Pistons Draft History: Best And Worst Picks
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
"Drafts are fun because they're all about possibility and they're all about the kids," said Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy, in his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
In some cases, the possibility yields promise and the kids become stars. In others, the possibility rings hollow and the kids are forgotten. With the Pistons holding the 18th overall pick in Thursday night's NBA draft, either scenario is, well, a possibility.
In this light, let's take a look back at some of the best and worst draft picks in Pistons history. We'll rank the top three first, and then temper expectations by closing with the bottom three. At no time, after all, is it more important to temper expectations than when projecting the futures of teenage athletes.
Quick note: players who met their pre-draft expectations, either high or low, won't be considered for this list. We're looking for guys who achieved far more or far less than was expected based on where they were chosen.
The Three Best
1. Joe Dumars, 1985, first round, 18th overall
Might the Pistons find another diamond in the rough with the 18th pick? If Dumars is the shiny standard, it'll be difficult to fulfill.
The shooting guard out of McNeese State claimed a starting role in his 1985-86 rookie season and never looked back. Over a 14-year NBA career, spent exclusively with the Pistons, Dumars averaged 16.1 points per game and forged a reputation as one of the best defenders in the game. He made five All-Star teams and was a first-team all-defense honoree four times.
Dumar's greatest moment came in the 1988-89 Finals, when he was named series MVP. In a four-game sweep of the Lakers, Dumars posted 27.5 points and 6 assists per game. He was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
2. Dennis Rodman, 1986, second round, 27th overall
Another small-college player viewed with the requisite skepticism, Rodman won over Pistons fans with his insatiable rebounding and ferocious defense. He was mostly a reserve on Detroit's back-to-back championship teams of 1989 and 1990, but the untiring Rodman was always ready to go: over the course of five seasons from 1987-88 to 1991-92, he didn't miss a single game.
Rodman was traded to the Spurs after the 1992-93 season, but not before being named a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (1989-90, 1990-91), playing in two All-Star Games (1990, 1992) and twice leading the league in rebounds (1991-92 and 1992-93.) The Worm, as he lovingly became known, isn't solely defined by his time as a Piston – oh, quite hardly – but he made quite the mark in Detroit just the same.
3. Tayshaun Prince, 2002, first round, 23rd overall
Despite playing his college ball at Kentucky, Prince was doubted as an NBA player due to his slim frame. But his slenderness was offset by his length and a smooth shooting stroke, allowing Prince to carve out a 14-year career that continues to this day.
Prince played 11 seasons with the Pistons, compiling a streak of 496 consecutive games played from 2003 to 2009. During that span, he was named to four All-Defensive second teams and helped the Pistons win a championship in 2004. It bears mentioning that Prince was the only significant contributor on that title-wining team who was drafted by the Pistons (a lesser case to be made here for Mehmet Okur.)
The Three Worst
1. Darko Milicic, 2003, first round, 2nd overall
Milicic isn't just one of the worst draft picks in Pistons' history; he's one of the worst draft picks of all time. Thought to be a future superstar, Milicic rode the pine in Detroit under Larry Brown and Flip Saunders before being traded to the Magic midway through the 2005-06 season. He averaged less than seven minutes and two points per game as a Piston.
But he was part of the 2003-04 championship team, so…hooray?
2. Rodney White, 2001, first round, 9th overall
Taken out of UNC-Charlotte, White played a total of 16 games for the Pistons – none of which he started – averaging 3.5 points and one rebound. He was traded before the 2002-03 season to the Nuggets in exchange for (among other things) a first-round pick in the 2004 draft, which the Pistons then traded as part of a deal for Rasheed Wallace, who ultimately helped Detroit win a championship later that season. So, in a roundabout way, White was an indispensable piece to the Pistons' most recent NBA title.
White's career came to an end after the 2004-05 season. He was arrested in 2011 for growing marijuana.
3. Roy Hamilton, 1979, first round, 10th overall
A point guard out of UCLA, Hamilton entered the NBA with high expectations. He lasted a total of two years, only one of which was spent in Detroit. With the Pistons, he averaged 4.6 and 2.7 assists per game before being waived prior to the 1980-81 season.