Our Detroit Pistons have a long, storied history, full of champions and chumps, thrilling moments and doldrums better forgotten. I believe in focusing on the positive and doing everything one can to maintain a glass-half-full sort of mentality in life. Luckily, for much of my time as a fan, the Pistons have made it easy enough to maintain such an attitude. However, recent times have been unkind to the old faithful like me, let alone, newer, younger fans.
Here’s a glimpse of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, may we raise our glasses to only good times ahead.
The 5 most disappointing seasons in Detroit Pistons’ history
#5: 2022-23 Detroit Pistons
We’re going to suffer through some fresh memories as it was just last year when Pistons fans had a modicum of optimism entering the season. We were still on a vibe from the Jaden Ivey-Jalen Duren-led draft class that had most of us feeling like GM Troy Weaver was some kind of magician. Besides Ivey falling to #5 (most mocks had him gone at #4), Detroit also managed to trade back into the lottery and land a young big to build the frontcourt around in Duren. A core began to take shape, with former #1 overall pick Cade Cunningham being the centerpiece. There was a lot of chatter about making it into the play-in tournament. But all that happy talk stopped when it was announced that Cunningham would undergo surgery for a tibial stress fracture.
Just twelve games into Cade’s sophomore year, one in which the fanbase held some hope to see a meaningful game or two in the spring, it was clear that we had another long season ahead of us, and boy, did we ever. Without the captain there to steer the ship, the seas got choppy in a hurry. As a matter of fact, despite the recent influx of talent, the Detroit Pistons took six more “L’s” than they did the season before. All that losing, while nearly unbearable, did position Detroit well in a lottery that would determine where one of the most hyped prospects (Victor Wembanyama) in the history of the NBA would be headed.
Of course, the Pistons didn’t win that lottery, nor did fare particularly well in it. Instead, Detroit endured a freefall back to the 5th pick, and while the Pistons seem to have lucked out by getting Ausar Thompson with it, lottery night was the perfect end to a disastrous season – one of the most disappointing seasons in Pistons history, in fact.