2023-24 Detroit Pistons: Breaking NBA’s Longest Losing Streak Records & Road to Recovery

2023-12-27 09:11:43

The 2023-24 Detroit Pistons penned an unfortunate new chapter in the NBA’s history books Tuesday, becoming the sole owners of the league’s longest single-season losing streak.

Detroit fell 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets at Little Caesars Arena, marking its 27th straight loss. The team’s 26-game skid was previously tied with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the longest single-season losing stretches.

Against the Nets, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had 41 points, sinking 15-of-21 field goals and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. In 29 games played and started this season, the third-year guard is averaging a team-high 22.4 points and 7.1 assists. Still, it hasn’t been enough.

“A lot of the load is trusted on me — on the court, in the locker room. Every day I try to lead the squad,” Cunningham said after the historic loss. “I haven’t been successful with that; 2-28. It’s only right I speak for it, be the face for it. Everyone cares in that locker room.”

The Pistons could match the league’s all-time losing mark (28 games) Thursday against the Boston Celtics and break it Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers currently own that record, having lost 28 straight between the end of the 2014-15 season and the start of the 2015-16 season.

The Pistons (2-28) last won a game on Oct. 28, topping the Chicago Bulls 118-102 in the third game of the season. The victory gave coach Monty Williams, who signed a six-year deal this offseason that could pay nearly $100 million, his only winning record leading Detroit — improving to 2-1.

“I was brought in here to change this thing, and it’s probably mostly on me than anybody,” Williams said.

NBA single-season longest losing streaks

TeamSeasonLosses

Detroit Pistons

2023-24

Philadelphia 76ers

2013-14

Cleveland Cavaliers

2010-11

Charlotte Bobcats

2011-12

Denver Nuggets

1997-98

Memphis Grizzlies

1995-96

How did the Pistons reach this point?

I keep going back to the fourth game of the season, a game in which the Pistons, who were 2-2 at that point, lost an 18-point lead and fell to the Portland Trail Blazers by 10 points at home. The locker room had an eery feeling. Heads were dropped, spirits ripped from bodies and placed next to the dirty laundry. The team that had thought it matured and got over its own bugaboos was right back to where it was a season ago. The Pistons were never the same after that. They looked up and four straight losses turned into seven. Seven into 12. Twelve into 20. So on and so on. A young team without much veteran help was looking around for an answer, and it never came. The young Pistons, who have never won at this level, were asked to get out of a hole very few players ever reach.

GO DEEPER

Where does Pistons’ losing streak rank in sports history?

Which veterans should Detroit target and which young stars should it keep?

Detroit should go after veteran wings or forwards who can shoot, preferable ones who can shoot and defend. Jerami Grant is an interesting name to monitor as a possible candidate. Tobias Harris, too. Veteran players like Eric Gordon or even Royce O’Neale would help make Detroit more complete. It takes two to tango, though, and Detroit can’t make a trade without sending someone out.

For me, the only untouchable young players are Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. I’d prefer to keep Isaiah Stewart but he has gotten decent interest around the league.

What adjustments can Monty Williams still make?

Now that the Pistons are relatively healthy for the first time, coach Monty Williams should stick with the Cunningham-Ivey-Bogdanovic-Stewart-Duren starting five until a trade happens. This group produced solid results against the Nets. Secondly, he’s got to stop playing the bench so much. The bench play has been a big reason why the Pistons found themselves in such a hole.