Pistons news: New coaches, Detroit defends title and no corners
![Jan 27, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A pair of young Detroit Pistons react during a Fan Cam time Jan 27, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A pair of young Detroit Pistons react during a Fan Cam time](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_654/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/67/01hn7wn5qkdejewnkxbh.jpg)
The Detroit Pistons successfully defended their title as worst team in the NBA last night, losing by 14 points at home to the Washington Wizards, who have an 8-37 record.
That title might have been up for debate had the Pistons won, as it would have put them within a game of the stinking Wizards and given them a 2-1 advantage on Washington for the season. Instead, the Pistons put in the work to show that they are, in fact, the worst team in the NBA.
The Pistons scored a pathetic 41 points in the second half, committed 17 turnovers overall and lost the rebounding battle to the worst rebounding team in the league, including giving up 16 offensive rebounds to a team that averages half that on the season.
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Cade Cunningham nearly had a triple-double with points, assists and turnovers, Monte Morris and Killian Hayes were in a contest to see who could be the worst player on the floor, as both players had as many turnovers as they did points (I give a pass to Morris since he's still getting his legs and had to play most of his minutes with Killian), the entire bench had a negative net rating and the Pistons shot 28 percent from 3-point range as a team.
Ahhh, back to normal.
New coaches and no corners turned in Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards Dwane Casey-fired coach Wes Unseld Jr. and moved him to the front office, which is what you do when you want to fire an underperforming coach without having to pay him not to work.
Interim coach Brian Keefe got his first win in two tries, amassing 20 percent of Monty Williams' win total for the season in just two games.
It's a wild idea that wins might matter towards your job security in professional sports, just wild.
After the game, coach Williams bemoaned the lack of scoring in the second unit.
Williams: "second unit came on and we couldn't run an offense."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) January 27, 2024
But that didn't stop him from using all bench groups that included a rusty Monte Morris and Killian Hayes as the backcourt, a unit that very predictably (unless you are Monty Williams) couldn't score and coughed up an early double-digit lead.
While most teams have figured out their rotation more than halfway through the season and have chiseled it down to 9-10 guys, Williams ran out 11 different players last night in a rotation that changes from night to night based on, well, I have no idea.
Marcus Sasser didn't get off the bench in favor of the aforementioned Hayes, who did have two blocks, with both coming directly after his two turnovers to keep things balanced.
So if you thought those two close losses to Milwaukee or the win over the depleted and terrible Charlotte Hornets meant the Pistons were "turning a corner," you can forget about that notion.
If they did turn a corner it was to circle right back to where they came from, which is being the worst team in the NBA with no direction or plan for how to change that.
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