Detroit Pistons Year in Review: 2015

As we close the calendar and turn to 2016, it’s a good time to look back on 2015. What a year it was.

Jan. 4: The Pistons followed a win over the Knicks by beating the Kings, Detroit’s fifth straight win since releasing Josh Smith. Multiple people covering the Pistons wrote optimistic articles exploring their playoff chances.

Jan. 6: The Pistons lost to the Spurs.
Jan. 7: The Pistons lost to the Mavericks.
Jan. 9: The Pistons lost to the Hawks. Expectations fall back in line.
Jan. 24: Before his final game against the team that gave up on him before free agency, Brandon Knight insisted this one didn’t matter more than any other game. He scored 31 points and dished nine assists.
Jan. 31: Josh Smith returned to The Palace to loud boos. He scored 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds, five assists and five turnovers. He also hit the game-sealing 3-pointer.
Feb. 13: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the only Piston with a realistic chance, was not invited to the Rising Stars Challenge. Trey Burke was.
Feb. 15: The East beat the West in the All-Star Game. Despite Andre Drummond’s strong play over the previous couple months, he did not make the game.
Feb. 19: The trade deadline passed without the Pistons making another trade since their in-season deal for Anthony Tolliver.
March 6: Josh Smith shot 3-for-6 for eight points with three rebounds in Houston’s second win over Detroit.
April 12: The Pistons were officially eliminated from the playoff race with a loss to the Hornets.
April 15: The Pistons beat the Knicks to finish ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 record, their best mark in six years.
May 19: The Pistons secured the No. 11 pick in the draft after entering the lottery with the No. 11 seed.
June 13: Former Pistons coach Alvin Gentry won an NBA championship as an assistant with the Warriors, who beat the Cavaliers in five games.
June 25: The Pistons drafted Myles Turner.
June 30: The Pistons waived Caron Butler and Anthony Tolliver
July 1: The Pistons met with Draymond Green and reports emerged they had in-depth conversations with the Suns. Speculation emerged a Greg Monroe-for-Goran Dragic dual sign-and-trade could be in the works.
July 2: Draymond Green re-signs with the Warriors for four years and $42 million. (Sorry, Patrick.)
July 3: The Pistons agreed to terms with Jeff Green for a four-year, $45 million contract.
July 4: The Pistons traded a protected future first-round pick for Isaiah Thomas. Goran Dragic re-signed with the Suns on a max contract.
July 5: Greg Monroe agreed to terms with the Celtics on a four-year, $60 million contract.
July 9: The Pistons signed Kyle O’Quinn to four-year, $36 million offer sheet.
July 10: The Pistons signed Jared Dudley to a two-year, $7 million contract.
July 12: The Magic declined to match O’Quinn’s offer sheet, sending him to Detroit.
September 29: The Pistons opened training camp with Tom Gores made a surprise appearance. He told the media he’s remaining patient with the rebuild.
Oct. 28: The Pistons opened the season with a 104-88 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Nov. 11: The Pistons beat the Monroe-led Celtics, and with a 5-2 record, the Pistons avoided the poor starts that plagued them in previous seasons.
Dec. 25: The Pistons, once again, are home for Christmas without a game.
Dec. 31: The Pistons beat the Wizards to move to 19-12, fourth in the Eastern Conference.

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