The 1966–67 Detroit Pistons relied on Dave Bing and Eddie Miles as their primary scoring threats, with Bing also serving as the team’s leading playmaker from the backcourt. Happy Hairston anchored the frontcourt through dominant rebounding, while Ray Scott added balanced scoring and work on the glass. Detroit’s statistical profile reflected a balanced offence with strong rebounding and productive guard play, although inconsistent defensive production limited the team’s overall performance.
Roster
NO.
PLAYER NAME
POS
HT
WT
DOB
COLLEGE
5
Tom Van Arsdale
SG
6-5
202
February 22, 1943
Indiana
10
Chico Vaughn
SG
6-2
190
February 19, 1940
Southern Illinois
12
Wayne Hightower
PF
6-8
192
January 14, 1940
Kansas
12
Ray Scott
C
6-9
215
July 12, 1938
New York City College of Technology, University of Portland
Led the team in rebounding by a wide margin and produced a career-high scoring & rebounding season while also serving as player-coach for much of the year; his two-way play and leadership made him the de facto backbone of the Pistons — “the top player” on a weak club.
AS (All-Star)
Dave Bing
Primary Scoring/Playmaking Guard
34.5
High
20.0
4.5
4.1
n/a
14.3
As a rookie, Bing immediately became the team’s top scorer and play-maker, shouldering much of the offensive burden; his 20.0 PPG and 4.1 APG made him the offensive focal point.
ROY-1 (Rookie of the Year) / NBA All-Rookie 1st Team
Ray Scott
Interior Secondary Option
32.8
Moderate-High
14.7
9.0
1.9
n/a
12.8
In limited games (45), he still managed a strong rebound rate and solid scoring — a useful inside complement, especially when DeBusschere or the other bigs rested.
Eddie Miles
Secondary Scoring Guard/Swing Contributor
29.9
Moderate
17.6
3.7
2.2
n/a
11.8
As the second guard/scorer behind Bing, Miles provided scoring punch and veteran stability; his 17.6 PPG helped offset the team’s overall offensive struggles.
Joe Strawder
Backup/Spot Big
27.3
Moderate-Low
9.5
10.0
1.0
n/a
10.3
Gave decent interior rebounding and steadying presence off the bench — valuable depth at center when starters rested or during mismatches.
Tom Van Arsdale
Wing/Supporting Guard-Forward
27.0
Moderate-Low
12.2
4.3
2.4
n/a
9.5
Contributed as a complementary wing scorer and secondary ball-handler; provided perimeter shooting and spacing on a team often thin on wing scoring.
John Tresvant
Reserve Forward/Role-Player
22.8
Low
9.9
7.1
1.3
n/a
9.1
Offered rebound support and occasional scoring; a reliable role-player when called upon, especially for front-court minutes.
Ron Reed
Depth Forward
20.1
Low
8.5
6.8
1.3
n/a
8.3
Provided occasional front-court minutes and rebounding, though with limited usage and impact; useful for specific matchups or rest periods.
Wayne Hightower
Spot Big / Occasional Front-Court Depth
19.4
Low
8.6
5.7
1.0
n/a
7.7
Saw limited action (29 games), but brought extra size and front-court depth — helpful in periods of injury or heavy workload on starters.
Reggie Harding
Young/Developing Big
18.5
Low
5.5
6.1
1.3
n/a
6.5
As a younger center with limited offensive output but reasonable rebounding, Harding represented a developmental piece; potential limited by modest usage.
Chico Vaughn
Deep Bench Guard
13.3
Low-Very Low
4.3
1.3
1.5
n/a
3.5
Played only sparingly; his limited minutes and production made him a very minor rotational piece.
Dorie Murrey
Reserve Forward/Spot Contributor
8.9
Very Low
2.8
2.9
0.3
n/a
2.5
Minimal playing time and modest production; served as bottom-of-rotation depth.
Bob Hogsett
Garbage-Time/Fringe Roster
3.1
Very Low
2.3
0.4
0.1
n/a
1.4
Appeared in very few games, offering negligible impact — effectively a roster footnote.
