1995–96 Detroit Pistons season

{{Short description|NBA team season}}

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

{{NBA season

| team = Detroit Pistons

| end_year = 1996

| wins = 46

| losses = 36

| division = Central

| division_place = 5

| conf_place = 7

| coach = Doug Collins

| gm = Rick Sund

| owner = Bill Davidson

| arena = The Palace of Auburn Hills

| playoffs = First round
(lost to Magic 0–3)

| bbr_team = DET

| television = WKBD-TV
(George Blaha, Kelly Tripucka)
PASS Sports
(Fred McLeod, Greg Kelser)

| radio = WWJ
(George Blaha)

}}

The 1995–96 NBA season was the Pistons' 48th season in the National Basketball Association, and 39th season in the city of Detroit.[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1996.html 1995-96 Detroit Pistons] During the off-season, the Pistons hired Doug Collins as head coach,{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Pistons to Fire Chaney, Likely Hire Collins: Pro basketball: Dismissals of Coach and Key Executive Expected a Day Later Than Planned | work = Los Angeles Times | date = April 26, 1995 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-26-sp-58963-story.html | access-date = April 19, 2023}}{{cite news | title = SPORTS PEOPLE: N.B.A.; Pistons Giving Collins Chaney's Job and More | work = The New York Times | date = April 27, 1995 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/27/sports/sports-people-nba-pistons-giving-collins-chaney-s-job-and-more.html | access-date = May 14, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = NBA PLAYOFFS: Disorder in the Ranks Replaces '80s Dynasties | work = Los Angeles Times | date = April 27, 1995 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-27-sp-59520-story.html | access-date = January 1, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Smith | first = Sam | title = Collins Takes Charge Again | work = Chicago Tribune | date = November 8, 1995 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-11-08-9511080023-story,amp.html | access-date = July 3, 2021}} while acquiring Otis Thorpe from the Portland Trail Blazers; Thorpe won a championship as a member of the Houston Rockets in the 1994 NBA Finals.{{cite news | title = SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Trail Blazers Trade Thorpe to Pistons | work = The New York Times | date = September 21, 1995 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/21/sports/sports-people-basketball-trail-blazers-trade-thorpe-to-pistons.html | access-date = July 18, 2021}}{{cite news | agency = Staff and Wire Reports | title = Pistons Get Thorpe for Rookie Childress | work = Los Angeles Times | date = September 21, 1995 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-21-sp-48275-story.html | access-date = July 24, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Blazers, Pistons Cut Deal | work = The Spokesman-Review | date = September 21, 1995 | url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/sep/21/blazers-pistons-cut-deal/ | access-date = December 19, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Staff and Wire Reports | title = Sports Digest; Forward Goes to Pistons for Childress, Curley | work = SFGate | date = September 21, 1995 | url = https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/SPORTS-DIGEST-FORWARD-GOES-TO-PISTONS-FOR-3024488.php | access-date = October 30, 2024}} Under Collins, the Pistons, who were now led by second-year star Grant Hill and Allan Houston, struggled with a 5–9 record in November, but played over .500 basketball for the remainder of the season, holding a 23–22 record at the All-Star break.{{cite web | title = NBA Games Played on February 8, 1996 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/index.fcgi?month=2&day=8&year=1996 | access-date = July 18, 2022}} At mid-season, the team signed free agent Michael Curry, who was previously released by the Washington Bullets.{{cite news | title = Transactions | work = The New York Times | date = February 1, 1996 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/sports/transactions-013161.html | access-date = October 14, 2021}}{{cite news | title = Transactions | work = Hartford Courant | date = February 1, 1996 | url = https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1996-02-01-9602010762-story.html | access-date = January 13, 2023}} The Pistons reemerged as a playoff contender finishing in fifth place in the Central Division with a 46–36 record,{{cite web | title = 1995–96 Detroit Pistons Schedule and Results | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1996_games.html | access-date = June 21, 2021}} and returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence.

Hill led the team with 20.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game in San Antonio, Texas.{{cite news | last = Bembry | first = Jerry | title = NBA Coaches Recognize Howard's Star Quality; Bullets' 2nd-Year Player Named Eastern Reserve | work = The Baltimore Sun | date = January 31, 1996 | url = https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-01-31-1996031111-story.html | access-date = April 19, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Heisler | first = Mark | title = NBA Has All-Stars in Its Eyes | work = Los Angeles Times | date = February 11, 1996 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-11-sp-34849-story.html | access-date = January 2, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = NBA.com Staff | title = 1996 NBA All-Star Recap | publisher = NBA.com | date = September 13, 2021 | url = https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-star-recap-1996 | access-date = May 16, 2023}}{{cite web | title = 1996 NBA All-Star Game: East 129, West 118 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1996.html | access-date = November 27, 2021}} In addition, Houston finished second on the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, and led them with 191 three-point field goals, while Thorpe provided the team with 14.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Joe Dumars played half of the season off the bench as the team's sixth man, averaging just 11.8 points and 4.0 assists per game,{{cite news | last = Romano | first = John | title = Sharing the Wealth of His Experience | work = Tampa Bay Times | date = April 25, 1996 | url = https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/04/25/sharing-the-wealth-of-his-experience/ | access-date = October 3, 2022}}{{cite web | title = 26. Detroit Pistons | publisher = Ibiblio | url = https://www.ibiblio.org/craig/draft/1996_draft/draft/26.html | access-date = January 30, 2023}} as Lindsey Hunter was the team's starting point guard for half the season, contributing 8.5 points per game, and Terry Mills provided with 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench. On the defensive side, top draft pick Theo Ratliff led the team with 1.5 blocks per game off the bench, and second-round draft pick Don Reid was the team's starting power forward, averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.{{cite web | title = 1995–96 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1996.html |access-date= June 21, 2021}}

Hill also finished tied in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Houston finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting,{{cite web | title = 1995–96 Regular Season Award Winners | website = Eskimo.com | url = https://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/misc/awards96.txt | access-date = January 6, 2025}}{{cite web | title = 1995–96 NBA Awards Voting | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.html | access-date = January 6, 2025}} and Collins finished tied in third place in Coach of the Year voting,{{cite news | title = Bulls' Jackson NBA Coach of Year | publisher = United Press International | date = May 7, 1996 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/05/07/Bulls-Jackson-NBA-Coach-of-Year/1100831441600/ | access-date = October 7, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Isaacson | first = Melissa | title = Better Late Than Never: Jackson Selected Coach of the Year | work = Chicago Tribune | date = May 8, 1996 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-05-08-9605080254-story.html | access-date = February 1, 2023}}

However, in the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons would be swept by the Orlando Magic in three straight games.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Magic Gets First Sweep by Finishing Off Pistons | work = The New York Times | date = May 1, 1996 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/01/sports/nba-playoffs-magic-gets-first-sweep-by-finishing-off-pistons.html | access-date = October 13, 2017}}{{cite news | last = Johnson | first = L.C. | title = Clean Sweep | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = May 1, 1996 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1996-05-01-9605010078-story.html | access-date = November 25, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Atkins | first = Harry | title = Magic 101, Pistons 98 | work = Associated Press | date = May 1, 1996 | url = https://apnews.com/article/639b8f3c19da134757fa67f4a73eae03 | access-date = June 4, 2022}}{{cite web | title = 1996 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Pistons vs. Magic | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1996-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-pistons-vs-magic.html | access-date = February 5, 2023}} Following the season, Houston signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks,{{cite news | last = Brown | first = Clifton | title = PRO BASKETBALL; A New Backcourt: Childs and Houston Join the Knicks | work = The New York Times | date = July 14, 1996 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/14/sports/pro-basketball-a-new-backcourt-childs-and-houston-join-the-knicks.html | accessdate = July 10, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Knicks Get Childs; Houston on Tap | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = July 14, 1996 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1996/07/14/knicks-get-childs-houston-on-tap/ | access-date = June 24, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Payton Stays in Seattle, Knicks Get a Backcourt | work = Los Angeles Times | date = July 15, 1996 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-15-sp-24361-story.html | access-date = September 22, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Sheridan | first = Chris | title = Knicks Acquire Larry Johnson, Sign Houston and Childs | work = Associated Press | date = July 15, 1996 | url = https://apnews.com/article/9dfbf65421881a5d42176bdaaf4d2368 | access-date = July 18, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220929003031/https://apnews.com/article/9dfbf65421881a5d42176bdaaf4d2368 | archive-date = September 29, 2022 | url-status = dead}} which left a bitter feud between Houston and Hill's relationship,{{cite news | last = Heisler | first = Mark | title = Let Them Show Something Before It's Showtime Again | work = Los Angeles Times | date = November 3, 1996 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-03-sp-60931-story.html | access-date = September 24, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Wise | first = Mike | title = Once a Hero, Now the Enemy | work = The New York Times | date = December 18, 1996 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/18/sports/once-a-hero-now-the-enemy.html | access-date = September 24, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Smith | first = Sam | title = Pistons Revive Rivalry | work = Chicago Tribune | date = December 25, 1996 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-12-25-9612250017-story.html | access-date = January 30, 2023}} and Mark West signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.{{cite news | last = Fischer | first = Bob | title = Magic Acquires Spencer to Fill Gap | work = Chicago Tribune | date = August 10, 1996 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-08-10-9608100060-story.html | access-date = June 28, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Transactions | work = Hartford Courant | date = August 10, 1996 | url = https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1996-08-10-9608100237-story.html | access-date = December 27, 2022}}

During a road game against the Magic on March 20, 1996, and with the Magic up by 20 points against the Pistons, Magic reverse guard Anthony Bowie called a timeout with 2.7 seconds left to set up a play, so he could get his first career triple-double; Collins was upset about this, and ordered his players off the court to the locker room before the game had ended. Collins was fined $5,000 by the league, as the Magic defeated the Pistons, 113–91.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Magic's Bowie Shows Class--or Lack of It | work = Los Angeles Times | date = March 20, 1996 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-20-sp-49121-story.html | access-date = October 5, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Povtak | first = Tim | title = Triple-Trouble for Magic | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = March 20, 1996 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1996-03-20-9603200241-story.html | access-date = January 30, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Coach Is Fined for Early Exit | work = The New York Times | date = March 21, 1996 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/21/sports/pro-basketball-coach-is-fined-for-early-exit.html | access-date = October 5, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Povtak | first = Tim | title = NBA Hits Collins with $5,000 Fine | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = March 21, 1996 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1996-03-21-9603201362-story.html | access-date = November 19, 2022}}