Before his iconic run with the Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman posted top five worthy numbers in Pistons’ rebound history.
The Detroit Pistons have had a number of notable players suit up in their red, white and blue throughout their 78-year history in the NBA. Today, we’re taking a look at the players who produced the top five single season rebounds per game during their tenures in the Motor City.
Dennis Rodman – 1992, 18.7 RPG
Rodman played his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons after they took him with the 27th overall pick in 1986. The Hall of Fame forward, who was inducted in the class of 2011, won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1990 and 1991, and was a crucial part of the ‘Bad Boys’ era that helped bring two championships to Detroit in 1989 and ‘90. Starting in 1992 with his 18.7 rebounds per game, the best mark of his 14-year career, Rodman would go on to lead the league in defensive and total rebounding for seven consecutive seasons through the 1997-98 campaign, while also pacing everyone in offensive boards from ‘92 to ‘96. At just 6-foot-7, ‘Dennis the Menace’ is considered to be one of the greatest rebounders in the history of the game, evidenced by his career average of 13.1 rpg.
Dennis Rodman – 1993, 18.3 RPG
During his final season in Detroit in 1992-93, Rodman played in 62 games and averaged 7.5 points, 18.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 38.9 minutes a night. He recorded 22 double-doubles and 29 games with 20-plus boards, grabbing double digit rebounds in all but four of those outings. Rodman spent time with the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks before retiring following the 1999-00 season. He is a five-time NBA champion, winning twice with Detroit before hoisting three straight Larry O’Brien Trophies with the Bulls from 1996 to 1998. Rodman’s brilliance on the glass and defensive side of the ball made him a selection to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021-22.
Andre Drummond – 2018, 16.0 RPG
At age 24, Drummond grabbed the third spot on Detroit’s all-time single season rebounds per game list by averaging 16.0 rpg to go along with 15.0 points, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks across 78 appearances. From 2014 to 2020, the former UConn star led the NBA in offensive rebounds each year while pacing the league in total rebounds four times, including three straight from 2018 to 2020. The rebounds per game are a career-high figure for Drummond, who earned his second All-Star nod for his efforts in 2017-18.
Andre Drummond – 2020, 15.8 RPG
Although he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2019-20 campaign, Drummond’s 15.8 rpg he notched in 49 contests with the Pistons lands him in the fourth spot on our list in Detroit’s history. The 6-foot-11, 279-pound center averaged 17.8 points, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks in addition to his 15.8 boards, numbers that helped him finish eighth in the DPOY voting that year. Drummond tallied 42 double-doubles and had 12 outings in which he hauled in 20-plus boards.
Andre Drummond – 2019, 15.6 RPG
Drummond’s final full season in Detroit in 2018-19 gives him the fifth and final spot on this list. The two-time All-Star posted averages of 17.3 ppg, a league-leading 15.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.7 spg and 1.7 bpg while playing in 79 of 82 games for the Pistons. He also led the NBA in offensive boards at 5.4 per game, matching his career-best mark he put up during his sophomore season in 2013-14. Drummond registered 69 double-doubles and 49 outings with at least 15 rebounds, including 18 games with 20 or more boards. Throughout his 13 years in the Association, the big man has career averages of 12.5 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 spg and 1.3 bpg in 904 appearances with Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Philly, Brooklyn and the LA Lakers.
