Professional Sports Commentary: The Pistons have fallen to an all-time low, but they have what it takes to bounce back.
Feb. 7, 2024
By Ariston Nishevci
Staff Writer
Sitting last in the National Basketball Association with just six wins and a whopping 43 losses, the Detroit Pistons are in the midst of an embarrassing season. Many fans, including myself, are wondering what is happening to the iconic team that has had so many noteworthy achievements through the years.
The Pistons were a powerhouse back in the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s. During this time, they were known as the Bad Boy Pistons. The team was stacked with talent. Players like Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Isiah Thomas were all on the team.
During that era, the Pistons won two NBA championships, one in 1989 where they swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the series and the other in 1990 where they beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the finals 4-1 in the series.
In 2004, the Pistons won yet another championship against the Lakers. However, their success has fizzled out.
In the 2020-21 season, the Pistons fell off massively, and since then, they have never been the same.
The Pistons are now on track to break the record for the worst record in NBA history, a title currently held by the Philadelphia 76ers, who had a 9-73 record in the 1972-73 season.
The Pistons were a powerhouse back in the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s. During this time, they were known as the Bad Boy Pistons. The team was stacked with talent. Players like Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Isiah Thomas were all on the team.
Since 20202, the Pistons have been under the terrible management of Tom Gores of the firm Platinum Equity, and his poor leadership is catching up to them. The players have been managed poorly, with bad players being given over-priced contracts and the team losing good players like Jontay Porter and RJ Hampton. From what I’ve seen in many sports, this is one of the most poorly managed teams ever.
Nonetheless, I see potential in Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham was drafted from Oklahoma State University in the 2020-21 season, which was the start of the downfall of the Pistons. He has always had great talent, but this season is his best so far as he is averaging 22.4 points per game.
I honestly feel bad for Cunningham because he is such a bright talent, but as long as he is playing for the Pistons, his career won’t go anywhere. I personally want to see him succeed because I like the way he plays. He is creative and has great shooting range, so I’d like to see him get out of the Pistons soon. I would like to see him go to my team, the Brooklyn Nets, because they have promising young players.
With the incredibly poor player management from the Pistons, I could see them losing their only hope in Cunningham with him forcing a trade out of the team. If it does not happen this season, then it will in one of the seasons to come.
The Pistons are in a bad spot, but there is reason to believe they won’t finish with the worst record in NBA history. They have gotten unlucky in some games where they only lost by a few points and despite the predicament they are in, the players still don’t give up. On Jan. 20 in a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pistons only lost by six points, and they sent the game into overtime after being down by 15 at halftime to one of the best teams in the NBA.
Even though this has been a terrible season for them, I believe the Pistons can overcome this tough time. They need a big win to boost their confidence, and despite flaws in their management, I am trying to stay optimistic that their big win will come soon.
