Remembering the 1998-1999 Detroit Pistons

The Gentry-coached Detroit Pistons team had talent and fan favorites, but ended in disappointment.

1999 was a transitional year. The world was preparing for the new millennium, The Sixth Sense was blowing our minds, and Smash Mouth was enjoying their 15 minutes of fame with “All Star.” Meanwhile, despite an NBA work stoppage, basketball was being played by the Detroit Pistons.

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The mid-to-late 90’s were a bit of a lost time in Pistons history. It was a time of transition from the old Bad Boys holdovers to the eventual reign of Grant Hill (or so we thought). But amid the lean times, there were some fun and semi-successful teams. The 1998-1999 Detroit Pistons were one of those teams.

These Pistons, who finished 29-21 in the lockout shortened season, were coached by the ubiquitous Alvin Gentry. They were far better on defense (7^th) than they were on offense (20^th). This will surprise those of you familiar with Gentry’s work.

Of course, the team was led by a young Grant Hill, but there were some memorable role players on the team as well. Fan favorites such as Jerome “the Junk Yard Dog” Williams was a key rebounder off the bench. Even future general manager Joe Dumars shot an impressive 40 percent from three-point range in his final season. A young Jerry Stackhouse showed signs of things to come by averaging 14.5 points per game (on an abominable 37 percent shooting).

There were also some disappointments on the team. Newly-acquired Christian Laettner was a disappointment and only played 16 games due to injuries. In other bad decisions, the Pistons dealt Bonzi Wells to Portland on draft night and missed out on a dangerous scorer. Former Michigan Wolverine Loy Vaught also experienced a continued decline during the 1998-1999 season.

While the 1998-1999 Detroit Pistons showed promise and had undeniable talent, the season ultimately ended in failure. The team did make the playoffs, but lost the series 3-2 in a disappointing game 5 in Atlanta. It was an inauspicious end to a strange decade of basketball.