Detroit Pistons: Best 5 draft picks in modern franchise history
By KC Whitten
2. Joe Dumars
Perhaps the most influential draft pick in Pistons history, Joe Dumars was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft. Dumars played his entire 14-year career with the Pistons, and won two championships in 1989 and 1990.
Dumars was a six-time NBA All-Star, and was one of the best defenders in the NBA. He was an integral part of the Jordan Rules, the defensive strategy devised to limit Michael Jordan‘s offensive production. The strategy was effective, leading Jordan to say Dumars was the best defender he ever faced throughout his NBA career.
Retiring after the 1998-99 season, Dumars became the Pistons’ president of basketball operations prior to the 2000-01 season. Given the task of rebuilding the franchise after the Grant Hill era, Dumars was voted the 2002-03 NBA Executive of the Year. The following year, the roster he put together won the 2004 NBA Finals. During his tenure as team president, the Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in six straight seasons.