Who is it? I've noticed that prevous teams the Pistons played have lost in part because a key player (Shaq, then Wade) now Manu has gotten hurt. But the Pistons more so than any other team are designed such that if any one of their starters got injured, they could handle it okay. It would hurt them, but not so much as it would hurt other teams. So, if the Pistons lost any one player due to injury, losing which player would hurt them the most?

I figure if they lose Billups, they can still play Hunter and Hamilton in the backcourt with Arroyo off the bench. That hurts them, but it doesn't kill them in the same way that an injury to Manu or Wade kills a team.

If they lost Rip, they'd start Hunter with Billups at SG and Arroyo off the bench. That too hurts them but doesn't kill them.

If they lost Tayshawn, they don't have an SF. But I don't think it would kill them if Rip and Rasheed (who played a lot of SF at times in Portland) played SF with McDyess and Big Ben in the frontcourt.

If Rasheed got injured, they'd start McDyess at PF. That would hurt them a little, but it wouldn't kill them.

If Big Ben got injured, they'd start Rasheed at C and McDyess at PF. I think this would hurt them more than anything else. No one can bring anywhere close to the defensive impact Big Ben brings. It still wouldn't hurt them as much as losing Shaq or Duncan would hurt their teams, though.

The Pistons have some quality players off the bench. Overall...

I think losing Tayshaun Prince would be the biggest blow to their team. He does a lot of unique things on the floor that don't show up on the stat sheet-- and really, there are few players in the NBA that can do what he does on both ends of the court-- it's like having a bigger, taller Bruce Bowen w/ more offensive skills.

I don't think Billups is all that.

This is why I love Detroit- they don't have any one player that is a super star- just a bunch of guys that are athletic, gutsy and determined.

I think Hamilton is the one guy that gives them reliable scoring in the half court and would qualify as the hardest to replace

Hamilton is right. He shot poorly the first two games and they lost. They need his A game to win.

pistons are more team ball than any team out there......

to single out one player is not as easy as you post.

I like chauncey billups, he got game like no other in playoffs he is point supreme, but make no mistake about this:

if rasheed wallace surrenders his championship belt, pistons can't finish

Billups has got to be the best player on this Pistons team.

He's their go-to guy at the end of games, he's won COUNTLESS games for them in the last few years, and look at his Finals stats:

Game 1: 25, 6, 4
Game 2: 13, 5, 3
Game 3: 20, 7, 6
Game 4: 17, 7, 5
Game 5: 34, 7, 5
Game 6: 21, 6, 6

Average: 22, 6, and 5.

He runs the team, I'd say he is the most important (even though he's largely a by-product of the Larry Brown System.)

That's a good point but Ben doesn't do enough on offense to warrant him being a legit inside player. Great rebounder and defender, but his offense is non-existent. That's why I have trouble saying he's the Pistons most pivotal player.