Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Detroit Pistons > Roster & Statistics
The 1978–79 Detroit Pistons were led by Kevin Porter, whose outstanding playmaking drove the offence while also providing dependable scoring. John Long emerged as the team’s leading perimeter scorer, and Bob Lanier remained an efficient interior presence with strong rebounding. Detroit’s statistics reflected a team built around ball movement and balanced offensive production, but inconsistent defence and limited overall depth prevented it from translating that production into sustained success.
Roster
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POS | HT | WT | DOB | COL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Porter | PG | 6-0 | 170 | April 17, 1950 | Saint Francis University |
| 11 | Dennis Boyd | PG | 6-1 | 175 | May 21, 1954 | Detroit Mercy |
| 11 | Bubbles Hawkins | SG | 6-4 | 190 | June 30, 1954 | Illinois State |
| 13 | Leon Douglas | C | 6-10 | 230 | August 26, 1954 | Alabama |
| 16 | Bob Lanier | C | 6-11 | 250 | September 10, 1948 | St. Bonaventure |
| 22 | Gus Gerard | SF | 6-8 | 200 | July 27, 1953 | Virginia |
| 22, 24 | Essie Hollis | SF | 6-6 | 195 | May 16, 1955 | St. Bonaventure |
| 24 | Rickey Green | PG | 6-0 | 170 | August 18, 1954 | Vincennes University, Michigan |
| 25 | John Long | SG | 6-5 | 195 | August 28, 1956 | Detroit Mercy |
| 26 | Andre Wakefield | SG | 6-3 | 175 | January 11, 1955 | Loyola Chicago |
| 27 | Ron Behagen | PF | 6-9 | 185 | January 14, 1951 | Minnesota |
| 27 | Steve Sheppard | SF | 6-6 | 215 | March 21, 1954 | Maryland |
| 30 | M.L. Carr | SF | 6-6 | 205 | January 9, 1951 | Guilford College |
| 32 | Otis Howard | PF | 6-7 | 220 | November 5, 1956 | Austin Peay State University |
| 32 | Larry McNeill | PF | 6-9 | 195 | January 31, 1951 | Marquette |
| 35 | Earl Tatum | SG | 6-5 | 185 | July 26, 1953 | Marquette |
| 41 | Terry Tyler | PF | 6-7 | 215 | October 30, 1956 | Detroit Mercy |
| 42 | Jim Brewer | PF | 6-9 | 210 | December 3, 1951 | Minnesota |
| 42 | Chris Ford | SG | 6-5 | 190 | January 11, 1949 | Villanova |
| 50 | Ben Poquette | PF | 6-9 | 235 | May 7, 1955 | Central Michigan University |
Regular Season Per Game
| PN | POS | AGE | G | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Lanier | C | 30 | 53 | 34.6 | 23.6 | 9.3 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 17.9 | 9.2 | .515 | 6.9 | 5.2 | .749 | ||||
| M.L. Carr | SF | 28 | 80 | 40.1 | 18.7 | 7.4 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 14.3 | 7.3 | .514 | 5.4 | 4.0 | .743 | ||||
| John Long | SG | 22 | 82 | 30.5 | 16.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 15.1 | 7.1 | .469 | 2.3 | 1.9 | .826 | ||||
| Kevin Porter | PG | 28 | 82 | 82 | 37.4 | 15.4 | 2.5 | 13.4 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 4.1 | 13.5 | 6.5 | .481 | 3.2 | 2.3 | .722 | |||
| Terry Tyler | PF | 22 | 82 | 31.2 | 12.9 | 7.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 11.5 | 5.6 | .482 | 2.7 | 1.8 | .658 | ||||
| Leon Douglas | C | 24 | 78 | 28.4 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 8.9 | 4.4 | .490 | 4.2 | 2.7 | .634 | ||||
| Chris Ford | SG | 30 | 3 | 36.0 | 11.0 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 11.7 | 4.3 | .371 | 2.7 | 2.3 | .875 | ||||
| Earl Tatum | SG | 25 | 76 | 15.7 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 8.0 | 3.6 | .448 | 0.9 | 0.6 | .727 | ||||
| Ben Poquette | PF | 23 | 76 | 17.6 | 6.7 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 6.1 | 2.6 | .427 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .782 | ||||
| Rickey Green | PG | 24 | 27 | 16.0 | 6.6 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 6.6 | 2.5 | .379 | 2.5 | 1.7 | .672 | ||||
| Otis Howard | PF | 22 | 11 | 8.3 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 4.1 | 1.7 | .422 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .478 | ||||
| Bubbles Hawkins | SG | 24 | 4 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | .375 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.000 | ||||
| Essie Hollis | SF | 23 | 25 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 1.2 | .400 | 0.5 | 0.4 | .750 | ||||
| Larry McNeill | PF | 28 | 11 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | .450 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .917 | ||||
| Andre Wakefield | SG | 24 | 71 | 8.1 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 | .352 | 1.0 | 0.7 | .696 | ||||
| Jim Brewer | PF | 27 | 25 | 12.4 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .450 | 0.6 | 0.1 | .200 | ||||
| Steve Sheppard | SF | 24 | 20 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | .480 | 0.8 | 0.4 | .533 | ||||
| Gus Gerard | SF | 25 | 2 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | .333 | 1.0 | 0.5 | .500 | ||||
| Dennis Boyd | PG | 24 | 5 | 8.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 | .250 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||
| Ron Behagen | PF | 28 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||||||
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 241.2 | 110.0 | 44.9 | 25.5 | 10.3 | 6.7 | 19.5 | 95.1 | 45.2 | .475 | 27.3 | 19.6 | .717 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.L. Carr | 28 | 80 | 3207 | 1497 | 589 | 262 | 197 | 46 | 255 | 1143 | 587 | .514 | 435 | 323 | .743 | |||||
| John Long | 22 | 82 | 2498 | 1319 | 266 | 121 | 102 | 19 | 137 | 1240 | 581 | .469 | 190 | 157 | .826 | |||||
| Kevin Porter | 28 | 82 | 82 | 3064 | 1260 | 209 | 1099 | 158 | 5 | 337 | 1110 | 534 | .481 | 266 | 192 | .722 | ||||
| Bob Lanier | 30 | 53 | 1835 | 1253 | 494 | 140 | 50 | 75 | 175 | 950 | 489 | .515 | 367 | 275 | .749 | |||||
| Terry Tyler | 22 | 82 | 2560 | 1056 | 648 | 89 | 104 | 201 | 141 | 946 | 456 | .482 | 219 | 144 | .658 | |||||
| Leon Douglas | 24 | 78 | 2215 | 892 | 664 | 74 | 39 | 55 | 190 | 698 | 342 | .490 | 328 | 208 | .634 | |||||
| Earl Tatum | 25 | 76 | 1195 | 592 | 121 | 72 | 78 | 33 | 85 | 607 | 272 | .448 | 66 | 48 | .727 | |||||
| Ben Poquette | 23 | 76 | 1337 | 507 | 336 | 57 | 38 | 98 | 65 | 464 | 198 | .427 | 142 | 111 | .782 | |||||
| Rickey Green | 24 | 27 | 431 | 179 | 40 | 63 | 25 | 1 | 44 | 177 | 67 | .379 | 67 | 45 | .672 | |||||
| Andre Wakefield | 24 | 71 | 578 | 172 | 76 | 69 | 19 | 2 | 71 | 176 | 62 | .352 | 69 | 48 | .696 | |||||
| Essie Hollis | 23 | 25 | 154 | 69 | 45 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 75 | 30 | .400 | 12 | 9 | .750 | |||||
| Jim Brewer | 27 | 25 | 310 | 57 | 105 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 60 | 27 | .450 | 15 | 3 | .200 | |||||
| Otis Howard | 22 | 11 | 91 | 49 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 45 | 19 | .422 | 23 | 11 | .478 | |||||
| Chris Ford | 30 | 3 | 108 | 33 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 35 | 13 | .371 | 8 | 7 | .875 | |||||
| Steve Sheppard | 24 | 20 | 76 | 32 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 12 | .480 | 15 | 8 | .533 | |||||
| Larry McNeill | 28 | 11 | 46 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 9 | .450 | 12 | 11 | .917 | |||||
| Bubbles Hawkins | 24 | 4 | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 6 | .375 | 6 | 6 | 1.000 | |||||
| Dennis Boyd | 24 | 5 | 40 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 3 | .250 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Gus Gerard | 25 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 2 | 1 | .500 | |||||
| Ron Behagen | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 19780 | 9023 | 3683 | 2092 | 847 | 550 | 1565 | 7802 | 3708 | .475 | 2242 | 1607 | .717 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG + BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.L. Carr | Alpha – Two‑Way Wing Leader | 40.1 | High | 18.7 | 7.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 16.25 | Anchored Detroit’s wing as a go‑to scorer and defender; provided solid rebounding and passing, while leading team in steals + blocks, giving valuable two‑way versatility. | All‑Defensive 2nd Team |
| Bob Lanier | Alpha – Primary Paint Anchor & Scoring Post | 34.6 | High | 23.6 | 9.3 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 18.40 | Even while limited to 53 games, Lanier remained Detroit’s offensive and rebounding backbone — his post scoring and inside presence were central to offense. | All-Star (Eastern) |
| Kevin Porter | Beta – Primary Playmaker / Assist Engine | 37.4 | High | 15.4 | 2.5 | 13.4 | 2.0 | 16.65 | Led the league in assists, carrying ball‑handling & creation duties on a roster lacking perimeter talent; his high assist load made him the fulcrum of Detroit’s offense. | — |
| John Long | Beta – Young Wing Scorer & Perimeter Threat | 30.5 | Mid‑High | 16.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 11.10 | As a rookie, Long provided much‑needed perimeter scoring and reliability; among few Pistons to show promise for future seasons. | — |
| Terry Tyler | Beta – Hybrid Forward / Defensive & Rebounding Contributor | 31.2 | Mid | 12.9 | 7.9 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 12.85 | Offered hustle, physicality and length — rebounding at forward and providing above‑average shot‑blocking/steal rates for a rookie, adding defensive value on a struggling roster. | All‑Rookie Team 1st |
| Leon Douglas | Gamma – Rotation Big / Board‑First Backup | 28.4 | Mid‑Low | 11.4 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 10.00 | Served as reliable front‑court depth; while not a primary scorer, he helped with interior rebounding and occasional defense, offering stability off the bench. | — |
| Ben Poquette | Gamma – Role‑Minute Forward / Energy Sub | 17.6 | Low | 6.7 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 6.85 | Gave minutes for hustle and front‑court depth; not a major contributor but provided modest rebounding and physicality in limited time. | — |
| Earl Tatum | Gamma – Spot Shooting Guard / Depth Wing | 15.7 | Low | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 6.85 | Minimal role, but offered occasional perimeter scoring and depth at guard/wing — a bench asset when starters rested. | — |
| Rickey Green | Delta – Reserve Guard / Occasional Ball‑handler | 16.0 | Low | 6.6 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 5.65 | Sparse minutes; provided guard depth and occasional ball‑handling, but limited opportunity hindered impact. | — |
| Jim Brewer | Delta – Deep Front‑court Reserve | 12.4 | Very Low | 2.3 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.45 | Used sparingly; mostly a depth piece with limited offensive role — some rebound help but little else. | — |
| Otis Howard | Delta – Fringe Rotation Forward | 8.3 | Very Low | 4.5 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 4.20 | Very limited role — occasional minutes, some front‑court depth, but minimal impact overall. | — |
| Andre Wakefield | Delta – Minimal‑Minute Guard | 8.1 | Very Low | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 4.45 | Light minutes, limited production; largely optional depth at guard. | — |
| Essie Hollis | Delta – Fringe Wing / End‑of‑Bench Option | 6.2 | Very Low | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 4.60 | Extremely limited minutes — essentially a fill‑in when roster thin, little value beyond depth. | — |
| Larry McNeill | Delta – Rarely Used Forward / Near‑End‑of‑Bench | 4.2 | Very Low | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.40 | Barely used; not a meaningful factor. | — |
| Steve Sheppard | Delta – Fringe Wing Depth | 3.8 | Very Low | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.50 | Marginal minutes and production — pure depth option. | — |
| Gus Gerard | Delta – Marginal Role Player | 3.0 | Very Low | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.50 | Played only 2 games — negligible contribution. | — |