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Pistons End Record Losing Streak

December 30th, 2023 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

After going two months without a victory, the Pistons snapped their 28-game losing streak tonight with a 129-127 win over the Raptors.

Detroit still has the league’s worst record at 3-29, but the franchise won’t have to hold the record for the NBA’s longest-ever losing skid by itself. The 28-game slide matches what the Sixers did over the 2014/15 and ’15/16 seasons.

“I think people may have thought they were OK with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit wanting to win,” coach Monty Williams told reporters. “… We always had our joy because knew that if we put it together we could win just not one game, but put a few together.” (Twitter link from Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press)

Cade Cunningham continued his recent hot streak, posting 30 points, three rebounds and 12 assists. He’s averaging 34.0 PPG in the Pistons’ last three games. Detroit also benefited from balanced scoring — with all five starters reaching double figures and Alec Burks adding 16 points off the bench — in notching its first victory since October 28.

“It’s been weighing on us heavy everywhere we go, which is two months,” Cunningham said of the losing streak (Twitter link). “Which is unreal for it to be that long … we’re not trying to go back. Now it really begins where we see what we can really be.”

Owner Tom Gores, who promised last week to make changes in response to the streak, issued a statement after the game acknowledging that everyone has been dealing with difficult circumstances, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.

“I’m proud of how our guys have continued to fight through adversity,” he said. “I know it’s been hard, but they’ve kept their heads up and showed real character. The streak is over, but the hard work continues.”

The game vs. Toronto appeared to be a prime opportunity for the Pistons to end the streak against because the Raptors were on the second night of a back-to-back and were playing shorthanded after trading OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to New York earlier in the day. Detroit led by 11 points with 5:50 left to play, but had to hold off a late Toronto comeback before claiming the victory.

“It was a very emotional day … but I don’t want to take anything away from Detroit,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter link from Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca). “They played a good game and deserved the win.”

Raptors/Knicks Trade Notes: Draft Pick, Cap Details, More

December 30th, 2023 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Raptors won’t acquire a first-round pick in their deal sending OG Anunoby to the Knicks, the one draft pick Toronto is getting is essentially equivalent to a late first, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The 2024 second-rounder initially belonged to the Pistons, which means it projects to be the No. 31 overall selection in June.

In Marks’ view, that pick actually has more value than the protected first-rounders the Knicks are owed from Detroit and Washington. The Pistons first-rounder will be protected through 2027 and would become a single ’27 second-rounder if it’s not conveyed by then, while Washington’s first-rounder is protected through 2026 and would turn into a pair of second-rounders (2026 and 2027) after that.

The protections on the Pistons pick will eventually become top-nine in 2027, while Washington’s will become top-eight in 2026, so those first-rounders still have a chance to convey. But neither Detroit nor Washington appears on the verge of becoming a playoff contender, so from the Raptors’ perspective, there’s certainly some value in getting a pick guaranteed to be in the early 30s in the short term rather than asking for one of those conditional first-rounders.

Here are a few more notes on the deal that will send Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to New York and Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to Toronto:

Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) says his understanding is that the Raptors and Knicks have been working on a potential Anunoby trade since they played one another on December 11. The two teams discussed a couple different iterations and the Raptors canvassed the league at this month’s G League Showcase in Orlando before circling back to the Knicks to finalize an agreement, Grange explains.
When he discussed a possible extension with the Knicks prior to the season, Quickley was believed to be looking for a deal similar to the one Devin Vassell got from San Antonio (five years, $135MM, plus $11MM in incentives), tweets Grange. Given that Quickley is a crucial piece in the return for Anunoby, the Raptors are presumably prepared to re-sign him as a restricted free agent next summer and have a sense of what the price will be.
Conversely, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) says the Knicks had concerns about re-signing Quickley at a price they felt comfortable with. Begley adds that he doesn’t think New York is done dealing, given that the team still has plenty of excess first-round draft capital to offer up in trade talks.
Barrett, whom the Raptors were eyeing dating back to before the 2019 draft, will become the eighth Canadian to play for the franchise, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). The first seven were Jamaal Magloire, Cory Joseph, Anthony Bennett, Oshae Brissett, Khem Birch, Dalano Banton, and Chris Boucher.
Following the trade, the Knicks will be $5.1MM below the luxury tax line and $9.9MM under their hard cap, while the Raptors will be $1.95MM below the tax and $4.85MM under the hard cap, tweets Marks.
As a result of the trade, New York will generate a trade exception worth the difference between Barrett’s and Anunoby’s salaries ($5,241,072) and Toronto will create one worth Achiuwa’s salary ($4,379,527).
The timing of Toronto’s trade agreement could benefit the Pistons, who are looking to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to lose 29 consecutive games. As James L. Edwards of The Athletic tweets, the Raptors will be without Anunoby on Saturday when they visit Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back set.

Pistons Notes: Blame, Losing Streak, Williams, Improvement

December 30th, 2023 at 9:27am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons are in the midst of the worst losing streak in NBA history and there’s plenty of blame to go around. However, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, writing with James L. Edwards III, says the brunt of the responsibility is on the front office. No one move is single-handedly causing this slide, but Detroit’s front office has made several moves that didn’t make sense, according to Vecenie.

One of the Pistons’ main issues on the court is spacing and, last trade deadline, they traded away Saddiq Bey, a career 35.9% three-point shooter, in a deal for James Wiseman. Vecenie also points out the Pistons hurt their future flexibility by trading a highly protected first-round pick (which features protections through 2027) for Isaiah Stewart.

Because of these moves, the Pistons simply don’t have the depth other teams do, Vecenie writes, which has been a factor in the losing streak. Vecenie doesn’t absolve coach Monty Williams, stating the rotations that put franchise centerpiece Cade Cunningham around non-shooters are confusing.

As for the team’s short-term future, the trade deadline is approaching, and Vecenie suggests the Pistons need to target a two-way, hybrid three/four wing like Torrey Craig to help their woes on the perimeter and should only sell Bojan Bogdanovic for a huge haul.

We have more on the Pistons:

The Pistons have bigger issues than their record-tying 28-game losing streak, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. According to Bontemps’ sources, the Pistons are viewed as a team with “several stakeholders articulating different visions for the team.” Everyone from Williams to owner Tom Gores to general manager Troy Weaver to vice chairman Arn Tellem is said to have a different outlook for the organization, which hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008/09.
While all the Pistons’ power brokers hold some responsibility for the losing streak, The Athletic’s Sam Amick is less critical of Williams, to whom Detroit awarded a six-year, $72MM contract. Williams shouldn’t be in Detroit at all, according to Amick, who says the veteran coach instead deserved to remain in Phoenix, where he became a “fall guy.”
The Pistons almost defeated the Celtics on Thursday in a matchup between the teams with the NBA’s best and worst records. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes Detroit showed fight in the overtime loss. “I think it shows we’re on the same level of all the teams we’re playing against,” Cunningham said. “There’s no team I’ve ever come across where I felt like I was going into a slaughterhouse. I’ve never felt like that in my life going into a basketball game…there’s a lot of growth in tonight, some things we can learn from and definitely take into the next game.“

Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart To Miss 10-14 Days With Toe Sprain

December 29th, 2023 at 1:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart apparently is worse for wear two weeks after incurring a right great toe sprain during Detroit’s December 15 loss to the Sixers. According to a press release from the team, Stewart will be shelved for the next 10-to-14 days to recuperate from the injury.

After initially missing two games on Dec. 16 and 18, Stewart had been attempting to play through the toe injury. He returned for three games before sitting out Thursday’s loss to Boston.

It’s troubling news for the Pistons, who are currently riding the worst single-season losing streak in NBA history, with 28 losses and counting. Stewart, 22, has been the club’s starting power forward all season. Through his 28 healthy games, he has posted averages of 10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.6 blocks across 30.7 minutes per night.

Marvin Bagley III and Kevin Knox are candidates to start in Stewart’s place, while fellow No. 2 lottery pick James Wiseman could get increased run off the bench.

Detroit has ostensibly winnable contests on its docket in the immediate future, with sub-.500 teams on the schedule for two of the next three games. The Pistons will match up with the 12-18 Raptors on Saturday and then have a date with the 13-19 Jazz on January 3. But not having one of their best frontcourt players available could certainly hurt the Pistons’ chances of securing their first victory since October.

Central Notes: Ball, Green, Pacers Lineup, Sasser

December 28th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said guard Lonzo Ball was in town last week and he’s optimistic that his latest procedure to alleviate his pain worked, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. Ball is still ruled out for the rest of the season but, according to Johnson, he’s progressing well and is expected to resume running by January.

“Everything they’ve done in terms of progressing him, he’s handled very well,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The pain he was experiencing that was causing the setback is eliminated in terms of what he’s doing now, but he hasn’t run.”

Ball hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022 as he’s dealt with continuous injuries and setbacks. With his pain alleviated and physical activity soon to resume, his eventual return to the court looks more likely with this latest development.

In 35 games with the Bulls, Ball has averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He was acquired by Chicago in the summer of 2021 in a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans. He has a player option next year for roughly $21.4MM and Cowley mentions it’s possible he returns to play sometime in the offseason or training camp, but that’s more speculation than anything.

We have more from the Central Division:

It took some time for Bucks sharpshooter A.J. Green to find his footing in the NBA, but he finished the 2022/23 season strong and earned a guaranteed contract ahead of this year, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski writes. While Green hasn’t yet earned a permanent keep in the rotation, the Bucks can count on him to come in and hit threes when needed. “Freakin’ A.J.,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like whenever he shoots the ball, the ball is going in.” Green is under contract for two seasons after this one, though both are non-guaranteed.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made significant changes to the team’s starting lineup in their Tuesday game against the Bulls, moving Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin to the bench for Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, respectively, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak observes. Andrew Nembhard also started in place of the injured Bruce Brown. The Pacers, who had previously lost six of their last seven, defeated the Rockets 123-117 with their new lineup.
After finishing his collegiate career tied fifth for wins in Houston’s program history, Marcus Sasser is having to adjust as the Pistons suffer through a 28-game losing streak, tied for the longest in NBA history, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle writes. However, Sasser has been able to turn to his former college coach Kelvin Sampson for advice this year, according to Duarte. “I worry about him in his first year,” Sampson said. “But at the same time, you get paid for this, man. Suck it up, you’ll be all right.“

And-Ones: Topic, Draft, Free Throws, Pangos, Pistons, Knicks

December 28th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 draft, was called back to EuroLeague squad Red Star after spending the 2023/24 season so far with Mega MIS on a loan. Topic spoke to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) about the move and what it means for his draft value.

“It’s a huge risk, but I’m ready,” Topic said of the move. “I’m confident in myself 100%. My father, my agent Misko Raznatovic and I understand that this move could affect my draft chances if I don’t do well. But I’m ready to compete and fight.”

According to Givony, Topic replaces former NBA player Shabazz Napier, who departed for Milan, and will get a chance to play alongside former NBA guards Milos Teodosic and Nemanja Nedovic. While Red Star courted the Serbian guard heavily in recent weeks, the decision to return was ultimately Topic’s, and he’ll try to help his hometown squad overcome a 6-10 start to the year. Greek coach Giannis Sfairopoulos, who previously coached Deni Avdija, will coach Topic.

“We didn’t talk about the role I’ll play,” Topic said. “Whatever he says, I’ll do. If he says to die on the court, I will die. Whatever coach needs, I’ll try my best to do it.”

Topic has been impressive in Adriatic League play with Mega MIS so far this year, averaging 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game and boasting a 63% true shooting percentage. According to Givony, NBA teams will be keeping a close eye on how Topic adjusts to the EuroLeague, which is considered the top level of competition in the world outside of the NBA.

Further breaking down Topic’s game, Givony writes that he’ll almost certainly be asked to adjust his play for a Red Star team ranked last in the league in pace. However, Givony expects the experience will positively benefit Topic’s defense and perimeter shooting.

“Basketball is a game of decisions,” Topic said. “It’s a mental game. Using angles. The player that makes a faster decision, that person will win. The EuroLeague is a mind game. It’s a game of reads.”

We have more notes from around the basketball world:

In the same Insider-only story, Givony and Jeremy Woo break down other draft-related topics. As the duo notes, one reason the 2024 draft class is considered weaker than usual is the fact that it will be older than most — it has a chance to boast the oldest first-round class since 2013. Upperclassmen like Zach Edey, Kevin McCullar and Oso Ighodaro are all playing their ways into first-round consideration while freshmen like Elmarko Jackson, Aday Mara and Caleb Foster are looking more like multi-year college players rather than the one-and-dones they appeared to be before the season, the Givony and Woo explain.
NBA coaches and players have made their feelings clear about how games are being refereed, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr among the latest to criticize the officiating this season. The Ringer’s Zach Kram argues the NBA doesn’t actually have a free throw problem though, given that free throw attempts and rates are trending downward. Kram singles out Joel Embiid as someone who’s receiving criticism for going for foul calls, but points out that Embiid leads the league in made field goals per game. Kram concludes that foul calls will always be a cat-and-mouse game for the NBA, as players will seek to push the boundaries to get free points and the league will continually react.
Former NBA guard Kevin Pangos is joining Spanish club Valencia after terminating his contract with Olimpia Milano, according to Sportando. Pangos has previously played for Gran Canaria and Barcelona in Spain. The 6’2″ point guard played one season in the NBA in 2021/22, appearing in 24 games (three starts) and totaling 39 points and 30 assists for the Cavaliers.
The Feb. 26 game between the Pistons and Knicks has been relocated to Madison Square Garden in New York from Detroit and will now tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET, according to a release from the NBA (Twitter link). “The cause for the change was unique scheduling complications associated with the In-Season Tournament,” the statement reads. Fred Katz of the Athletic tweets the Pistons’ 2-28 start likely factored into the decision — one team will end up playing 42 road games, and the NBA would presumably rather that team be one that’s not in playoff contention.

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, FA Targets, Losing Streak, Fixes

December 27th, 2023 at 4:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Clearly, not many things have been going well for the Pistons, who just broke the single-season NBA record on Tuesday with their 27th consecutive loss. If they lose again on Thursday in Boston, they’ll tie the all-time losing streak across multiple seasons, set by the Sixers in 2014/15 and ’15/16.

Despite their struggles, former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been a bright spot for the Pistons of late, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. After an up-and-down first 19 games, Cunningham is averaging 24.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals on .500/.309/.847 shooting in 11 games this month, including two 40-point outbursts over his past four contests. He has also significantly cut down on his turnovers, going from a league-high 4.9 per game over his first 19 games to 2.9 per night this month.

As Sankofa writes, Cunningham did everything in his power to keep Detroit in the game on Tuesday, shooting 13-of-16 from the field (81.3%) and scoring 37 points in the second half, including the team’s final 12. The rest of the Pistons were a combined 7-of-26 (26.9%) in the second half, Sankofa notes.

“Everyday, I try to lead the squad,” Cunningham said. “I haven’t been successful with that. Two-and-28. I just felt like it’s only right that I come up and can speak for it, be the face for it. That locker room and everybody in there cares a lot. Everybody’s trying to do everything they can to win games and be successful. I put a lot of that weight on myself, for sure.”

Here’s more from Detroit:

On FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said the Pistons are likely to target a power forward in free agency in 2024, with Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Tobias Harris and Miles Bridges among the names worth monitoring.
The Pistons have won three championships and have made the NBA Finals five times. But over the past 15 years, they’ve been “meh-to-bad,” with the current group on pace to be the worst team ever, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who takes an in-depth look at the sequence of events that has led Detroit to its historic ineptitude.
While there are no “quick fixes” for a team that’s 2-28, Keith Smith of Spotrac describes how he would go about changing the direction of the franchise, including trading away veterans for draft assets.

Cade: Pistons’ Record-Setting Futility “Weighs On Us Every Day”

December 26th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons established a new NBA record on Tuesday night, as the Nets defeated them 118-112. It was Detroit’s 27th loss in a row, the most consecutive losses by any team in a single season in league history.

Cade Cunningham scored 37 second-half points and 41 in all but it still wasn’t enough for the Pistons, who haven’t tasted victory since Oct. 28.

“It weighs on us every day,” he said during the postgame press conference relayed by Bally Sports Detroit (video link).

Coach Monty Williams said the burden of the losing streak has been tough to shoulder.

“It’s been heavy for a while,” he said (BSD video link).

The Pistons tied the record in a 126-115 loss at Brooklyn on Saturday. Their 27-game losing streak surpasses the futility of the 2010/11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013/14 Philadelphia 76ers, who each lost 26 straight.

Philadelphia dropped 28 straight across parts of two seasons, at the end of 2014/15 and the beginning of the ’15/16 campaign. The Pistons could tie that record when they visit Boston on Thursday.

The Pistons were outscored by 13 points in the second quarter on Tuesday.

“That’s something that’s plagued us all year long, just having that segment of the game or one quarter that kind of put us in the hole and we just haven’t been able to do enough to overcome,” said Williams, who was signed to a six-year contract by owner Tom Gores during the offseason to bring the franchise back to prominence.

Detroit actually had a five-point lead in the fourth but then gave up 13 unanswered points and couldn’t overcome the deficit.

“We need to continue to lean on each other, and continue to push each other and hold each other accountable more than ever now,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason, exerted his leadership after the game.

“He showed me even more in the locker room just now,” Williams said. “He talked passionately about the things we need to do and how everybody has to be in the boat and be accountable for where we are. You have to be real about where we are. Nobody wants something like this attached to them. The bottom line is it’s my job, it’s my responsibility. Coaches are graded on their record. That’s the bottom line.”

Gores promised “changes” last week but it remains to be seen what alterations will be made.

Injury Notes: Duren, Jazz, Wright, Len, B. Brown

December 26th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Pistons looking to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to ever lose 27 consecutive games in a single season, starting center Jalen Duren appears poised to make his return from an eight-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. He’s listed as probable to play vs. Brooklyn on Tuesday, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

While no player on the Pistons has particularly flattering on/off-court numbers this season, the team has played better with Duren available. Detroit’s net rating in the big man’s 404 minutes this season is -7.9; that net rating slips to just -12.8 in the team’s 988 minutes without him on the court.

Here are a few more injury-related updates ahead of Tuesday’s slate of games:

The Jazz will get a couple guards back in their rotation on Tuesday, as both Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot inflammation) have been upgraded from questionable to available, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George has missed Utah’s past six games, while Horton-Tucker was unavailable for the last two.
The Wizards haven’t listed any injuries for Tuesday’s game against Orlando, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter), which means veteran guard Delon Wright should be available for the first time since spraining his left knee on November 10.
Kings center Alex Len, who last played on November 13, has been upgraded to available and been cleared to return from a high right ankle sprain, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Len will actually play at all in Portland on Tuesday, given that he only logged 41 total minutes across six appearances prior to the injury.
Pacers wing Bruce Brown has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Houston as a result of a right knee bone bruise (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). It’ll be the second consecutive missed game for Brown after he appeared in each of Indiana’s first 27 contests this season.

Williams "Blown Away" By Team's Spirit

December 24th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons tied the NBA single-season record with their 26th straight loss on Saturday but coach Monty Williams says it hasn’t killed his team’s spirit. “Everybody feels down when you lose and you’ve lost this many in a row. You have to allow people to be human. But the way they come back the next day is something I’m blown away at,” Williams said on Bally Sports Detroit (video link). “I’ve been around a lot of teams. Not many teams have that type of resilience. Our guys don’t want to be a part of any kind of losing streak. But every day they come back with focus and drive and grit, trying to win a game.”