In the rich history of the Detroit Pistons, which includes a trio of NBA championships and many Hall of Famers who have played for the franchise, there’s the noticeable absence of the trophy that defines player excellence over the course of one season.

That’s the MVP , the game’s most cherished individual award.

Aside from Bob Lanier, Dave Bing and a few others, the most qualified Pistons player to contend for that award was Isiah Thomas, the unrepentant leader of the “Bad Boys”-era Pistons . This 6-foot-1 guard arrived at a franchise in tatters and gradually orchestrated a drastic turnaround.

Thomas’ biggest obstacle was one he couldn’t control — his timing was awful. He played during the era of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Those three combined to win nine MVPs duri

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