LOOK: 3 former Pistons nominated for the Hall of Fame for the first time

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Candidates for the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class were announced Thursday and a few of your favorite Pistons made the list for the first time. There have been seventeen Hall of Fame players come through and play for the Detroit Pistons organization, as well as two Hall of Fame Coaches, Larry Brown and Chuck Daly.

Now, “Mr. Big Shot” Chauncey Billups, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, and Grant Hill are all eligible for the first time to be selected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Both Billups and Hamilton have their numbers retired for the Pistons after a memorable career that peaked with their 2004 world championship.

Whether or not these guys are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers will be interesting to find out, so let’s take a look at their respective careers.

Chauncey Billups averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists throughout his career while shooting 38.7% from three. Billups was also a five-time All-Star, as well as being the finals MVP for their 2004 NBA championship. The beloved Piston captured the fan base by hitting big shot after big shot.

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Chauncey’s backcourt mate, Richard “Rip” Hamilton also made a case for the Hall of Fame throughout his career. The three-time All-Star and NBA champ should be in the Hall of Fame for making the mask popular if nothing else. Hamilton was a pure scorer for the Pistons and a vital part of that championship team. Hamilton’s career numbers were 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

The third Piston eligible for the first time, Grant Hill, may not have won a ring with the Pistons but he was able to put up some pretty impressive stats. Hill averaged over sixteen points, six rebounds, and four assists throughout his career. He was also the 1994-1995 Co-Rookie of the Year and a seven-time all-star. While with the Pistons, Hill averaged over 20 points in his six seasons with Detroit, from 1994 to 2000, in which the Pistons donned the teal-and-orange jerseys.

Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and Ray Allen are also eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year, as they look like the most worthy of first-ballot nominations.

Pistons’ legend Ben Wallace, Mark Aguirre, and Chris Webber are all still on the voting ballot this year as well. Here is the full list of players.

The 2004 Detroit Pistons team is extremely well respected around the league for what they were able to accomplish and we will see if the Hall-of-Fame voters share similar feelings.