Last Updated on July 29, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

League Search Page > NBA > Detroit Pistons > Roster & Statistics

The 1982–83 Detroit Pistons featured one of the league’s most productive offences, led by Isiah Thomas, whose scoring and elite playmaking drove the attack. Kelly Tripucka provided consistent high-volume scoring, while Cliff Levingston and Kent Benson strengthened the frontcourt with rebounding and interior production. Detroit’s statistical profile reflected an up-tempo, offence-first team with balanced scoring and strong ball movement, though its defensive performance lagged behind its offensive output.

Roster

No. Player Pos Height Weight Age College
00 Kent Benson C 6-10 265 lbs 28 Indiana
1 Terry Tyler F 6-7 215 lbs 27 Detroit Mercy
3 Mike McGee G/F 6-5 190 lbs 23 Michigan
4 Ray Tolbert F 6-9 225 lbs 24 Indiana
5 Walker Russell G 6-5 190 lbs 22 Western Michigan
7 Paul Mokeski C 7-0 250 lbs 26 Kansas
10 John Long G 6-5 195 lbs 26 Detroit Mercy
11 Isiah Thomas G 6-1 180 lbs 21 Indiana
15 Cliff Levingston F 6-8 210 lbs 21 Wichita State
20 Vinny Johnson G 6-2 200 lbs 26 Baylor
21 Bill Laimbeer C 6-11 245 lbs 25 Notre Dame
22 Bob McAdoo F/C 6-9 210 lbs 31 North Carolina
23 Earl Cureton F/C 6-9 210 lbs 25 Detroit Mercy
32 Phil Hubbard F/C 6-8 215 lbs 25 Michigan

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%
Kelly Tripucka SF 23 58 58 38.8 26.5 4.6 4.1 1.2 0.3 3.2 19.9 9.7 .489 0.6 0.2 .378 8.0 6.8 .845
Isiah Thomas PG 21 81 81 38.2 22.9 4.0 7.8 2.5 0.4 4.0 19.0 9.0 .472 1.5 0.4 .288 6.4 4.5 .710
Vinnie Johnson SG 26 82 51 30.6 15.8 4.3 3.7 1.1 0.6 1.9 12.4 6.3 .513 0.5 0.1 .275 3.8 3.0 .778
Bill Laimbeer C 25 82 82 35.0 13.6 12.1 3.2 0.6 1.4 2.1 10.7 5.3 .497 0.2 0.0 .154 3.8 3.0 .790
Terry Tyler SF 26 82 56 31.0 12.1 6.6 1.9 1.3 2.0 1.5 10.7 5.1 .478 0.2 0.0 .133 2.4 1.8 .745
John Long SG 26 70 30 21.2 10.5 2.6 1.5 0.6 0.2 2.1 9.9 4.5 .451 0.1 0.0 .286 2.1 1.6 .760
Edgar Jones PF 26 49 25 21.1 8.3 5.5 1.4 0.6 1.6 2.1 6.0 3.0 .493 0.1 0.0 .333 3.5 2.4 .680
Kent Benson C 28 21 15 28.5 9.9 7.4 2.3 0.7 0.8 1.7 8.7 4.0 .467 0.0 0.0 .000 2.4 1.8 .760
Scott May SF 28 9 1 17.2 6.6 2.9 1.3 0.6 0.2 1.4 5.6 2.3 .420 0.0 0.0 .000 2.3 1.9 .810
Tom Owens C 33 49 4 14.8 4.2 3.8 0.9 0.2 0.3 1.0 3.9 1.7 .422 0.0 0.0 .000 1.3 0.9 .682
James Wilkes SF 24 9 0 14.3 3.8 2.1 1.1 0.3 0.1 0.6 3.8 1.2 .324 0.1 0.0 .000 1.7 1.3 .800
Cliff Levingston PF 22 62 5 14.2 5.6 3.7 0.8 0.4 0.6 1.2 4.4 2.1 .485 0.0 0.0 .000 2.4 1.4 .571
Ray Tolbert PF 24 28 0 14.1 5.1 3.3 0.7 0.4 0.8 1.1 4.4 2.0 .460 0.0 0.0 .000 2.1 1.0 .475
Walker Russell PG 22 68 1 11.1 2.7 1.1 1.9 0.2 0.0 1.4 2.7 1.0 .364 0.3 0.0 .111 0.9 0.7 .810
Jim Johnstone PF 22 16 0 8.6 1.5 1.9 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.7 1.3 0.6 .450 0.0 0.0 .000 0.9 0.4 .400
Ricky Pierce SG 23 39 1 6.8 2.2 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.5 2.3 0.8 .375 0.2 0.0 .143 0.8 0.5 .563
Jim Smith PF 24 4 0 4.5 2.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.8 .750 0.0 0.0 .000 1.0 0.5 .500
Jim Zoet C 29 7 0 4.3 0.3 1.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.1 .200 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000
TEAM TOTALS     82 82 242.4 112.7 46.2 25.7 8.3 7.0 19.0 89.4 44.2 .477 3.3 0.9 .265 31.6 23.4 .742

Regular Season Totals

PLR POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Isiah Thomas PG 21 81 81 3093 1854 328 634 199 29 326 1537 725 .472 125 36 .288 518 368 .710
Kelly Tripucka SF 23 58 58 2252 1536 264 237 67 20 187 1156 565 .489 37 14 .378 464 392 .845
Vinnie Johnson SG 26 82 51 2511 1296 353 301 93 49 152 1013 520 .513 40 11 .275 315 245 .778
Bill Laimbeer C 25 82 82 2871 1119 993 263 51 118 176 877 436 .497 13 2 .154 310 245 .790
Terry Tyler SF 26 82 56 2543 990 540 157 103 160 120 880 421 .478 15 2 .133 196 146 .745
John Long SG 26 70 30 1485 737 180 105 44 12 144 692 312 .451 7 2 .286 146 111 .760
Edgar Jones PF 26 49 25 1036 409 271 69 28 77 103 294 145 .493 6 2 .333 172 117 .680
Kent Benson C 28 21 15 599 208 155 49 14 17 35 182 85 .467 1 0 .000 50 38 .760
Tom Owens C 33 49 4 725 207 186 44 12 14 48 192 81 .422 0 0 .000 66 45 .682
Ray Tolbert PF 24 28 0 395 142 91 19 10 23 32 124 57 .460 1 0 .000 59 28 .475
Ricky Pierce SG 23 39 1 265 85 35 14 8 4 18 88 33 .375 7 1 .143 20 15 .563
Scott May SF 28 9 1 155 59 26 12 5 2 13 50 21 .420 0 0 .000 21 17 .810
Cliff Levingston PF 22 62 5 879 346 232 52 23 36 73 270 131 .485 1 0 1.000 147 84 .571
Walker Russell PG 22 68 1 757 183 73 131 16 1 92 184 67 .364 18 2 .111 58 47 .810
Jim Johnstone PF 22 16 0 137 24 30 10 2 6 11 20 9 .450 0 0 .000 15 6 .400
James Wilkes SF 24 9 0 129 34 19 10 3 1 5 34 11 .324 1 0 1.000 15 12 .800
Jim Zoet C 29 7 0 30 2 8 1 1 3 4 5 1 .200 0 0 .000 5 3 .000
Jim Smith PF 24 4 0 18 8 5 0 0 0 0 4 3 .750 0 0 .000 5 2 .500
TEAM TOTALS     82 82 19880 9239 3789 2108 679 572 1539 7602 3623 .477 272 72 .265 2588 1921 .742

HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG+BPG) Impact Index* Notes Awards
Isiah Thomas Core Leader / Primary Playmaker 38.2 High 22.9 4.0 7.8 2.9 18.80 Team engine: led Detroit in scoring and assists while controlling tempo and running the offense as the floor-general for the season.  MVP-16, AS, All-NBA 2
Kelly Tripucka Lead Wing Scorer / Volume Scorer 38.8 High 26.5 4.6 4.1 1.5 18.35 Primary outside/wing scoring threat who produced high volume scoring and spacing for the offense, functioning as Thomas’ top scoring partner.  —
Bill Laimbeer Interior Anchor / Rebounding Core 35.0 Medium 13.6 12.1 3.2 2.2 15.55 Physical paint anchor: elite rebounder, interior presence and rim protection who supplied toughness and second-chance offense.  AS
Vinnie Johnson Sixth-Man Scorer / Instant Offense 30.6 Medium 15.8 4.3 3.7 1.7 12.75 “Microwave” role — instant scoring and bench spark who stabilized offense in relief minutes and provided late-game punch.  —
Terry Tyler Two-Way Starting Forward 31.0 Medium 12.1 6.6 1.9 2.1 11.35 Defensive/versatile forward delivering rebounds, midrange scoring and on-ball defense; contributed two-way minutes as a starter. —
Kent Benson Backup Center / Size & Passing Big 28.5 Medium 9.9 7.4 2.3 1.5 10.55 Backup center who provided interior size, passing from the high post and solid rebounding in heavier minutes when called upon.  —
Edgar Jones Rotation PF / Energy Big 21.1 Low–Medium 8.3 5.5 1.4 2.2 8.70 Rotation big who supplied rebounding, interior defense and occasional interior scoring in the frontcourt rotation. —
John Long Shooting/Secondary Guard 21.2 Low–Medium 10.5 2.6 1.5 0.8 7.70 Veteran wing/guard providing perimeter scoring and spacing; steady secondary scoring option in rotation.  —
Cliff Levingston Bench Hustle Forward 14.2 Low 5.6 3.7 0.8 1.4 5.75 Young energetic forward used for hustle, defensive energy and spot minutes off the bench.  —
Scott May Spot Rotation Wing 17.2 Low 6.6 2.9 1.3 0.8 5.80 Short sample season role — veteran wing giving spot starts/relief minutes with modest scoring and fronts-court help. —
Ray Tolbert Spot PF / Depth Big 14.1 Low 5.1 3.3 0.7 1.0 5.05 Occasional frontcourt minutes providing interior defense and size as a bench big.  —
Tom Owens Reserve Center 14.8 Low 4.2 3.8 0.9 0.5 4.70 Reserve center used for spot minutes; provided interior toughness and rebound support in limited action.  —
James Wilkes Deep Wing Reserve 14.3 Low 3.8 2.1 1.1 0.4 3.70 Fringe rotation wing offering occasional defense and small-ball minutes off the bench.  —
Walker Russell Backup PG / Depth Guard 11.1 Low 2.7 1.1 1.9 0.2 2.95 Backup point guard providing depth and occasional playmaking in short stints.  —
Jim Johnstone End-of-Bench PF 8.6 Low 1.5 1.9 0.6 0.5 2.25 Very limited minutes; used for frontcourt depth in garbage time or injury fill-ins.  —
Ricky Pierce Deep Bench Guard 6.8 Low 2.2 0.9 0.4 0.3 1.90 Reserve guard with brief appearances; early-career depth piece before later breakout elsewhere.  —
Jim Smith Fringe Frontcourt Depth 4.5 Low 2.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 1.65 Very small sample; negligible impact — on roster as emergency depth. —
Jim Zoet Emergency Center / Garbage Minutes 4.3 Low 0.3 1.1 0.1 0.5 1.00 Rarely used big — provided occasional rim-height in blowouts and end-of-game situations.  —