Last Updated on January 6, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Detroit Pistons > Roster & Statistics
Here is the 1978–79 Detroit Pistons roster and regular season player statistics.
1978–79 Detroit Pistons Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | DOB | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Porter | PG | 6’0″ | 170 | 4/17/1950 | 28 | Saint Francis (PA) |
| 25 | John Long | SG | 6’5″ | 200 | 8/28/1956 | 22 | Detroit Mercy |
| 41 | Terry Tyler | PF | 6’7″ | 215 | 10/30/1956 | 22 | Detroit Mercy |
| 16 | Bob Lanier | C | 6’11” | 250 | 9/10/1948 | 30 | St. Bonaventure |
| 23 | M.L. Carr | SF | 6’6″ | 205 | 1/9/1951 | 28 | Guilford |
| 34 | Leon Douglas | C | 6’10” | 230 | 8/26/1954 | 24 | Alabama |
| 50 | Ben Poquette | PF | 6’9″ | 235 | 5/7/1955 | 23 | Central Michigan |
| 35 | Earl Tatum | SG | 6’5″ | 185 | 7/26/1953 | 25 | Marquette |
| 32 | Larry McNeill | PF | 6’9″ | 195 | 1/31/1951 | 28 | Marquette |
| 27 | Steve Sheppard | SF | 6’6″ | 215 | 3/21/1954 | 24 | Maryland |
| 26 | Andre Wakefield | SG | 6’3″ | 175 | 1/11/1955 | 24 | Loyola Chicago |
| 24 | Rickey Green | PG | 6’0″ | 170 | 8/18/1954 | 24 | Michigan |
| 31 | Jim Brewer | PF | 6’9″ | 210 | 12/3/1951 | 27 | Minnesota |
| 33 | Otis Howard | SF | 6’7″ | 210 | 3/19/1956 | 22 | Austin Peay |
| 44 | Dennis Boyd | PG | 6’1″ | 180 | 5/21/1954 | 24 | Detroit Mercy |
| 22 | Bubbles Hawkins | SG | 6’3″ | 180 | 6/30/1954 | 24 | Illinois State |
| 20 | Essie Hollis | SF | 6’6″ | 210 | 5/16/1953 | 25 | St. Bonaventure |
| 15 | Gus Gerard | SF | 6’8″ | 200 | 7/27/1953 | 25 | Virginia |
| 12 | Ron Behagen | PF | 6’9″ | 185 | 1/19/1951 | 28 | Minnesota |
1978–79 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 | ||||||
| Team 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 |
1978–79 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 | |||||||
| Team Totals | 82 | 82 | 19780 | 9023 | 3683 | 2092 | 847 | 550 | 1565 | 7802 | 3708 | .475 | 2242 | 1607 | .717 |
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. | — |