece to Detroit’s 2004 championship, Wallace could be considered the most gifted player on the Pistons’ roster at that time but he did take a bit of a backseat for the betterment of the team. Wallace was a versatile, double-figure scorer who also worked as security to Ben Wallace on the defensive end. Rasheed Wallace made two All-Star teams during his run in Detroit.
5. Blake Griffin (2017-20): I don’t think anyone would argue if I said that Griffin is the most talented basketball player on this list. His high-flying maneuvers with the Clippers made him must-see TV, but he had transformed into a more complete player by the time he got to Detroit. Griffin put together one of the better seasons in franchise history in 2018-19 when he averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting a career-best 36.2 percent from 3 on seven attempts per game. He was one of the 15 best players in the NBA that season, and he willed the Pistons to only their second playoff appearance of the decade. An injury caused by those heroics left him on the sideline for most of this season.
4. Tayshaun Prince (2002-13, 2014-15): No moment may be more iconic in Pistons history than Prince’s chase-down block on Reggie Miller in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals. He was the glue to Detroit’s most memorable run since the “Bad Boys,” and was as durable as any player during the Pistons’ run in the 2000s. Prince was a four-time All-Defensive Team selection and a consistent double-figure scorer for his prime years.
3. Richard “Rip” Hamilton (2002-11): Hamilton was the engine of Detroit’s offense during the glory days, he won the Pistons playoff series and was a three-time All-Star. “The Man in the Mask” was overlooked nationally at a time when the shooting guard position dominated the NBA, but very few have a résumé that comes close. From 2002-10, Hamilton never averaged less than 17 points per game, and he was at his best when his team was one of the best in the NBA.
2. Chauncey Billups (2002-09, 2013-14): In my eyes, only one player could stop Billups short of the No. 1 spot. With the Pistons, Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, an NBA champion, a three-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and a two-time All-Defense choice. Need I say more?
1. Ben Wallace (2000-06, 2009-12): Is Wallace the most talented player on this list? Not at all. Yet he was the heart and soul of an era that was comprised of heart and soul. In Detroit sports history, no one embodied a team or the city like Wallace did. His numbers don’t tell the full story of his impact, and anyone who watched him knows that. He was 6-feet-9, but even those Wallace had to look up to didn’t rebound and swat shots like he did. He’s an NBA champion, a four-time All-Star and one of only two players to win Defensive Player of the Year four times. He also made six All-Defensive teams (five times on the first team), All-NBA five times, and was a two-time rebounding champion and the NBA’s blocks leader in 2002.
Ben Wallace should be in the Hall of Fame.
(Photo of Ben Wallace: Victor Baldizon / NBAE / Getty Images)
James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Previously, he was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. Follow James L. on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII
