From icons such as Isiah Thomas and Ben Wallace, to those like Pace Mannion and Tod Murphy who are now mere trivia answers, more than 550 players have donned a Pistons jersey since 1948.



We’re going to list the best player — as well as one honorable mention — to wear each uniform number since then for the Fort Wayne or Detroit Pistons. Some names will be instantly recognizable. Others will rattle your memory bank. Some, well, you may have never known existed.



The criteria will go as such: First, we’ll examine the player’s importance to the franchise. That’ll hold weight. After that, we’ll factor in the entire career. That’ll count heavily as well, since we’re looking for the best player and some jersey numbers won’t produce a concrete selection. For example, both Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson wore No. 1 in Detroit, and while Iverson is a Hall of Famer, Billups’ impact on the Pistons gives him the...