The Detroit Pistons are the worst NBA team of the modern times. Through a failed rebuild, unfortunate draft outcomes, and an unwillingness to win, the Detroit Pistons have become the laughing stock of the NBA. The Detroit Pistons have begrudgingly become the leader of the most consecutive losses in a single season of any NBA team in history with 28 straight losses. The previous leaders, the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers, lost those games due to losing their best players due to trades or free agency and tanking for future draft picks. Unlike those previously mentioned teams, the Pistons are actively trying to win games, but historically, their inadequacy overpowers their player’s efforts.
2002 – 2008: Sustained Success
The first chapter of this story is a high note for this franchise. Through the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons, the Detroit Pistons were perennial championship contenders. The Detroit Pistons won their third NBA Championship in the 2003-04 season and lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004-05 NBA Finals. Their rigorous defense and star players made them a force to be reckoned with. During this time, their squad consisted of 4x Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace, 3x All-NBA player Chauncey Billups, 3x All-Defensive team player Rasheed Wallace, and other notable players like Richard “Rip” Hamilton and Theo Ratliff. The Pistons constantly topped their division and were one of the best in the eastern conference at the time.
2009 – 2018: The Rebuilding Process
The second chapter of this story is one every franchise has gone through: the dreaded rebuild. Team success can not be sustained for a long time so teams must change from being amazing to bad to restart to win in the future. This time did not worry the fans because it was something they knew would happen. The team started off mediocre but soon became one of the worst teams in the league. The Pistons had the occasional eighth seed playoff run in which they were swept in the first round in every case. During this time, the Detroit Pistons drafted many notable players like Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton, Andre Drummond, etc. and traded for a young Tobias Harris in a deal with the Orlando Magic. The Pistons hoped these young players would develop into exceptional players that would launch back into playoff and championship contention.
2018- 2021: The Savior from LA, or not
The Detroit Pistons made a blockbuster trade for 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA, and 2011 Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin. The Pistons traded Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović, and some draft picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Blake Griffin, Willie Reed, and Brice Johnson. The team started this new era with a 41-41 record and an eighth seed playoff run. Although this was not much, Pistons fans were hopeful because the team would continue to build around Blake Griffin after what many consider to be his best season ever. In the following two seasons, Blake Griffin dealt with countless injuries to his left knee. The team could not win enough games while Griffin was out to make a playoff push. The team had two 20 win seasons while Griffin dealt with his injuries. These injuries made Griffin unable to return to his former excellence which caused him to sign to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
2021- 2024: A New Star in the Motor City
The Detroit Pistons had gotten the #1 overall pick and selected Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State University in the 2021 draft. Many fans were hopeful for the future because Cunningham could develop into a star player for the franchise. Cade had a decent rookie season, placing third in Rookie of the Year voting only behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley. The team still was not very good but the development of Cade was all that mattered to the Pistons. During Cunningham’s sophomore season, he sustained an injury to his left shin which sidelined him for the rest of the season. The Pistons acquired more players through the draft and trades during Cade’s recovery. They drafted Jaden Ivey with the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft and also acquired Jalen Duren with a trade with the New York Knicks. These new additions were hoped to help Cade develop and make a playoff appearance. The Pistons finished 29th in the league and had the best odds to land the No. 1 overall draft pick to select generational-talent Victor Wembanyama. Unfortunately, the Pistons fell to the No. 5 pick and drafted Ausur Thompson. Once Cade returned from injury, the Pistons won two of their first three games and things were looking up for the team. What followed this premature success was a testament to how poorly built this team really was. The Pistons lost 28 consecutive games and achieved the longest streak of losses by any NBA team in a single season. The team was so inadequate that multiple great performances from Cunningham and Duren could not get them a win over any other NBA team. The Pistons finally broke the streak with a 129-127 win over the Toronto Raptors. The fans are very upset with the Pistons front office and want them to make drastic changes so their team can escape the constant losing.
Ultimately, The Pistons’ failures come down to the bad decisions made by the officials that run the team. If the franchise can make better decisions then they can start improving their situation. Cade Cunningham looks like a star player in some games, so he is a good player to build around for the future. The NBA still has many mid-season events, so be sure to check back in March for an update on the previous events of the season, and what to look forward to while the start of the play-offs approaches.
