Login
Login

1976–77 Detroit Pistons season

{{Short description|NBA team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{NBA season

| team = Detroit Pistons

| end_year = 1977

| wins = 44

| losses = 38

| division = Midwest

| division_place = 2

| conf_place = 5

| coach = Herb Brown

| gm = Oscar Feldman

| owner = Bill Davidson

| arena = Cobo Arena

| playoffs = First round
(lost to Warriors 1–2)

| bbr_team = DET

| television = WKBD-TV

| radio = WJR

}}

The 1976–77 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 29th season in the NBA and 20th season in the city of Detroit.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1977.html|title=1976-77 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

The Pistons added Marvin Barnes in the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft, and Detroit finished with a 44–38 (.537) record, 2nd place in the Midwest Division. The team was led by shooting guard Chris Ford (12.3 ppg), free agent addition, forward M.L. Carr (13.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and center Bob Lanier (25.3 ppg, 11.6 rpg, NBA All-Star).{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1977.html|title = 1976-77 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats}} Detroit advanced to the 1977 NBA Playoffs, losing their first round Western Conference series to the Golden State Warriors.

File:M.L.Carr.jpg

The 1976–77 season was described as "absolutely insane, probably the craziest in Pistons history. They won a lot of games, but were completely dysfunctional."{{cite web|url=https://pistonpowered.com/2011/11/09/chevette-to-corvette-no-25-the-1976-77-detroit-pistons/|title = Chevette to Corvette No. 25: The 1976-77 Detroit Pistons|date = 9 November 2011}} John Papanek of Sports Illustrated (SI) would state, "if the Pistons were a TV mini-series, they would make Roots seem like Ding Dong School." Much of the dysfunction centered around the addition of "Bad News" Barnes, who was arrested during the season at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for carrying a gun while on probation, and the addition of Herb Brown as coach, who struggled to get along with the strong personalities on the team.

The Pistons would eventually bench Barnes, who said "News didn’t come here to sit on no wood." In later years, star Detroit center Bob Lanier reflected on the dysfunctional Barnes, stating "In the ABA, Marvin Barnes was a great, great player that had issues. They took a chance on him, but Marvin was still into street life and he affected Eric Money. Money (a Detroit product, who played college ball at Arizona) could shoot the in-between jumper and he might’ve been one of the best that ever played. A few years ago I ran into Marvin in Houston and he said, ‘Bob, I used to get get high all the time and Eric started to get high with me.’ When somebody tells you that and this is 20-some odd years later, you want put your fist right through their head. And I adored Marvin Barnes – I liked his personality and he's as charming a guy as you'd ever want to meet. But in terms of him trying to be part of the team that wins a championship ... man..."{{cite web|url=https://www.sportscasting.com/future-nba-player-marvin-bad-news-barnes-was-caught-in-the-most-inept-robbery-attempt-ever/|title = Future NBA Player Marvin 'Bad News' Barnes Was Caught in the Most Inept Robbery Attempt Ever|date = 17 January 2021}}

Lanier and Barnes each suffered a broken hand late in the season. Barnes did not appear in the playoffs for Detroit but Lanier was able to return.[https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/10/31/scouting-reportsher%20brown ]{{dead link|date=December 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/10/24/this-time-the-news-is-good|title = This time the News is good}} Coach Brown had also elected to start Eric Money over mercurial starter Kevin Porter down the stretch and into the post-season, and the Pistons fell to Golden State 2–1, despite winning the opening game of the series 95–90 in Oakland.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1977-nba-western-conference-first-round-pistons-vs-warriors.html|title=1977 NBA Western Conference First Round - Pistons vs. Warriors|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}

In the deciding third game, Bob Lanier put forward a double-double of 33 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 72% from the floor, only to be out-dueled by fellow Hall of Famer Rick Barry, who scored 35 points to pace the Warriors in the 109–101 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197704170GSW.html|title=Detroit Pistons at Golden State Warriors Box Score, April 17, 1977|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} The game was marred by a 3rd quarter fight with Charles Dudley of Golden State tangling with Eric Money of the Pistons. The fight spilled into the stands as a Warriors fan punching Piston M.L. Carr and Lanier then decking the fan. Reflective of the different era in the game, personal fouls were called on Dudley and Money, and the game resumed.{{cite web | url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/one-of-the-wildest-nba-fights-you-never-heard-of | title=One of the wildest NBA fights you never heard of }}

Barnes would report to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in Cranston, Rhode Island in the off-season to serve a 152-day sentence. He had pleaded guilty to a two-year-old charge that he had attacked Providence teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron. The judge gave him three years of probation. The October 1976 gun at the Detroit airport was a probation violation, causing the requirement to complete that initial sentence.

Draft picks

{{main|1976 NBA draft}}

class="wikitable sortable sortable"

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="10%"| Round

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="10%"| Pick

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="20%"| Player

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="15%"| Position

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="15%"| Nationality

! style="{{NBA color cell|Detroit Pistons}}" width="20%"| College / Team

style="text-align: center"

| 1

| 4

| Leon Douglas

| Center

| {{flagicon|USA}} United States

| Alabama

style="text-align: center"

| 3

| 38

| Phil Sellers

| Guard

| {{flagicon|USA}} United States

| Rutgers

Roster

{{NBA roster header|team=Detroit Pistons|season=1976–77

| bg1 = #002FA7 | color1 = #FFFFFF

| bg2 = #eb003c | color2 = #FFFFFF

}}

{{player2 | num = 24 | first = Marvin | last = Barnes | pos = PF | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 210 | DOB = 1952-07-27 | college = Providence}}

{{player2 | num = 20 | first = Roger | last = Brown | dab = basketball, born 1950 | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 225 | DOB = 1950-02-23 | college = Kansas}}

{{player2 | num = 30 | first = M. L. | last = Carr | pos = SF | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 205 | DOB = 1951-01-09 | college = Guilford}}

{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Leon | last = Douglas | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 230 | DOB = 1954-08-26 | college = Alabama}}

{{player2 | num = 44 | first = Al | last = Eberhard | pos = SF | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 225 | DOB = 1952-05-10 | college = Missouri}}

{{player2 | num = 42 | first = Chris | last = Ford | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 190 | DOB = 1949-01-11 | college = Villanova}}

{{player2 | num = 16 | first = Bob | last = Lanier | | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 250 | DOB = 1948-09-10 | college = St. Bonaventure }}

{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Eric | last = Money | pos = PG | ft = 6 | in = 0 | lbs = 175 | DOB = 1955-02-06 | college = Arizona}}

{{player2 | num = 54 | first = Howard | last = Porter | dab = basketball | pos = PF | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 220 | DOB = 1948-08-31 | college = Villanova}}

{{player2 | num = 1 | first = Kevin | last = Porter | dab = basketball, born 1950 | pos = PG | ft = 6 | in = 0 | lbs = 190 | DOB = 1950-04-17 | college = Saint Francis University}}

{{player2 | num = 11 | first = Phil | last = Sellers | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 195 | DOB = 1953-11-20 | college = Rutgers}}

{{player2 | num = 31 | first = George | last = Trapp | pos = PF | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 205 | DOB = 1948-07-11 | college = Cal State Long Beach}}

{{NBA roster footer

| head_coach =

| asst_coach =

| roster_url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1977.html

| accessdate = November 18, 1976

}}

Regular season

=Season standings=

{{1976–77 NBA Midwest standings|team=DET}}

{{1976–77 NBA West standings|team=DET}}

:z – clinched division title

:y – clinched division title

:x – clinched playoff spot

=Record vs. opponents=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
colspan=23|1976–77 NBA Records
width=100|Team

! style="background:#f00; color:#fff; width=35;"|ATL

! style="background:#006400; color:#fff; width=35;"|BOS

! style="background:#000; color:#f15110; width=35;"|BUF

! style="background:#f00; color:#000; width=35;"|CHI

! style="background:gold; color:darkRed; width=35;"|CLE

! style="background:#0000cd; color:gold; width=35;"|DEN

! style="background:#00f; color:#f00; width=35;"|DET

! style="background:#00f; color:gold; width=35;"|GSW

! style="background:#f00; color:gold; width=35;"|HOU

! style="background:navy; color:gold; width=35;"|IND

! style="background:#00f; color:#fff; width=35;"|KCK

! style="background:purple; color:gold; width=35;"|LAL

!style="background:#006400;color:#B22222;width=35"|MIL

! style="background:#36004a; color:#ff0; width=35;"|NOJ

! style="background:#00f; color:#ff8c00; width=35;"|NYK

!style="background:#B0170C;color:#00056D;width=35"|NYN

! style="background:#f00; color:#00f; width=35;"|PHI

! style="background:purple; color:#ff4500; width=35;"|PHO

! style="background:#000; color:#f00; width=35;"|POR

! style="background:#000; color:silver; width=35;"|SAS

!style="background:#005831;color:#FFC322;width=35"|SEA

! style="background:crimson; color:#0000cd; width=35;"|WAS

style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta—0–44–02–22–22–20–40–41–30–41–22–22–21–31–33–11–30–43–14–01–21–3
style="text-align:left;" | Boston4–0—3–12–21–33–12–21–32–21–23–12–13–12–22–23–11–32–21–34–02–20–4
style="text-align:left;" | Buffalo0–41–3—1–32–22–23–10–31–31–30–31–33–13–11–32–22–23–11–30–43–10–4
style="text-align:left;" | Chicago2–22–23–1—3–11–32–22–21–32–22–23–13–14–02–22–12–22–20–43–12–21–2
style="text-align:left;" | Cleveland2–23–12–21–3—2–21–32–21–32–13–12–24–02–22–23–11–32–12–22–23–11–3
style="text-align:left;" | Denver2–21–32–23–12–2—3–12–23–03–13–12–23–13–12–23–11–33–12–21–24–02–2
style="text-align:left;" | Detroit4–02–21–32–23–11–3—3–12–22–24–01–33–13–11–23–12–22–22–21–21–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | Golden State4–03–13–02–22–22–21–3—2–14–01–32–21–31–31–33–13–14–01–32–21–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | Houston3–12–23–13–13–10–32–21–2—4–02–22–23–12–22–22–21–33–13–12–23–13–1
style="text-align:left;" | Indiana4–02–13–12–21–21–32–20–40–4—2–21–32–22–22–24–02–22–20–42–22–20–4
style="text-align:left;" | Kansas City2–11–33–02–21–31–30–43–12–22–2—1–32–22–24–04–01–33–12–21–31–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | Los Angeles2–21–23–11–32–22–23–12–22–23–13–1—3–13–01–34–02–23–13–13–13–14–0
style="text-align:left;" | Milwaukee2–21–31–31–30–41–31–33–11–32–22–21–3—1–21–33–11–21–32–23–11–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | New Orleans3–12–21–30–42–21–31–33–12–22–22–20–32–1—3–12–20–43–12–21–31–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | N.Y. Knicks3–12–23–12–22–22–22–13–12–22–20–43–13–11–3—2–21–32–21–31–31–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | N.Y. Nets1–31–32–21–21–31–31–31–32–20–40–40–41–32–22–2—1–32–20–31–31–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia3–13–12–22–23–13–12–21–33–12–23–12–22–14–03–13–1—1–22–21–32–23–1
style="text-align:left;" | Phoenix4–02–21–32–21–21–32–20–41–32–21–31–33–11–32–22–22–1—1–31–33–11–3
style="text-align:left;" | Portland1–33–13–14–02–22–22–23–11–34–02–21–32–22–23–13–02–23–1—2–23–11–2
style="text-align:left;" | San Antonio0–40–44–01–32–22–12–12–22–22–23–11–31–33–13–13–13–13–12–2—3–12–2
style="text-align:left;" | Seattle2–12–21–32–21–30–43–13–11–32–23–11–33–13–12–13–12–21–31–31–3—3–1
style="text-align:left;" | Washington3–14–04–02–13–12–23–11–31–34–02–20–43–12–22–23–11–33–12–12–21–3—

Playoffs

{{NBA game log start|Detroit Pistons|end_year=1977|playoffs=yes|bgcolor=#04349C|color=#FFFFFF}}

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|First Round|first=yes|playoffs=yes|show=no|bgcolor=#CC6434|color=#FFFFFF

| home_wins = 0

| home_losses = 1

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 1

}}

|- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;"

| 1

| April 12

| @ Golden State

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197704120GSW.html W 95–90]

| Bob Lanier (28)

| Bob Lanier (17)

| Kevin Porter (6)

| Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
12,459

| 1–0

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;"

| 2

| April 14

| Golden State

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197704140DET.html L 108–138]

| Eric Money (31)

| Bob Lanier (18)

| Eric Money (7)

| Cobo Arena
11,220

| 1–1

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;"

| 3

| April 17

| @ Golden State

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197704170GSW.html L 101–109]

| Bob Lanier (33)

| Bob Lanier (15)

| Money, Porter (8)

| Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
13,155

| 1–2

|-

{{NBA game log end|bbr_team=DET|end_year=1977|playoffs=yes}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{1976-77 NBA season by team}}

{{Detroit Pistons seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1976-77 Detroit Pistons Season}}

Category:Detroit Pistons seasons

Detroit

Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

Category:1976 in Detroit

Category:1977 in Detroit