Hoops Habit
Fansided

Detroit Pistons: 25 Best Players To Play For The Pistons

By Phil Watson

Oct 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general view of The Palace of Auburn Hills prior to the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general view of The Palace of Auburn Hills prior to the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
20 of 26
Next
OAKLAND, CA – CIRCA 1975: Bob Lanier #16 of the Detroit Pistons looks to get position over Clifford Ray #44 of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA basketball game circa 1975 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. Lanier played for the Pistons from 1970-79, 80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – CIRCA 1975: Bob Lanier #16 of the Detroit Pistons looks to get position over Clifford Ray #44 of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA basketball game circa 1975 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. Lanier played for the Pistons from 1970-79, 80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

C. . Bob Lanier. 7. player. 64. <strong>How acquired:</strong> 1st overall pick from St. Bonaventure, 1970 NBA Draft.

Bob Lanier put together a whale of a college career, averaging 27.6 points and 15.7 rebounds per game at St. Bonaventure while being named All-Ameica in each of his three seasons and leading the Bonnies to their lone Final Four appearance in 1970.

The Detroit Pistons won the coin flip for the top pick in the 1970 NBA Draft and took the big left-hander with the No. 1 overall selection.

DET_07_LANIER
DET_07_LANIER /

They were not disappointed. Lanier was a first-team All-Rookie selection in 1970-71 and was named to seven All-Star teams with the Pistons, winning All-Star Game MVP honors in 1974.

He was third in the MVP voting in 1973-74 and fourth in 1976-77. Lanier was fourth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1975-76 and fifth in 1976-77, while finishing fourth in blocks in 1973-74 and fifth in 1974-75.

But the Pistons could never advance past the conference semifinals and in February 1980, the Pistons dealt Lanier to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for another former No. 1 overall pick, Kent Benson, and a 1980 first-round selection.

In parts of 10 seasons in Detroit, Lanier averaged 22.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in 36.2 minutes per game, shooting .508/0-for-5/.775.

He earned another All-Star bid for the Bucks in 1982, even as his career was on the wane because of balky knees. Lanier retired in September 1984.

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, Lanier is 39th in NBA history with 9,698 rebounds, 48th with 19,248 points and 41st with an average of 10.1 rebounds per game.

He was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors in 1994-95 and wound up finishing the season as interim head coach, with the team going 12-25 during his tenure.

Next: Bird A Shooting Star

Home/Detroit Pistons