Detroit Pistons’ tank update: A new competitor has emerged

The Detroit Pistons have lost three-in-a-row but have not managed to “gain” any ground in the race to the bottom of the NBA.

The Pistons continued to struggle against the Orlando Magic, throwing up enough bricks to build a brand new Palace..

They haven’t won since their victory over the Pelicans and are just 8-22 on the season.

But miraculously, they haven’t really dipped in the standings, as the teams around them have been absolutely horrible.

Minnesota still has the worst record in the NBA and just fired their coach, which could inspire them to a few wins or cause them to plummet further into the abyss. They have only won seven games so far and have lost four-in-a row.

But the new contender for the tanking crown has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose franchise is falling apart (if that was even possible) after an early hot start and have now lost a whopping ten games in a  row and are just 1.5 games ahead of the Pistons in the standings.

If Cleveland keeps this up, they could end up with the league’s worst record, but don’ t worry Detroit, the Pistons are still likely headed for a chance at a top pick.

Detroit Pistons: What are the Pistons’ lottery odds?

Since the bottom three teams all have the same odds, the Pistons still have a 14 percent chance at the number one pick and a 52.1 percent chance of landing in the top-four.

Delon Wright’s injury should help the cause, as the Pistons will be rolling with Dennis Smith Jr. and two-way guards Saben Lee and Frank Jackson at point guard for the next couple of weeks, which should be enough to ensure they don’t win many games.

The Wizards have won four-in-a-row and may play themselves out of the top-four, while Houston and Sacramento are trying to tank their way into it, each losing seven-in-a-row.

The Detroit Pistons may play too hard to tank completely, so it may take some phantom injuries and “days off” down the stretch to ensure they stay in the bottom three with so many teams playing terrible basketball right now.

The Detroit Pistons don’t want to waste another losing season by ending up with the number 7-8 pick in the draft again, so they need to do what it takes to ensure they get the best possible odds without laying down or developing bad habits in their rookies.