Detroit Pistons: 10 best point guards in team history

2. Dave Bing (1966-75)

Before Bob Lanier, before the “Bad Boys,” before Big Ben, before Blake … Bing was the Pistons’ first real superstar.

Dave Bing began his career with a bang, winning NBA Rookie of the Year in 1966-67 after averaging 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. The next season, he was All-NBA First Team and an All-Star, finished fourth in league MVP voting and led the league in total points.

In nine seasons with the Pistons, Bing would make six All-Star Games and receive three All-NBA nods. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He’s now in the Hall of Fame and was named to the NBA’s 50 Greatest list for the league’s 50th anniversary in 1996.

The only area in which Bing’s run with the Pistons fell short was team success. The Pistons made the playoffs just three times in his nine years, and never made it past their opening round.

In that respect, Bing was something of a Tracy McGrady for his time. He did his part and got his numbers in the playoffs, but the Pistons were simply overmatched most of the time. In Bing’s first postseason appearance, Detroit ran into the eventual 1968 champion Celtics led by Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Sam Jones. In 1974, the Pistons lost a tight seven-game series to the higher-seeded Chicago Bulls, and in 1975 they lost a best-of-three series to the higher-seeded Seattle SuperSonics.

Bing has made a great impact in the Detroit community off the court, as well. The Washington D.C. native put down roots in Detroit and owns several businesses in the city. He eventually got into politics and served as Mayor of Detroit from 2009-13.