Kelly Tripucka looks to pass the ball in a game against the Washington Bullets.
The Detroit Pistons have had plenty of prolific scorers during their franchise history. Let’s highlight their top five all-time single-season points-per-game leaders.
1. Jerry Stackhouse, 2000-01, 29.8 Points Per Game
Stackhouse was traded from the 76ers to the Pistons during the 1997-98 season. Stackhouse made his first All-Star team during the 1999-00 season, averaging 23.6 points along the way. The following season, he averaged 29.8 points on his way to making another All-Star team and finishing inside the top-15 in MVP voting. His scoring average ranked second in the NBA behind Allen Iverson (31.1), who ended up winning the MVP Award.
2. George Yardley, 1957-58, 27.8 Points Per Game
The Fort Wayne Pistons selected Yardley with the eighth pick in the 1950 Draft. He did not play until the 1953-54 season because of military service. He then made six straight All-Star teams. His best scoring performance came during the 1957-58 season when he led the league by averaging 27.8 points. He also averaged 10.7 rebounds, which helped him finish third in MVP voting.
3. Dave Bing, 1967-68, 27.1 Points Per Game
The Pistons selected Bing with the second pick in the 1966 Draft. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1966-67, averaging 20.0 points. The following season, he averaged 27.1 points, which would end up being the highest mark of his career. He made his first All-Star team that season and also finished fourth in MVP voting. His points per game average ranked second in the league behind Oscar Robertson (29.2).
4. Dave Bing, 1970-71, 27.0 Points Per Game
In terms of efficiency, the 1970-71 season was the best performance of Bing’s career, as shot 46.7% from the field. With his improved shooting that season, Bing averaged 27.0 points, made the All-Star team, and finished third in the MVP voting. His scoring average that season ranked fourth in the league behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (31.7), John Havlicek (28.9) and Elvin Hayes (28.7).
5. Kelly Tripucka, 1982-83, 26.5 Points Per Game
The Pistons selected Tripucka with the 12th pick in the 1981 Draft. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, averaging 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He also made the All-Star team that season. While he wasn’t named an All-Star in 1982-83, he increased his scoring average to 26.5 points. He shot 48.9% from the field and 84.5% from the free-throw line that season. His scoring average ranked third in the NBA behind Alex English (28.4) and Kiki Vandeweghe (26.7). For his entire Pistons career, Tripucka averaged 21.6 points over 352 games.
