Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Detroit Pistons > Roster & Statistics
The 1979–80 Detroit Pistons were led by John Long, whose scoring made him the team’s primary offensive option, while Kevin Porter controlled the offence with elite playmaking and consistent backcourt production. Kent Benson provided efficient interior scoring and rebounding, with Greg Kelser adding complementary frontcourt contributions. Detroit’s statistical profile reflected a balanced offensive approach built on ball movement and multiple scoring options, but inconsistent defensive play and rebounding limited the team’s overall effectiveness.
Roster
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POS | HT | WT | DOB | COL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9, 30 | Jackie Robinson | SF | 6-6 | 210 | May 20, 1955 | UNLV |
| 11 | Bob McAdoo | PF | 6-9 | 210 | September 25, 1951 | Vincennes University, UNC |
| 13 | Leon Douglas | C | 6-10 | 230 | August 26, 1954 | Alabama |
| 14 | Eric Money | SG | 6-0 | 170 | February 6, 1955 | Arizona |
| 16 | Bob Lanier | C | 6-11 | 250 | September 10, 1948 | St. Bonaventure |
| 21 | Earl Evans | PF | 6-8 | 202 | November 11, 1955 | USC, UNLV |
| 24 | Roy Hamilton | PG | 6-2 | 180 | July 20, 1957 | UCLA |
| 25 | John Long | SG | 6-5 | 195 | August 28, 1956 | Detroit Mercy |
| 30 | Ron Lee | PG | 6-4 | 193 | November 2, 1952 | Oregon |
| 32 | Greg Kelser | SF | 6-7 | 190 | September 17, 1957 | Michigan State |
| 33 | Jim McElroy | PG | 6-3 | 190 | October 4, 1953 | Central Michigan University |
| 34 | John Shumate | PF | 6-9 | 235 | April 6, 1952 | Notre Dame |
| 35 | Phil Hubbard | PF | 6-8 | 215 | December 13, 1956 | Michigan |
| 41 | Terry Tyler | SF | 6-7 | 215 | October 30, 1956 | Detroit Mercy |
| 42 | Terry Duerod | SG | 6-2 | 180 | July 29, 1956 | Detroit Mercy |
| 44 | Steve Malovic | PF | 6-10 | 230 | July 21, 1956 | USC, San Diego State |
| 54 | Kent Benson | C | 6-11 | 245 | December 27, 1954 | Indiana |
Regular Season Per Game
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Lanier | C | 31 | 37 | 37.6 | 37.6 | 21.7 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 15.8 | 8.6 | .546 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 5.7 | 4.4 | .781 |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 28 | 58 | 36.2 | 36.2 | 21.1 | 8.1 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 17.7 | 8.5 | .480 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .125 | 5.6 | 4.1 | .730 |
| John Long | SG | 23 | 69 | 34.3 | 34.3 | 19.4 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 16.9 | 8.5 | .505 | 0.2 | 0.0 | .083 | 2.8 | 2.3 | .825 |
| Greg Kelser | SF | 22 | 50 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 14.2 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 11.9 | 5.6 | .472 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .200 | 4.1 | 2.9 | .719 |
| Terry Tyler | SF | 23 | 82 | 32.6 | 32.6 | 12.3 | 7.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 11.3 | 5.2 | .465 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .167 | 2.3 | 1.7 | .765 |
| Kent Benson | C | 25 | 17 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 12.1 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 11.0 | 5.1 | .460 | 0.2 | 0.1 | .250 | 2.6 | 1.9 | .750 |
| Jim McElroy | PG | 26 | 36 | 28.1 | 28.1 | 11.7 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 9.9 | 4.5 | .455 | 0.4 | 0.1 | .214 | 3.3 | 2.6 | .798 |
| Eric Money | SG | 24 | 55 | 26.7 | 26.7 | 10.9 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 9.3 | 4.7 | .508 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .779 |
| John Shumate | PF | 27 | 9 | 25.3 | 25.3 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 7.2 | 3.9 | .538 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.8 | 1.9 | .680 |
| Terry Duerod | SG | 23 | 67 | 19.9 | 19.9 | 9.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 8.9 | 4.2 | .472 | 0.8 | 0.2 | .283 | 1.0 | 0.7 | .682 |
| Phil Hubbard | PF | 23 | 64 | 18.6 | 18.6 | 9.1 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 7.0 | 3.3 | .466 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 3.4 | 2.6 | .750 |
| Leon Douglas | C | 25 | 70 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 6.5 | 3.2 | .486 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.6 | 1.8 | .676 |
| Ron Lee | PG | 27 | 31 | 25.9 | 25.9 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 6.9 | 2.7 | .393 | 1.8 | 0.7 | .393 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .660 |
| Roy Hamilton | PG | 22 | 72 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 1.6 | .401 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.1 | 1.4 | .687 |
| Earl Evans | PF | 24 | 36 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 1.8 | .450 | 0.5 | 0.2 | .389 | 1.2 | 0.7 | .571 |
| Jackie Robinson | SF | 24 | 7 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 1.3 | .529 | 0.1 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.6 | 1.3 | .818 |
| Steve Malovic | PF | 23 | 10 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 0.8 | .320 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .714 |
| Team Totals | 82 | 241.2 | 241.2 | 108.9 | 44.4 | 23.8 | 9.5 | 6.9 | 21.2 | 92.6 | 44.4 | .480 | 2.7 | 0.7 | .260 | 26.2 | 19.4 | .740 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Long | SG | 23 | 69 | 69 | 2364 | 1337 | 337 | 206 | 129 | 26 | 206 | 1164 | 588 | .505 | 12 | 1 | .083 | 194 | 160 | .825 |
| Bob McAdoo | PF | 28 | 58 | 58 | 2097 | 1222 | 467 | 200 | 73 | 65 | 238 | 1025 | 492 | .480 | 24 | 3 | .125 | 322 | 235 | .730 |
| Terry Tyler | SF | 23 | 82 | 82 | 2670 | 1005 | 627 | 129 | 107 | 220 | 175 | 925 | 430 | .465 | 12 | 2 | .167 | 187 | 143 | .765 |
| Bob Lanier | C | 31 | 37 | 37 | 1392 | 802 | 373 | 122 | 38 | 60 | 113 | 584 | 319 | .546 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 210 | 164 | .781 |
| Greg Kelser | SF | 22 | 50 | 50 | 1233 | 709 | 276 | 108 | 60 | 34 | 140 | 593 | 280 | .472 | 15 | 3 | .200 | 203 | 146 | .719 |
| Terry Duerod | SG | 23 | 67 | 67 | 1331 | 624 | 98 | 117 | 41 | 11 | 79 | 598 | 282 | .472 | 53 | 15 | .283 | 66 | 45 | .682 |
| Eric Money | SG | 24 | 55 | 55 | 1467 | 599 | 97 | 238 | 53 | 10 | 143 | 510 | 259 | .508 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 104 | 81 | .779 |
| Phil Hubbard | PF | 23 | 64 | 64 | 1189 | 585 | 320 | 70 | 48 | 10 | 120 | 451 | 210 | .466 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 220 | 165 | .750 |
| Leon Douglas | C | 25 | 70 | 70 | 1782 | 567 | 501 | 121 | 30 | 62 | 127 | 455 | 221 | .486 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 185 | 125 | .676 |
| Jim McElroy | PG | 26 | 36 | 36 | 1012 | 422 | 50 | 162 | 25 | 14 | 88 | 356 | 162 | .455 | 14 | 3 | .214 | 119 | 95 | .798 |
| Roy Hamilton | PG | 22 | 72 | 72 | 1116 | 333 | 107 | 192 | 48 | 5 | 118 | 287 | 115 | .401 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 150 | 103 | .687 |
| Ron Lee | PG | 27 | 31 | 31 | 803 | 225 | 90 | 174 | 84 | 13 | 68 | 214 | 84 | .393 | 56 | 22 | .393 | 53 | 35 | .660 |
| Kent Benson | C | 25 | 17 | 17 | 502 | 206 | 120 | 51 | 19 | 18 | 51 | 187 | 86 | .460 | 4 | 1 | .250 | 44 | 33 | .750 |
| Earl Evans | PF | 24 | 36 | 36 | 381 | 157 | 75 | 37 | 14 | 1 | 36 | 140 | 63 | .450 | 18 | 7 | .389 | 42 | 24 | .571 |
| John Shumate | PF | 27 | 9 | 9 | 228 | 87 | 70 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 65 | 35 | .538 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 25 | 17 | .680 |
| Jackie Robinson | SF | 24 | 7 | 7 | 51 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 9 | .529 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 11 | 9 | .818 |
| Steve Malovic | PF | 23 | 10 | 10 | 162 | 26 | 28 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 25 | 8 | .320 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 14 | 10 | .714 |
| Team Totals | 82 | 19780 | 8933 | 3641 | 1950 | 783 | 562 | 1727 | 7596 | 3643 | .480 | 219 | 57 | .260 | 2149 | 1590 | .740 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Lanier | Alpha – Primary Big Man / Offense Anchor | 37.6 | High | 21.7 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 18.85 | Even with a historically awful Pistons season (16‑66), Lanier remained a rock in the paint — scoring efficiently, crashing the boards, facilitating some offense and protecting the rim. His 10.1 RPG shows he was still Detroit’s rebounding backbone. | — |
| Bob McAdoo | Alpha – Secondary Scoring Power Forward | 36.2 | High | 21.1 | 8.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 17.55 | Coming off earlier stardom, McAdoo still delivered high scoring and solid rebounding/playmaking. On this weak roster, he was the second major offensive option behind Lanier. | — |
| John Long | Beta – Young Wing Scorer / Shot Creator | 34.3 | High‑Mid | 19.4 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 14.80 | As a second‑year player, Long emerged as a bright spot — leading the team in games played and becoming a go‑to wing scoring option. | — |
| Terry Tyler | Beta – Athletic Forward / Defensive & Rebounding Wing‑PF Hybrid | 32.6 | Mid | 12.3 | 7.6 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 12.05 | Tyler’s value showed beyond scoring. He grabbed 7.6 boards per game and contributed nearly 3 combined steals/blocks, giving Detroit some athleticism and defensive presence. | — |
| Greg Kelser | Beta – Rookie Forward with Scoring Upside | 24.7 | Mid‑High | 14.2 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 11.90 | As a first-round pick, Kelser showed promise: scoring punch and solid rebounding for a young forward. | — |
| Kent Benson | Gamma – Reserve Big with Spot Starter Minutes | 29.5 | Mid | 12.1 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 11.70 | In limited games, Benson provided decent front-court depth — contributing solid rebounding, scoring, and some playmaking. | — |
| Ron Lee | Gamma – Emergency Point Guard / Spot Minutes | 25.9 | Low | 7.3 | 2.9 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 9.45 | Though scoring was light, Lee provided playmaking and high steal numbers, offering defensive/ball-handling value off the bench. | — |
| Jim McElroy | Gamma – Backup Point Guard / Secondary Ball‑handler | 28.1 | Mid‑Low | 11.7 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 9.35 | As a backup facilitator, McElroy helped distribute the ball under tough conditions, providing stability in backcourt depth. | — |
| Eric Money | Gamma – Reserve Guard / Scoring Punch off Bench | 26.7 | Mid‑Low | 10.9 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 9.10 | Money offered bench scoring and playmaking — a spark-plug guard when starters rested. | — |
| John Shumate | Delta – Short‑term Front‑court Fill‑in | 25.3 | Low | 9.7 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 9.05 | In limited games, Shumate gave size, rebound presence, and scoring — a stop-gap front-court rotation option. | — |
| Leon Douglas | Gamma – Bench Big / Occasional Front‑court Contributor | 25.5 | Low | 8.1 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 8.10 | Contributed on boards and modest scoring — a depth role. | — |
| Terry Duerod | Delta – Bench Wing / Spot Shooter & Reserve Depth | 19.9 | Low | 9.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 6.25 | Provided shooting and depth off the bench; limited overall impact. | — |
| Phil Hubbard | Delta – Reserve Forward / Role‑minute Rebounder & Energy Sub | 18.6 | Low | 9.1 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 8.05 | Offered scoring and rebound support in limited minutes. | — |
| Steve Malovic | Delta – Fringe Roster / Minimal Role | 16.2 | Very Low | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 3.75 | Minimal playing time; very limited impact. | — |
| Roy Hamilton | Delta – Young Backup Guard / Development Role | 15.5 | Very Low | 4.6 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 4.30 | Sparse minutes; developmental depth in guard rotation. | — |
| Earl Evans | Delta – Deep Bench / Marginal Minutes | 10.6 | Very Low | 4.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 3.95 | Minimal impact, emergency depth only. | — |
| Jackie Robinson | Delta – Deep Roster Spot / Cup‑of‑Coffee Minutes | 7.3 | Very Low | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.35 | Very limited role; marginal impact in few minutes. | — |