We’re continuing with the selection of my all-time Detroit Pistons team. If you want to read my thoughts on the other positions, Check out these editorials below.
This editorial focuses on the Power Forward position. Of all the positions, I can say the power forward for the Pistons has left a lot to be desired. Some guys here could’ve been all-time greats if the organization had stayed the course.
Tobias Harris was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Pistons for Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings on February 16, 2016. In the 25 games he played for the Pistons that season, He averaged 16.6 PTS and 6.2 REBS. This was the year the team also made the playoffs and was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The following season, Harris alternated between starting and coming off the bench. Despite the inconsistencies, Harris still averaged 16.1 PTS. During the 17-18 season, Harris finally came into his own until he was traded to the Clippers for Blake Griffin.
With new rumors circulating that the Pistons would be interested in re-acquiring Harris this season, It makes you wonder WHY THEY TRADED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE?!? This piece will have a lot of what-ifs when it comes to the players I will be talking about. Let’s get on the list.
Honorable Mention: Rick Mahorn.
Rick Mahorn’s numbers don’t scream all-time significant consideration. But his presence and impact on the Pistons during the 80’s is what has them on this list. It all started at Hampton University, which is an NAIA school. Mahorn was a three-time all-American at the university. When he left in 1980, he owned 18 school records.
Despite his collegiate success, Mahorn was selected in the 2nd round with the 35th pick by the Washington Bullets. His rookie year wasn’t anything to write home about, averaging just 4.8 PTS, but his other four years in Washington saw Mahorn average 9.6 PTS & 8.8 REBS. The numbers weren’t good enough for the Bullets to see him in their long-term plan, so they traded him to the Detroit Pistons.
Not Wanting To Be In Detroit.
When the trade was made, Rick Mahorn was adamant about not wanting to play for the Pistons. Mahorn went as far as to come to training camp that season out of shape. All of that changed when he became good friends with Bill Laimbeer. Laimbeer had taken the role of team leader, and he wasn’t afraid to let people know something about themselves. With a newfound love for the team, Mahorn began to produce.
His first two seasons saw him come off the bench, but he was putting in work, considering the minutes he was getting. He averaged five points and five rebounds in about 18 minutes per game. During the 87-88 season, Mahorn became a starter for the Pistons, and I genuinely believe that’s when the “bad boy” Pistons were born. With Mahorn in the lineup, Driving to the paint was a business decision you had to make. If you chose to go, You were getting put on your backside.
The Face Of The Bad Boys.
After winning the first championship, Mahorn was put in the expansion draft, where the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him. When you talk about the “Bad Boy” pistons, who do you think of? Zeke? Joe D? Laimbeer? When I think of the “Bad Boys,” I think of Rick Mahorn. It was something about his physical style of play that just fit. I understand that Bill Laimbeer was the same, but the impact of getting hit by Laimbeer was nothing compared to Mahorn’s.
When he left, The protectors of Joe & Isiah were gone. You seen how he brought that style to the Sixers with Charles Barkley, and they were successful. Rick changed the culture of the teams he played for and changed the culture for the better.
Honorable Mention: Greg Monroe.
Coming out of Georgetown, Monroe was seen as a can’t-miss talent with his low post and underrated playmaking skills. He declared after two seasons and was selected with the Pistons’ 7th pick in the 2010 NBA draft. With Andre Drummond drafted the year before, the Pistons’ frontcourt had the potential to be something quite special. Unfortunately for “Moose,” The way the game was played started to overlook him.
A Big Man With A Lot Of Skill.
Coming out of high school, Monroe was the #1 rated power forward and the #8 overall player in his class. He cemented that ranking in the two seasons he played at Georgetown. He made the Big East All-Rookie team in 2009 and won Big East Rookie Of The Year the same year. Monroe played 80 games during his rookie year with the Pistons while starting in 48. He averaged 9.4 PTS and 7.5 REBS.
Monroe became a full-time starter during the 2011-12 season, playing in 66 games and averaging 15.4 PTS and 9.7 REBS. The following season, Monroe averaged 16.0 PTS and 9.6 REBS. The 13-14 season saw Monroe amass 1,000 points and 600 rebounds for the third consecutive season, joining Grant Hill as the only Pistons to do so. Monroe’s last year in Detroit saw him average a double-double in the 69 games he played in. He was never able to turn the corner and adapt to the new style of the NBA, and with three dinosaurs in your frontcourt, Detroit decided to let him go.
Playing In The Wrong Era Of Basketball.
Monroe’s lack of success amasss to two different things. The first thing is not being able to extend his range and be a guy who can be on the court. The other thing is that the Pistons doomed Monroe with the signing of Josh Smith. Here you are with three players that can’t shoot. One player wasn’t scared to shoot but was terrible at it, another player didn’t want to shoot but showed an ability to shoot, and another just wanted to play in the paint and rebound.
With guys like Jonas Valančiūnas and Brook Lopez re-defining their game with their abilities to stretch to the 3-point line, I think Greg Monroe could’ve done the same thing. I also understand sticking to your style of play that made you successful during your basketball career.
Making A Case For Rasheed Wallace.
We all know Rasheed Wallace had the talent to be an all-time great, but his temperament messed it up. Coming out of Simon Gratz High School, he was named USA Today’s High School Player of the Year and was selected first-team All-American by Basketball Times. Wallace was also a two-time Parade All-American first-teamer. Despite playing just 19 minutes per game, Wallace averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks his senior year. He went to the University Of North Carolina, where he played two seasons, averaging 13.0 PTS and 7.4 REBS. He declared himself for the 1995 NBA draft and was selected with the 4th overall pick by the Washington Bullets.
Great Talent, Unstable Emotions.
After a solid rookie season in Washington, Wallace was traded to the Portland TrailBlazers for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant. Wallace’s time in Portland was highlighted by his two all-star appearances in 2000 & 2001 and his technical fouls. He holds the record for most technical fouls in a single season with 41, but he also holds the record with 317. Wallace was a part of that infamous “Jail Blazers” team where it seemed like every player was going to jail for some criminal offense. Portland finally decided to go in another direction, and Rasheed Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He played one game in the ATL before being shipped off to the Pistons.
The Missing Piece.
The 03-04 Pistons were a good team, but it was a team going into the trade deadline looking for help. With the Hawks in a position of not going anywhere, They were able to ship him to Detroit. In the 22 games he played, Wallace averaged 13.7 PTS, 7.0 REBS and 2.0 BLKS. The Pistons went 17-5 in the 22 games he played, which helped them get the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons beat the Bucks four games to one in the 1st round of the playoffs. In the second round, the New Jersey Nets tested the Pistons, who took the series to seven games, which the Pistons won. In the conference finals, The Indiana Pacers stood in their way. Both teams were split images of each other. Both teams were defensive juggernauts with a shooting guard who ran all over the court. The Pistons had more in the arsenal and defeated the Pacers in six games.
Wallace set the tone by guaranteeing that the Pistons would win game two after losing game one. With his confidence, The Pistons went into the finals against the almighty Lakers. Many have the Lakers sweeping the Pistons or gentlemen sweeping them in five games. The series turned out to be the opposite as the Pistons defeated the Lakers four games to one. In the 23 playoff games, Wallace averaged 13.0 PTS, 7.8 REBS, and 2.0 BLKS.
Streaking.
Wallace was a part of five consecutive Eastern Conference final appearances, with two final appearances. With the direction of the Pistons changing, Wallace left for the Celtics after the 09-10 season, where he played for a championship, losing to the Lakers. Wallace averaged 13.4 PTS, 7.2 REBS, and 1.6 BLKS during his six seasons in Detroit. He was also a two-time all-star in Detroit.
When the core of the Pistons left, The team fell into a deep dark losing depression. The Palace went from the most sold-out arena in the NBA to one of the worst-selling arenas. With that on the table, besides the team wanting to return to its Detroit roots, The Pistons returned to Detroit playing at Little Caesars Arena. Tickets weren’t selling because they didn’t have a ticket-worthy star. That all changed when Blake Griffin was acquired from the Clippers.
Making A Case For Blake Griffin.
Blake Griffin came out of college as the most hyped player since LeBron James. Griffin averaged 18.8 PTS, 11.8 REBS, and 2.1 ASTS in the two seasons he played at the University Of Oklahoma. He left as the Big 12 Player Of The Year and the National College Player Of The Year. Forgoing his final two seasons of college eligibility, Griffin was selected with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He missed his entire rookie season due to a broken kneecap he suffered during a preseason game.
The Dunking Phenom.
In his first official season in 2010-11, Griffin came out hitting the ground hard. He scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers. Griffin set a franchise record for most consecutive double-doubles during a season with 27. He was voted a Western Conference reserve, becoming the first rookie to play in the all-star game since Yao Ming in 2003. He was also the first rookie to be voted in by the coaches since Tim Duncan in 1998.
Griffin was known for his insane athleticism and poster dunks that will go down in history. With Chris Paul in the fold, the highlights became more frequent than before. The injury bug wouldn’t stay away from Griffin, and it was one of the ultimate factors that caused Griffin to be traded to the Detroit Pistons.
The Primary Option In Detroit.
The Pistons needed a superstar to help them sell tickets to its shared Little Caesars Arena. Blake Griffin (though hurt) was still a name that drew people into the arena. In Griffin’s first 25 games in Detroit, Griffin averaged 19.8 PTS, 7.5 REBS and 5.4 ASTS. During the 18-19 season, Griffin played in the most games of his career since the 2013-14 season. Griffin averaged 24.5 PTS, 7.5 REBS, and 5.4 AST this season. Those stats earned him a trip to the all-star game and a selection to the all-NBA 3rd team. The Pistons also went to the playoffs this year with a 41-41 record but were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in four games.
Griffin played in two of the four games and averaged 24.5 PTS, 6.0 REBS, and 6.0 ASTS. He suffered an injury that limited not only his effectiveness but his availability. This was the last time Blake Griffin would be good in Detroit as the injuries overtook him, and the team ultimately waved him. Griffin averaged 20.7 PTS, 6.7 REBS, and 5.0 AST in his four seasons in Detroit. In the four seasons in Detroit, he left a lot on the table for Pistons fans. What if he could’ve stayed healthy and continued at the pace he was on during the 2018-19 season?\
One of the things that Blake Griffin could do in Detroit was to change his game style. Going from a jumper who wanted to make the highlight play, he went to more of a physical style of play in Detroit. During his hall-of-fame career, Bailey Howell brought the same kind of play for the Pistons and the Celtics.
Making A Case For Bailey Howell.
Howell played at Mississippi State University from 1955 to 59. He wasn’t allowed to play on the basketball team as a freshman due to a rule from his coach forbidding first-year students from playing for his team. As a sophomore, Howell averaged 25.9 PTS and 19.7 REBS, leading the team to a 17-8 record. During the 57058 seasons, Howell would average 27.5 PTS and 15.2 REBS, winning the 1st of Two SEC MVP awards. He would have similar stats during his senior season, leading Mississippi State to a 24-1 record.
During his tenure at the school, Howell never played in the NCAA tournament due to its practice of not playing against integrated basketball teams. He would be selected with the 2nd pick in the 1959 NBA draft. Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Ferry were selected with territorial picks. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick and select any player within a 50-mile (80 km) radius of its home arena. As a result of the territorial picks being selected before the draft, these picks were not factored into the overall selection count; therefore, the non-territorial picks of the draft weren’t considered the picks in the draft.
Empty Stats
Howell joined the Pistons and instantly made an impact on the team. He averaged 17.8 points and 10.5 rebounds as a rookie in 1959–60, but the Pistons finished 30–45. In his second season, Howell improved to 23.6 points and 14.4 rebounds in 1960–61 as Detroit finished 34–45 under head coach Dick McGuire. Howell was named to his first of four consecutive NBA All-Star Teams. The Pistons finished with a 34-45 record and still made the western playoffs, getting defeated by the Lakers 3-2.
In Howell’s third season, He averaged 19.9 PTS and 12.6 REBS, making another all-star game. The Pistons again finished with a record under .500 with a 37-43 record. They would go on to defeat the Cincinnati Royals before losing to the Lakers in the West Division Finals. Howell would have another dominant fourth season, averaging 22.7 PTS and 11.5 REBS. The Pistons would again make the playoffs with a 34-46 record, losing to the St. Louis Hawks 3-1. In Howell’s last season in Detroit, he produced dominant numbers but could not qualify the Pistons for the playoffs. Howell averaged 21.1 PTS and 11.8 REBS in his five seasons in Detroit.
The Ex-Piston Success
Throughout history, think of all the players who played for the Pistons who went on to have great careers elsewhere. Howell would be traded to the Baltimore Bullets, where Howell couldn’t get over the hump in terms of playoff success. That all would change when Howell was traded to the Boston Celtics. Howell blended in well, averaging 20.0 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Celtics in his first season. Like his stints in Detroit and Baltimore, Howell was denied a championship as the Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia 76ers eliminated him.
In 1967-68, Howell finally won his first NBA Championship ring. The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the NBA Finals. Howell averaged 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in the regular season as the Celtics earned Bill Russell his first title as head coach. The following season, Howell was able to help the Celtics defend its championship as they defeated the Lakers once again in a classic seven-game series.
Final Verdict
With Dennis Rodman being selected as my starting power forward, I should not need to select a player here. But in the interest of fairness, The player I pick here will be coming off the bench. I would say Rasheed Wallace had the most success with his team’s championship of the three players. If we want to talk individual stats, Bailey Howell would be the guy with all of the all-star appearances and all-NBA teams he made in Detroit. Blake left the most to be desired. When he played, he was elite. The problem was he rarely played.
This pick is quite apparent: Bailey Howell will be the player I select. Yes, I get he didn’t have team success, but compared to the other two, His numbers dominate the others.
Bench: Bailey Howell
Cut: Blake Griffin
Cut: Rasheed Wallace
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