NBA team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1979–80 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons ' 32nd season in the NBA and 23rd season in the city of Detroit .[1] The Pistons were coming off a 30–52 (.366) record from their first season in the Eastern Conference, and aiming to halt declines of six and eight wins from their previous two seasons, but by finishing 16–66 (.195) they had the worst record in franchise history at the time, and the worst NBA record since the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers won only nine games.
Coach Dick Vitale , who was also in charge of player personnel, was fired 12 games into the season, having pushed for a disastrous trade with the Boston Celtics for Bob McAdoo when Pistons free agent M.L. Carr signed with Boston that would eventually net the Celtics key championship components Carr, Robert Parrish , and Kevin McHale in a series of exchanges. Injuries to McAdoo and center Bob Lanier , who was traded during the season, left the Pistons a depleted roster and the team finished with fourteen consecutive defeats.[2] Second year players John Long (19.4 ppg) and Terry Tyler (12.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) had solid seasons to lead the overwhelmed Pistons.[3]
Draft picks [ edit ] 1979–80 Detroit Pistons roster Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From C 54 Benson, Kent 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Indiana C 13 Douglas, Leon 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Alabama G/F 42 Duerod, Terry 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Detroit Mercy F 21 Evans, Earl 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 202 lb (92 kg) UNLV G 24 Hamilton, Roy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) UCLA SF 35 Hubbard, Phil 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Michigan F 32 Kelser, Greg 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Michigan State G 30 Lee, Ron 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 193 lb (88 kg) Oregon SG 25 Long, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Detroit Mercy PF 44 Malovic, Steve 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) San Diego State C 11 McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) North Carolina G 14 Money, Eric 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Arizona F 9 Robinson, Jackie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) UNLV G/F 41 Tyler, Terry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Detroit Mercy
Head coach Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season [ edit ] Season standings [ edit ] z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot Record vs. opponents [ edit ] 1979-80 NBA Records Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS Atlanta — 2–4 1–1 4–2 1–1 6–0 2–0 2–4 4–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 4–2 4–2 4–2 1–1 2–0 5–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 3–3 Boston 4–2 — 2–0 4–2 2–0 6–0 2–0 6–0 4–2 1–1 0–2 2–0 5–1 5–1 3–3 1–1 2–0 4–2 2–0 0–2 2–0 4–2 Chicago 1–1 0–2 — 2–0 2–4 1–1 4–2 1–1 0–2 3–3 1–5 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–5 3–3 0–2 4–2 2–4 2–4 0–2 Cleveland 2–4 2–4 0–2 — 1–1 6–0 2–0 2–4 2–4 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–3 3–3 1–5 1–1 0–2 4–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–3 Denver 1–1 0–2 4–2 1–1 — 1–1 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–6 1–5 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–5 2–4 1–1 3–3 1–5 3–3 1–1 Detroit 0–6 0–6 1–1 0–6 1–1 — 1–1 1–5 1–5 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–4 2–4 1–5 0–2 0–2 2–4 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–4 Golden State 0–2 0–2 2–4 0–2 3–3 1–1 — 1–1 1–1 3–3 1–5 0–6 2–0 0–2 0–2 2–4 2–4 0–2 3–3 0–6 3–3 0–2 Houston 4–2 0–6 1–1 4–2 1–1 5–1 1–1 — 4–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 3–3 3–3 2–4 1–1 1–1 3–3 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–4 Indiana 2–4 2–4 2–0 4–2 1–1 5–1 1–1 2–4 — 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–4 4–2 1–5 0–2 2–0 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2 Kansas City 2–0 1–1 3–3 0–2 6–0 2–0 3–3 2–0 1–1 — 2–4 3–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–5 1–5 1–1 5–1 3–3 6–0 2–0 Los Angeles 1–1 2–0 5–1 1–1 5–1 2–0 5–1 2–0 2–0 4–2 — 3–3 2–0 2–0 1–1 3–3 2–4 2–0 5–1 4–2 6–0 1–1 Milwaukee 1–1 0–2 5–1 2–0 3–3 1–1 6–0 1–1 2–0 3–3 3–3 — 1–1 1–1 0–2 4–2 5–1 0–2 4–2 2–4 4–2 1–1 New Jersey 2–4 1–5 1–1 3–3 1–1 4–2 0–2 3–3 4–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 — 2–4 1–5 1–1 0–2 3–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–3 New York 2–4 1–5 2–0 3–3 1–1 4–2 2–0 3–3 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2 — 0–6 2–0 2–0 4–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–3 Philadelphia 2–4 3–3 1–1 5–1 2–0 5–1 2–0 4–2 5–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 5–1 6–0 — 1–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 5–1 Phoenix 1–1 1–1 5–1 1–1 5–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 2–0 5–1 3–3 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 — 6–0 1–1 2–4 4–2 6–0 2–0 Portland 0–2 0–2 3–3 2–0 4–2 2–0 4–2 1–1 0–2 5–1 4–2 1–5 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–6 — 1–1 4–2 1–5 3–3 1–1 San Antonio 1–5 2–4 2–0 2–4 1–1 4–2 2–0 3–3 4–2 1–1 0–2 2–0 3–3 2–4 2–4 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 1–1 1–1 4–2 San Diego 1–1 0–2 2–4 1–1 3–3 2–0 3–3 0–2 1–1 1–5 1–5 2–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–2 2–4 0–2 — 3–3 5–1 1–1 Seattle 2–0 2–0 4–2 2–0 5–1 2–0 6–0 1–1 2–0 3–3 2–4 4–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–4 5–1 1–1 3–3 — 5–1 1–1 Utah 0–2 0–2 4–2 1–1 3–3 1–1 3–3 0–2 1–1 0–6 0–6 2–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–6 3–3 1–1 1–5 1–5 — 0–2 Washington 3–3 2–4 2–0 3–3 1–1 4–2 2–0 4–2 2–4 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 3–3 1–5 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–1 1–1 2–0 —
Game log [ edit ] Regular season [ edit ] 1979–80 game log Total: 16–66 (Home: 13–28; Road: 3–38) October: 4–5 (home: 3–1; road: 1–4)
November: 3–11 (home: 3–5; road: 0–6)
December: 3–13 (home: 2–4; road: 1–9)
January: 4–11 (home: 3–4; road: 1–7)
February: 1–10 (home: 1–7; road: 0–3)
March: 1–16 (home: 1–7; road: 0–9)
1979–80 schedule
See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] See also [ edit ]
Founded in 1937 Formerly the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1937–1948) and the Fort Wayne Pistons (1948–1957) Based in Detroit, Michigan Franchise Arenas Personnel G League affiliate Retired numbers NBA championships Rivalries Culture and lore
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