The Detroit Pistons’ All-Time Team will be honored in a special pregame ceremony on April 8 versus the New York Knicks. A special one-hour tribute to the all-time team will be aired on TV20 one hour prior to the 8 p.m. tipoff, with the live announcement of the team commencing at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony can also be heard on Sports Radio 1130 WDFN. The Pistons will honor their all-time team at the ceremony, until then Pistons.com has decided to release some all-time teams of its own. New lists will be added leading up to the ceremony, so be sure to check back on Pistons.com.
NCAA Tournament MOP Team (posted 4/7/08)With the NCAA men’s basketball championship game being held in San Antonio tonight, Pistons.com is proud to present the 10 former Pistons who were also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.
All-Mustache Team (posted 4/4/08)You've probably seen their pictures at one point or another during our 50 Seasons Celebration (Well, maybe not Gus Gerard, who played just 59 games in Detroit. We stumbled upon his photo while searching for Don Adams and he earned an instant invite to the team.) and remarked on their impeccable grooming habits. Now we've gone ahead and placed the best in one central location for all to see. Even though the Buddha's facial hair is more than just a mustache (hair grown strictly on the upper lip), we couldn't bear excluding him from the All-Mustache Team on a technicality.
All-Starbucks Team (posted 4/2/08)Their stay with the Pistons lasted about as long as a cup of coffee (less than 10 games) but had a name sweeter than a honey latte. That’s all it took to make Pistons.com’s All-Starbucks Team. The players in both of today's categories were here for such a short time, that most of them didn't even get a photo taken of them in a Pistons jersey.
The Ron Behagen All-Stars (posted 4/2/08)The Detroit Pistons toiled through a 30-52 campaign in 1978-79. At some point in the season, a sixth-year vet named Ron Behagen entered a game in a Pistons jersey. He played one minute, according to the Pistons media guide, which was plenty of time for him to commit a personal foul and a turnover. He never stepped foot on a court as a Piston again. (But he did step on the neck and face of an opponent while playing at the University of Minnesota, making us wonder if he could have made the team under Jack McCloskey or Joe Dumars.)
Turns out, Behegan was a solid pro, averaging 10.3 points per game over 496 career games. In honor of those Pistons who, like Behagen, offered dubious contributions to the franchise (either appearing in only one game or never scoring) Pistons.com is proud to present the Ron Behagen All-Stars.
Lindsey Hunter All-Stars (posted 3/31/08)Mike DeArmond of Minneapolis coined the term “Lindsey Hunter All-Stars” when he wrote to popular ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, who included the email (and added a few names of his own) in his Aug. 10, 2007 mailbag column. The concept was simple: professional athletes with names that also sound like attractive women. Proud to call Lindsey one of our own, Pistons.com has released an all-Pistons roster of “Lindsey Hunter All-Stars.” With due respect to Corey Beck (8 games), Sidney Lowe (6) and Tracy Moore (3), all members played at least 50 games as a Piston.
All-Broadcast Team (posted 3/28/08)Chris Webber made a guest appearance on the popular TNT NBA Thursday program Thursday (March 27) night, filling in for Kenny Smith. With one former Piston subbing for another (Smith played nine games in 1996-97), Pistons.com thought it should announce the All-Broadcast Team. It’s awesome, baby!
High Socks Team (posted 3/26/08)It was once the prevalent look of the NBA player, as standard to the uniform as sneakers, short shorts and sleeveless jerseys. Recently, only a few players around the league fashioned high socks on a regular basis. A few of them happened to be Pistons. Click on the thumbnails below to view the full image.
The Jim Rowinski All-Stars (posted 3/24/08)Jim Rowinski, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward, played only six games with the Pistons during the 1989 championship season. Finding photos of Rowinski and his masterful physique proved difficult. But Pistons.com reader Dave Conley from Nashua, N.H., insists that Rowinski “had the most implausibly bulked-up biceps ever seen on a basketball court!”
You’re right, Dave. To be true to the All-Chiseled Team and the 23-game NBA veteran, Pistons.com (and Dave) would like to re-present the Jim Rowinski All-Stars.
All-Teal Team (posted 3/22/08)The All-Teal team is comprised of those players who proudly wore the Pistons colors exclusively between the 1996-97 and 2000-01 seasons … when they weren’t really the Pistons colors. Rarely has a team’s uniform been so closely identified with its rebuilding effort. Far removed from the Bad Boys, the late ‘90s Pistons were searching for a new identity - and discovered teal, yellow and maroon were not it. By the time the Pistons returned to classic red, white and blue in 2001-02, the pieces were in place for the Pistons to rejoin the NBA’s elite. Until then, it was up to them: the All-Teal team, who, like the color scheme, were disappointing in the end.
Head coach: Alvin Gentry (1997-00)Gentry was head coach for parts of three seasons, and never once coached a full 82 games. He both took over (for Doug Collins) and was replaced (by George Irvine) during the season. His only “full” campaign came in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, when he led the Pistons to a 29-21 mark. He was 73-72 overall.
Power Forward: Christian Laettner (1998-00)After wearing out his welcome in Minnesota and Atlanta and his productivity beginning to decline, Laettner joined the Pistons in a midseason deal in 1998-99. The next season he started all 82 games, averaging 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds, and Detroit went 42-40. Then he was dealt to Dallas in a deal for Cedric Ceballos.
Center: Bison Dele (1997-99)Brian Williams arrived in Detroit as the team’s big free-agent signing in the summer of 1997, becoming the team’s highest paid player despite holding out most of the prior season. He had a career year in 1997-98, but the Pistons were 37-45. Then he changed his name to Bison Dele, his stats dipped and he was outplayed in a first-round playoff defeat. Dele then walked away from the Pistons, his contract and the NBA. His brother allegedly murdered him while the two sailed in the South Pacific; Dele’s body has never been found.
Small Forward: Malik Sealy (1997-98)After two disappointing seasons with the Pacers, Sealy rediscovered his game with the L.A. Clippers. The athletic, 6-foot-8, 200-pound swingman was coming off his first 1,000-point season in 1996-97, making him an attractive free-agent signing to go with Williams. But Sealy reverted to Indiana form with Detroit, shooting 22.6 percent from 3-point range and averaging 7.7 points in 1997-98. The Pistons acquired swingman Jerry Stackhouse in December, and Sealy found himself out of the rotation until he was released the following January. He died in a car accident while playing for Minnesota.
Shooting Guard: Aaron McKie (1996-98)Guard Stacey Augmon lasted just six months (20 games) in Pistons’ teal before being dealt to Portland for McKie and a couple of players. The third-year guard stayed not much longer than Augmon, a total of 66 games in which he averaged 5.6 points. He was traded to the 76ers in the Stackhouse deal and stayed with Philadelphia for seven seasons, helping them make a Finals appearance in 2001.
Point Guard: Mateen Cleaves (2000-01)It worked for the Lakers in 1979, why not in 2001? Cleaves - a charismatic floor leader who had just led Michigan State to the NCAA championship - was no Magic Johnson, but he appeared to have all the intangibles of a great player. The Pistons drafted him in the first round, to the local fans’ delight. But after a one nondescript season - 5.4 points and 2.6 assists in 78 games - Cleaves was traded to Sacramento for guard Jon Barry and a future first-rounder.
Sixth Man: Jerome Williams (1996-01)As the sole member of this team to play in every season of the Teal era, Williams earns the team captaincy. The 1996 first round draft pick played with passion and improved almost every season, making the “Junk Yard Dog” a fan favorite. But his offensive limitations made him expendable following the arrival of another scrappy undersized forward, Ben Wallace. He was traded for Corliss Williamson in 2000-01.
NCAA Coaches Team (posted 3/21/08)In the spirit of March Madness, Pistons.com has released its list of former Pistons who might not have been great when they were here - only one played here in his prime - but they turned out to be pretty good with college kids and clipboards.
Head coach: Larry Brown (2003-05)When Brown led the Pistons to the NBA championship in 2004, he became the first coach to win both NBA and NCAA titles. He also led Danny Manning (below) and Kansas to the 1988 Final Four, where they won it all. Brown spent five years at Kansas (1983-88), making it his second longest tenure at any job during his Hall of Fame career. Brown had another high profile college gig before the first of several NBA engagements: the UCLA Bruins from 1979-81.
Johnny Dawkins (1994-95)Like two other players on this list, Dawkins’ solid NBA career ended after a one-season cameo with the Pistons. He wrapped up nine NBA seasons by playing 50 games for a 28-win squad. One of the greatest guards ever to come out of Duke, Dawkins has been on Coach K’s staff for 11 seasons, and has been associate head coach since 1998-99. Under Krzyzewski, Dawkins has helped Duke win the 2001 NCAA title and six ACC regular-season crowns.
Sidney Lowe (1984-85, 2005-06)Lowe’s NBA career consisted of 193 games over four seasons and a three-year hiatus in the CBA, making his four points in six games for the Pistons during the 1984-85 season just another chance to stay in the league. He made it by becoming a respected assistant coach, which brought him back to Detroit for the 2006-07 season. Lowe left the Pistons after one year to take over at his alma mater, North Carolina State. As a head coach Lowe is known more for his wardrobe of bright red suits than his bench success. The Wolfpack have not made the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons.
Danny Manning (2002-03)Named the national player of the year by several organizations in 1988, Manning was an unstoppable force in leading the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA championship. Manning’s successful 15-year NBA career concluded with a 13-game stint in Detroit during the 2002-03 season. He then returned to his alma mater to handle basketball operations. Jayhawks head coach Bill Self promoted Manning to assistant coach this season, and KU is primed for another NCAA title run.
Lorenzo Romar (1984-85)A productive player for Golden State for three and a half seasons, Romar’s brief NBA career ended in Detroit, where he had 10 assists and seven points in five games. After head coaching stops at Pepperdine and Saint Louis, Romar built the University of Washington into a surprising basketball power in the Pac 10. Before missing this season’s NCAA Tournament, Romar guided the Huskies to three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances from 2005-07. UW had not even made it two years in a row prior to Romar’s arrival.
Al Skinner (1977-78)Skinner averaged 7.9 points in his only season with the Pistons. The 6-foot-3 forward from UMass lasted five seasons as a pro in the NBA and ABA, but found real longevity on the bench. He just completed his 20th as a Division I coach, the last 11 at Boston College, where he is the alltime wins leader. He’s led the Eagles to six of the last eight NCAA Tournaments.
Corliss Williamson (2000-04)Williamson, the only Piston to be named NBA Sixth Man of the Year, retired before the 2007-08 season. Instead of suiting up for a 13th NBA season, the former University of Arkansas Razorback and 1994 NCAA champion joined the coaching staff at Arkansas Baptist College. The historically black liberal arts college is a member of the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA).