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1977–78 Detroit Pistons season

{{Short description|NBA team season}}

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

{{NBA season

| team = Detroit Pistons

| end_year = 1978

| wins = 38

| losses = 44

| division = Midwest

| division_place = 4

| conf_place = 9

| coach =

| gm = Bob Kauffman

| owner = Bill Davidson

| arena = Cobo Arena

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| bbr_team = DET

| television = WKBD-TV

| radio = WJR

}}

The 1977–78 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 30th season in the NBA and 21st season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

It was the last season playing in Detroit, until the 2017-18 season when the team returned to the city proper.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1978.html|title=1977-78 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats|website=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=19 February 2022}} 1977-78 was the franchise's final season in Cobo Arena, as they moved to the Pontiac Silverdome in the Detroit suburbs, also the home of the NFL's Detroit Lions, the next season.

The Pistons finished with a 38-44 (.463) record, 4th place in the Midwest Division. Tensions lingered from the previous season, especially between coach Herb Brown and point guard Kevin Porter. Before the season began, the two tried to make peace, with Porter stating, "This year when I'm yanked I'll accept it," and Brown replying, "I may have made some mistakes." Team captain Bob Lanier, would add, "You can't change human nature. To be fair they should trade one of them."{{Cite web|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/10/31/scouting-reports|title=Scouting Reports}} Porter was traded in November, 8 games into the season, to the New Jersey Nets and would lead the NBA in assists on the season. Brown was fired a month later. Then, with Brown gone, Porter would return in a trade to Detroit the following season.

Forward Marvin "Bad News" Barnes would report to the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston, Rhode Island in the 1977 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. An October 1976 gun incident at the Detroit airport in which Barnes tried to get a weapon through security was a probation violation,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/17/archives/barnes-pleads-guilty-to-lesser-gun-charges.html|title = Barnes Pleads Guilty to Lesser Gun Charges|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 17 December 1976}} causing the judge to require the completion of that initial sentence.{{Cite web|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/10/24/this-time-the-news-is-good|title = This time the News is good}}{{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}} Barnes was traded to the Buffalo Braves in November, bringing Gus Gerard and John Shumate to Detroit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barnema01.html|title = Marvin Barnes Stats}}

The team was led by center Bob Lanier (24.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, NBA All-Star) and guard Eric Money (18.6 ppg, 4.7 apg), out of the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons.{{Cite web|url=https://pistonpowered.com/2011/10/28/chevette-to-corvette-no-33-the-1977-78-detroit-pistons/|title = Chevette to Corvette No. 33: The 1977-78 Detroit Pistons|date = 28 October 2011}}

Draft picks

{{main article|1977 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"

| 2

| 36

| Ben Poquette

| Center

| {{flagicon|USA}} United States

| Central Michigan

Roster

{{NBA roster header|team=Detroit Pistons|season=1977–78

| bg1 = #002FA7 | color1 = #FFFFFF

| bg2 = #eb003c | color2 = #FFFFFF

}}

{{player2 | num = 30 | first = M. L. | last = Carr | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 205 | college = Guilford}}

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

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

{{player2 | num = 42 | first = Chris | last = Ford | pos = G-F | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 190 | college = Villanova}}

{{player2 | num = 22 | first = Gus | last = Gerard | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 205 | college = Virginia}}

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

{{player2 | num = 14 | first = Eric | last = Money | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 0 | lbs = 175 | college = Arizona}}

{{player2 | num = 50 | first = Ben | last = Poquette | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 235 | college = Central Michigan}}

{{player2 | num = 15 | first = Jim | last = Price | dab = basketball | pos = PG | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 195 | college = Louisville}}

{{player2 | num = 34 | first = John | last = Shumate | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 235 | college = Notre Dame}}

{{player2 | num = 35 | first = Al | last = Skinner | pos = SG | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 190 | college = Massachusetts}}

{{NBA roster footer

|head_coach =

|asst_coach =

}}

Regular season

=Season standings=

{{1977–78 NBA Midwest standings|team=DET}}

{{1977–78 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|1977–78 NBA Records
width=100|Team

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|ATL

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

!style="background:#000000;color:#F15110;width=35"|BUF

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#000000;width=35"|CHI

!style="background:#FFD700;color:#8B0000;width=35"|CLE

!style="background:#0000CD;color:#FFD700;width=35"|DEN

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FF0000;width=35"|DET

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FFD700;width=35"|GSW

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#FFD700;width=35"|HOU

!style="background:#000080;color:#FFD700;width=35"|IND

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FFFFFF;width=35"|KCK

!style="background:#800080;color:#FFD700;width=35"|LAL

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

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

!style="background:#36004A;color:#FFFF00;width=35"|NOJ

!style="background:#0000FF;color:#FF8C00;width=35"|NYK

!style="background:#FF0000;color:#0000FF;width=35"|PHI

!style="background:#800080;color:#FF4500;width=35"|PHO

!style="background:#000000;color:#FF0000;width=35"|POR

!style="background:#000000;color:#C0C0C0;width=35"|SAS

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

!style="background:#DC143C;color:#0000CD;width=35"|WAS

style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta—2–23–11–31–31–32–21–33–13–12–13–12–23–12–22–22–23–11–31–32–11–3
style="text-align:left;" | Boston2–2—3–11–31–31–31–32–22–22–12–21–23–13–12–22–20–42–21–30–40–41–3
style="text-align:left;" | Buffalo1–31–3—3–11–31–31–30–33–11–31–21–31–32–22–23–11–30–41–31–31–31–3
style="text-align:left;" | Chicago3–13–11–3—3–12–22–21–33–13–10–42–21–31–22–21–33–02–21–32–22–22–1
style="text-align:left;" | Cleveland3–13–13–11–3—3–12–22–22–22–12–22–23–13–12–23–11–31–20–40–43–12–2
style="text-align:left;" | Denver3–13–13–12–21–3—2–22–23–02–22–23–13–13–13–11–31–32–23–12–11–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | Detroit2–23–13–12–22–22–2—2–23–11–31–32–22–23–13–00–40–42–21–31–31–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | Golden State3–12–23–03–12–22–22–2—2–13–13–10–42–23–10–42–21–32–21–33–12–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | Houston1–32–21–31–32–20–31–31–2—3–12–21–31–32–21–32–22–21–32–21–30–41–3
style="text-align:left;" | Indiana1–31–23–11–31–22–23–11–31–3—2–21–30–42–22–21–32–21–31–31–31–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | Kansas City1–22–22–14–02–22–23–11–32–22–2—2–20–42–22–20–41–30–40–40–41–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | Los Angeles1–32–13–12–22–21–32–24–03–13–12–2—3–14–02–13–12–21–30–42–21–32–2
style="text-align:left;" | Milwaukee2–21–33–13–11–31–32–22–23–14–04–01–3—3–12–13–11–21–31–32–21–33–1
style="text-align:left;" | New Jersey1–31–32–22–11–31–31–31–32–22–22–20–41–3—0–41–30–42–20–30–42–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | New Orleans2–22–22–22–22–21–31–34–03–12–22–21–21–24–0—1–32–21–33–11–32–20–4
style="text-align:left;" | New York2–22–21–33–11–33–13–02–22–23–14–01–31–33–13–1—1–31–31–32–22–12–2
style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia2–24–03–11–33–13–14–03–12–22–23–12–22–14–02–23–1—2–12–23–13–12–2
style="text-align:left;" | Phoenix1–32–24–02–22–12–22–22–23–13–14–03–13–12–23–13–11–2—1–32–22–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | Portland3–13–13–13–14–01–33–13–12–23–14–04–03–13–11–33–02–23–1—2–23–12–1
style="text-align:left;" | San Antonio3–14–03–12–24–01–22–11–33–13–14–02–22–24–03–12–21–32–22–2—2–22–2
style="text-align:left;" | Seattle1–24–03–12–21–33–13–12–24–03–13–13–13–12–22–11–31–32–21–32–2—1–3
style="text-align:left;" | Washington3–13–13–11–22–21–32–22–23–11–32–22–21–32–24–02–22–22–21–22–23–1—

Game log

=Regular season=

{{NBA game log start|Detroit Pistons|end_year=1978|bgcolor=#0000FF|color=#FF0000|record=Total: 38–44 (home: 24–17; road: 14–27)}}

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|October|first=yes|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 4

| home_losses = 0

| road_wins = 0

| road_losses = 3

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 3

| October 21, 1977
8:05{{nbsp}}p.m. EDT

| @ Washington

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197710210WSB.html L 109–117]

| Lanier (33)

| Lanier (10)

| Lanier (6)

| Capital Centre
13,276

| 1–2

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|November|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 3

| home_losses = 4

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 4

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 11

| November 13, 1977
7:05{{nbsp}}p.m. EST

| Washington

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197711130DET.htm W 104–102]

| Money (36)

| Douglas (13)

| Money (7)

| Cobo Arena
5,149

| 6–5

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|December|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 3

| home_losses = 5

| road_wins = 4

| road_losses = 2

}}

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|January|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 4

| home_losses = 1

| road_wins = 3

| road_losses = 6

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"

| 44

| January 24, 1978
8:05{{nbsp}}p.m. EST

| @ Washington

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197801240WSB.html W 104–101]

| Lanier (24)

| Lanier (11)

| Carr,
Money (4)

| Capital Centre
6,717

| 19–25

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|February|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 5

| home_losses = 3

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 4

}}

|- align="center"

|colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break

|- style="background:#cfc;"

|- bgcolor="#bbffbb"

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|March|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 4

| home_losses = 3

| road_wins = 4

| road_losses = 5

}}

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"

| 62

| March 3, 1978
8:05{{nbsp}}p.m. EST

| Washington

| [https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197803030DET.html L 108–124]

| Money (20)

| Poquette (12)

| Money (7)

| Cobo Arena
5,033

| 29–33

{{NBA game log section|Detroit Pistons|April|bgcolor=#FF0000|color=#0000FF

| home_wins = 1

| home_losses = 1

| road_wins = 1

| road_losses = 3

}}

{{NBA game log end|bbr_team=DET|end_year=1978}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{1977-78 NBA season by team}}

{{Detroit Pistons seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1977-78 Detroit Pistons Season}}

Category:Detroit Pistons seasons

Detroit

Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

Category:1977 in Detroit

Category:1978 in Detroit