An NBA player who spent just 54 games on the court for a team before going elsewhere typically wouldn't be too memorable to that team's fan base. But a handful of players in league history — and Allen Iverson is certainly among that group — are memorable wherever they go.
That's why Iverson and his 54-game stint in Motor City won't appear on this list, though it's not completely inexcusable if you don't immediately recall the fact that he was in fact a Piston in the 2008-2009 season. He did come under pretty momentous circumstances, however — franchise icon Chauncey Billups was part of the package that was used to acquire Iverson from the Nuggets — and he played a pretty big role at first before a number of issues emerged. All in all, Iverson said, "I felt that this was the worst career move I'd ever made and it was the worst year of my career," (via ESPN). Yikes — that doesn't scream "forgettable" to me.
But while Iverson's short stint wasn't exactly an unmemorable one, several other big-time players stopped in Detroit for very brief, forgettable stretches. They may have lasted a full year or they may have lasted just a handful of games, but whatever the case, these aren't players who you ever really associate with their time in Detroit.
All stats retrieved from Basketball Reference.
Alvin Robertson (1992-93)
Alvin Robertson was a versatile player for the Spurs before his brief Pistons stint.(Malcolm Emmons/USA Today)A three-time steals champion with a career average (2.7) that would be leading the NBA today by a large margin, Robertson picked opponents' pockets en route to four All-Star selections — three with the Spurs in the 1980s, and one with the Bucks in the early 1990s. He could score (14.0 career points per game), rebound (5.2) and pass (5.0 assists) as well, making him a truly versatile threat all over the court. It was this type of play that allowed him to achieve the super rare quadruple-double.
Robertson came to Detroit from Milwaukee in exchange for Orlando Woolridge. Luckily for the Pistons, Woolridge provided next to nothing for the Bucks. However, Robertson only played in 30 games with the Pistons before they traded him to the Nuggets, who never got to see him play due to injury.
Kenny "The Jet" Smith (1996-97)
Before he graced our TV sets as a phenomenal analyst, Smith spent time with a handful of NBA teams, including the Pistons.(Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)Before making his transition to the booth — or behind the TNT table — and becoming one of the most entertaining basketball personalities around, Smith was a fine player, primarily for the Houston Rockets. It was there that he spent six seasons, picking up back to back rings in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons as the team's primary point guard. He could score well with deadeye accuracy from three-point range and was a good ball-handler and distributor.
Unfortunately, Pistons fans never really got to see that play out for their team. They signed him as a free agent after the Rockets released him in the 1996 offseason, only to waive him in November of that year after only nine games as a low-end bench player.
Tracy McGrady (2010-11)
The Hall of Fame talent known as T-Mac had a forgettable stint in Detroit.(Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)While the Rockets and Magic can compete for the title of the most memorable landing spot in McGrady's career, there are a few teams who have to vie for the desirable label of the least memorable. The Hall of Famer moved around a good amount at the end of his career, lasting 24 games in New York and 52 games in Atlanta. In between those two stops, however, was a season-long stay in Detroit in which T-Mac actually started in more than half of the games he played. That doesn't mean he was very effective, though, only averaging 23.4 minutes per appearance and posting averages of 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per outing.
Corey Maggette (2012-13)
Corey Maggette was never a household name, but he was especially forgettable as a Piston.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Maggette is kind of a forgotten NBA player... period. He was never an All-Star. He was never really on a team with serious playoff aspirations. He never won any Player of the Week/Month accolades.
But he was solid as a rock for a couple of teams, averaging 17.3 points across eight seasons with the Clippers and 19.3 points in a pair of years with the Warriors. He was even a viable scoring option late in his career in one-year stints with the Bucks (12.0 PPG) and Bobcats (15.0 PPG), though that didn't carry over to the final season he played. That, of course, came with the Pistons, where he only averaged 5.3 points In 18 games before hitting free agency. It appears that didn't mean his basketball career was entirely over, though.
Khris Middleton (2012-13)
Khris Middleton is considered a lifelong Buck, but he started his career in Detroit.(Tim Fuller/USA Today)At the same time as Maggette was ending his NBA career, another great scorer was starting his. This was Middleton, who we only ever think of as a Milwaukee Buck and as Giannis Antetokounmpo's trusty right-hand man with a do-it-all skill set, a consistent stroke from deep and some great perimeter defensive chops.
But Middleton got his start up in Detroit, playing 27 games after Joe Dumars gave him the nod with the No. 39 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. If only they'd kept him... he was traded with Brandon Knight and Viacheslav Kravtsoc for Brandon Jennings. Yeesh. Despite his low draft standing, Middleton is one of six All-Stars from that 2012 draft class, and he's just as good today as ever.
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