Cade Cunningham might’ve just notched a career-high 43 points against the Atlanta Hawks on 67% from the field, but that won’t be the lead story from that game. Because the Detroit Pistons have now lost 24 games in a row.
The record for most consecutive losses in history belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers with 28, which occurred from the end of the 2014-15 season and the beginning of the 2015-16 season (“The Process” Era).
In terms of single season losses, this particular (dis)honour belongs to the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers, who managed to notch 26 in a row.
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At the time of this writing, the Pistons retain the league’s worst record at 2-25. For context, they have same amount of wins as Draymond Green has suspensions. Hell, their own starting centre, Marvin Bagley III, has more family members named “Marvin Bagley.” And at this stage, it’s getting downright embarrassing.
On track to win six games and lose 76, not only would this be the worst record in NBA history — eclipsing the Charlotte Bobcats’ 7-59 effort in 2012, or the Philadelphia 76ers’ 9-73 record if you want an 82-game season — it would be the worst winning percentage in North American professional sports (7%), outside of a few winless NFL teams that each only play 17 games.
Let me emphasise that this is beyond tanking. It’s entirely inexplicable that a team can be performing this badly at the elite NBA level. Since their last W back in October 28th, every single NFL, NHL, and NBA team has won a game.
The Pistons have had the 7th, 1st, 5th, and 5th overall draft picks across the last four seasons. They’ve had cap space to go out and sign free agents. For a team that has been rebuilding for so long, it defies belief just how terribly they still are.
Somewhat hilariously, there was a report that said that the Detroit franchise were reluctant to move away from 34-year-old Bojan Bogdanović because they thought he would “help Detroit win some game.” That’s not happening, so maybe move him while other teams are interested and he still has value?
Now granted, there have been injuries and the roster fit is really bad. But just win a single game. One game. Surely that cannot be a big ask. The Piston’s next game will be against the 10-17 Utah Jazz who will have just played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’ll probably be their best chance at winning for a little while… and yet we’re not all that confident.
Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams is running out of lame coaching platitudes to spout at the postgame pressers. He’s in his first year of a six-year, US$75 million (AU$111 million) contract with the team after getting fired by the Phoenix Suns, which was reportedly the largest coaching deal in NBA history at the time.
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Make a trade. Do something. This core isn’t staying together, anyway. It doesn’t matter how young they are. You cannot possibly think that the worst team in NBA history will eventually mature to become the next Golden State Warriors.
Do not get protective over anyone not named Cade Cunningham or Jalen Duran. It’s time to give up some young assets when the young assets make no sense together.
James L. Edwards III, senior writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons, recently suggested that the team is expected to target a reunion with Tobias Harris in the trade market. That’s at least a start. Though suffice it to say, things aren’t looking good in the 313.
