The Detroit Pistons have been blessed with plenty of gifted big men, but only five of them can crack this list as the best centers in franchise history. Here are the top choices for the best fives to don the uniform:

5. Ray Scott

Scott was among the first dynamic big men of his time, a nightly double-double threat that averaged at least 13 points and 10 rebounds each of his first three seasons in Detroit.

Drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 1961 NBA Draft, Scott averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists through five-and-a-half seasons with the Pistons.

The 6-foot-9 center was ahead of his time, as one of the first perimeter-shooting big men. In fact, he retired with a 60% 3-point shooting mark, making three of his five attempts from deep (first installed into NBA rules in 1970).

Scott would go on to coach the Pistons for three-and-a-half years after retiring, with a record of 147-134.

4. Andre Drummond

Drummond became an automatic rebounding machine the minute the Pistons decided to make him the starter after his rookie season. Since his second year in the league, the New York native has never dipped below 13 rebounds per game.

However, despite the monstrous numbers, winning has not followed Drummond throughout his career. He's led the NBA in rebounding three times and is bound for a fourth once the 2019-20 season comes to a close.

Drummond's gotten a rap of being an empty numbers guy, but he's also played in some awful teams, including the Blake Griffin version of the Pistons, which eventually saw him traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers after contract disputes.

He averaged 14.4 points and 13.9 rebounds during his time with the Pistons. He's been to the playoffs only twice during his eight years with the franchise, both resulting in four-game sweep exits in the first round.

3. Ben Wallace

Wallace didn't have the flashy numbers others in this list can boast, but he's as symbolic a player as there is from those early 2000s Pistons days.

Big Ben was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006). Ironically, the year he wasn't named DPOY, he showed just how valuable a defender he is by taking on Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA Finals despite giving up four inches and a whopping 70 pounds.

He was an undersized center, but one of the strongest centers in the league at the time, making use of his reflexes and impeccable timing to block shots.

He led the league in blocks in 2001-02 (3.5 per game) and averaged three blocks or more for three straight seasons. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team for five straight seasons (2002-06).

Wallace averaged 6.6 points and 11.1 rebounds throughout his nine seasons with Detroit (played six years from 2000-06 and finished his career there from 2009-12).

2. Bill Laimbeer

Laimbeer was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers but he soon became a Piston during his second year in the league. He soon blossomed into a double-double machine with a better opportunity in The Motor City, averaging double figures in points and rebounds during the next six seasons and even leading the league in rebounding in 1985-86.

Just as Laimbeer hit his eighth season, the Bad Boys started to flourish, winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. While his rebounding numbers took a slight dip, “Counterfeit Bill” was just as imposing a rebounder and an even more aggressive enforcer, averaging 1.2 blocks per game during the 1988-89 season, which bested his previous five.

Besides being a trusty double-double center, he was also one of the first centers to shoot threes, making 202 throughout his career. Laimbeer was also a very strong free-throw shooter, making 83.7% of his foul shots for his career.

Laimbeer is a two-time champion and a four-time All-Star. He's added accolades as a coach in the WNBA, winning three titles with the Detroit Shock and being named Coach of the Year twice (2003, 2015).

1. Bob Lanier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvc7Vkp9iXE

While this list has plenty of Pistons royalty, not many compared to Bob Lanier, the original big dipper.

Lanier made a quick rise after his rookie season, raising his scoring average by more than 10 points per game — averaging 25.7 points and 14.2 rebounds. He continued that 20-10 tear for six more seasons before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1980 for Kent Benson and a first-round draft pick that later turned into Larry Drew.

“Dobber” was not only a potent scorer and a dominant rebounder but also a deft passer of the ball with his long wingspan and towering size at 6-foot-11.

Lanier made the All-Star team eight times (seven with the Pistons) and was named the MVP of the All-Star Game in 1974. The Hall of Famer averaged 22.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game through his 10 seasons with the Pistons.