Fansided

Every NBA team’s worst iteration ever

By Rich Kraetsch

BOSTON - NOVEMBER 20: Guard Chris Herren and coach Rick Pitino's expressions on the bench reflected their loss against the 76ers. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - NOVEMBER 20: Guard Chris Herren and coach Rick Pitino's expressions on the bench reflected their loss against the 76ers. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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AUBURN HILLS, MI – MARCH 16: Charlie Villanueva #31, Chris Wilcox #9, Rodney Stuckey #3 and Ben Gordon #7 of the Detroit Pistons walk back to the bench during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 16, 2011 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, MI – MARCH 16: Charlie Villanueva #31, Chris Wilcox #9, Rodney Stuckey #3 and Ben Gordon #7 of the Detroit Pistons walk back to the bench during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 16, 2011 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Detroit Pistons (2009-10, 27-55, -5.02 SRS)

The Detroit Pistons franchise has experience plenty of winning since the creation of the NBA. The then-Fort Wayne Pistons began the winning ways leading to 13 straight playoff berths in the ’50s and ’60s. In the 1980s, Detroit made the playoffs nine times including two NBA Championships and of course, found tremendous success in the 2000s winning an NBA Title and making five straight Eastern Conference Finals.

There have been lean years, though. The 1979-80 Pistons come to mind immediately as the Dick Vitale-coached Pistons finished 16-66 with a league-worst -7.57 SRS. The early ‘90s saw a few bad teams as well as the franchise was slowly rebuilding under bugenenoing star Grant Hill.

The year that sticks out most isn’t the worst Pistons year by any means but certainly one of their most disappointing and you could argue the Pistons are still today paying for the mistakes of the 2009-10 team.

In November of the prior year, Detroit began breaking up the team that had given them so much success for the last decade. Chauncey Billups moved to Denver and Allen Iverson was brought into Detroit. Iverson wasn’t long for the team as his free agent status all but guaranteed he’d be gone the next season. The Pistons sputtered but still managed a playoff berth at 39-43.

The Pistons used their new-found salary cap space to sign two dynamic new players: former Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon and former Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva. Both men were signed to five-year deals ensuring they would be the building blocks of the Pistons’ future.

Well, not exactly. The team got worse. Much worse finishing with a 27-55 record, their worst since 1994. Detroit missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

The much-heralded Detroit defense fell off a cliff as the team became one of the league’s worst defenses. Coupled with a bottom-barrell offense, Detroit was in trouble. Gordon regressed seeing his scoring average fall from 20.7 to 13.6 and Villanueva, despite signing a massive deal, found himself coming off the bench throughout the season.

After seemingly decades of success, the Pistons have struggled to get back to their winning ways with 2009-10 Pistons beginning a streak (current) that has seen the franchise miss the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons.

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