Detroit Pistons Legend Ranked Among NBA's Best Sidekicks
During the 1980s, the Detroit Pistons were one of the NBA's most dominant forces. While Isiah Thomas led the charge at the point guard position, there were multiple members of the supporting cast who helped get the team over the hump.
Throughout NBA history, star players who succeeded at the highest level always had a reliable running mate. In Thomas' case, he had Joe Dumars alongside him in the backcourt. With his strong two-way play, the two carried Detroit to multiple finals appearances and a pair of championships.
Following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, the people at Bleacher Report put together a list of the top No. 2 options in history. Dumars ended up getting some shine in these rankings, coming in at No. 10. Other notable names include Scottie Pippen, Anthony Davis, and Pau Gasol.
Thomas understandably got the bulk of the attention during that run, but Dumars' scoring average wasn't far behind Thomas' 18.5 points during those years. And he was often tasked with defending the opponent's best perimeter players, including Michael Jordan, who once shared a glowing review of his defense.
After being drafted 18th overall by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars went on to spend his entire career with the Pistons. In that time, he'd make six All-Star teams, three All-NBA teams, and be named All-Defense on five different occasions.
Arguably the biggest accomplishment of Dumars career was being named Finals MVP in 1989. During the Pistons' sweep of the Lakers, he averaged 27.3 PPG and 6.0 APG.
Dumars would retire in 1999 after 14 seasons with Detroit. He'd eventually go on to be enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame and have his No. 4 retired by the Pistons.
KEVIN MCCORMICK