Last Updated on July 29, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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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.

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  
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  
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.  —