We need to talk about the Pistons. It’s a long time since they were challenging for championships, sure, but nobody could have really seen what was coming in 2023 & 24. At this moment, there’s a very real chance that they will have the worst record in the history of NBA seasons by the time this season wraps up.
Those who are familiar with NBA Betting Odds will know that you would have got long odds on the Pistons being quite so bad this year, so what has gone wrong? Why are the Pistons quite so bad and is there any hope for them to turn it around in 2024?
28 Game Losing Streak
Before finally sneaking a win at the end of December 2023 against the Toronto Raptors, the Pistons had racked up the joint-worst losing streak in the history of the NBA, something that not many people could have expected, even if the Pistons weren’t predicted to pull up any trees in 2023.
The losing streak was something that NBA fans were shocked to see, the Pistons giving up more than 120 points per game on average on defense.
The Guardian published an article putting this into some context, explaining that the 2011-12 Bobcats team managed to win 10.6% of their games and the Sixers in 1972-73 managed 11%, something that the Pistons are well behind. At this point, it looks a lot like they’ve given up hope and are just waiting for the season to end, like ripping off a band-aid.
A Lack of Shooters
One of the reasons for this terrible record was the serious lack of shooters, something that the Pistons are still struggling with and probably will until they do some serious trading. Perimeter scoring is crucial in the game these days, and Detroit’s awful record here is one of many things that is costing them. Cade Cunningham may be a decent player but he is not a shooter, and having to shoot volume and fail a lot is not doing a lot of favours for the Pistons.
They lacked Bojan Bogdanović, who missed a lot of 2023 with a bad injury, but they should have a roster to cover it, and the team has one of the worst records imaginable when it comes to three-point percentage. This leaves them behind the 8-ball pretty much whenever they take to the court.
Poor Recruitment and Trading
Recruitment has been a serious issue for the Detroit Pistons, who have relied on recruiting some veterans to help their younger players and it hasn’t worked out. The reserves that have stepped in have not done the job, and the roster looks pretty weak, especially when you consider the injuries currently plaguing them.
It is no excuse, every team gets injuries and they need to find a way to overcome it. This is not something the Pistons have been able to do.
Poor Coaching
Not everyone lays the blame at the door of Monty Williams, the coach has struggled a lot at the Pistons but you only have to look at his achievements historically to know that he is no joker and that he has pedigree in the NBA.
Some of the decisions, such as dropping Ivey for Hayes, have been baffling to some fans, but this is just one of many issues. He hasn’t been able to find any successful rotation and though he’s not been helped by some of the senior members of his roster being injured, the coaching hasn’t been great.
Cade Cunningham’s poor conversion has caused a coaching issue, as there’s no better scorer available to them, but he has to keep playing.
“Nobody wants this kind of thing attached to them. I was brought in here to change this thing, and it’s probably the most on me than anybody,” Williams told reporters recently as he aims to put things right.
Perhaps there is still a chance of this, but realistically, it looks like the Pistons will have to turn things around slowly as the players try and grow from the ashes of a humiliating year.
Conclusion
There’s no one specific reason, poor leadership has held the Pistons back, and that comes from general management, coaching, and of course the guys that are out on the court. The Pistons have a history that includes some level of success, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything now and the team is a shadow of what it once was, even led by a former coach of the year. The only way is up.
