Detroit Pistons: Top 5 greatest one-season wonders in team history

3. Harry Gallatin — 1957–1958 season

Let us rewind to the 1950s when the Pistons resided in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Over their nine seasons in Fort Wayne, the Pistons were a well-respected organization in the league, recording eight playoff appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals.

The team fostered many key contributors over this period, including Harry Gallatin. The future Hall of Famer spent the 1957–1958 season in Fort Wayne, which would be his last in the league. As one of the most physical rebounders of the decade, he posted a moderate 10.4 rebounds to go along with 14.9 points per game on the season. He logged a good amount of showings in his final season, including a pair of 25-point games against the defending champion Celtics.

Along with other future Hall of Famers like George Yardley, Bob Houbregs and Dick McGuire, the Pistons finished with a 33–39 record that placed them second in the four-team Western Conference. Gallatin averaged 15.6 points per game in the series, but the Pistons were outclassed by a much more efficient team, lose to Bob Pettit and eventual NBA Champions St. Louis Hawks.

Gallatin retired after the Pistons’ elimination. With seven All-Star selections and two All-NBA honors, it was just enough to get him a Hall of Fame nod.