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Detroit Pistons all-time roster: The best players in franchise history

By Zac Snyder

Feb 26, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; The jerseys of Detroit Pistons former players Ben Wallace and Chauncy Billups hang from the rafters before the game against the Boston Celtics at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; The jerseys of Detroit Pistons former players Ben Wallace and Chauncy Billups hang from the rafters before the game against the Boston Celtics at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Pistons
Sep 10, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils former basketball player Grant Hill is introduced during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wallace Wade Stadium. Wake defeated Duke 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

Small Forward: Grant Hill

Grant Hill arrived in Detroit for the 1994-95 season carrying all the expectations of a number three overall pick. Hill, a four-year starter at Duke, scored nearly 2,000 points in his collegiate career, reached three Final Fours, and won two national championships. He had an unquestioned championship pedigree, something the franchise needed after bottoming out following the Bad Boys era.

Hill couldn’t single-handedly change the fortunes of the franchise but he did live up to the hype very quickly. He was the co-Rookie of the Year with Jason Kidd and made the first of his five All-Star teams as a member of the Pistons right out of the gate. The team only improved from 20 wins to 28 wins in Hills rookie year but his presence gave hope for the future.

The Hill-led Pistons managed to return to some semblance of relevance in the NBA’s Eastern Conference but ultimately didn’t have enough total talent to get over the hump. The Pistons made the playoffs four times in Hill’s six seasons in Detroit but could not advance past the first round.

This era of Pistons basketball will likely be remembered as a disappointment and that will unfortunately diminish how Hill is remembered in Detroit. He turned out not to be a one-man savior of a franchise and his run in Detroit wasn’t as long as everyone would have hoped on draft day.

However, Hill played the best basketball of his career in Detroit and was a triple-double threat on a near nightly basis, averaging 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game as a Piston. He still ranks in the Pistons’ top ten in several statistical categories, including field goals (tenth), free throws (fifth), assists (fifth), steals (seventh) and points scored (ninth).

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