The Detroit Pistons head into a home game against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight riding a 20-game losing streak.
With Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley III out, the Pistons won't have an easy time stopping Joel Embiid, though you never know, the Pistons could play loose as a heavy underdog and catch the 76ers sleeping.
If not, they get to play them on the road two days later before going to Milwaukee the very next night to play the Bucks on the road as the second game of a back-to-back.
Unless Detroit can steal one tonight, they are staring at a 23-game losing streak, just three shy of tying the single-season record and five away from the all-time record.
Luckily, the Pistons will have some better chances to break the streak, but even those won't be easy.
Detroit Pistons schedule: When is the next win coming?
The Pistons will then have a day off before heading to Atlanta to play the Hawks. Atlanta already beat the Pistons once this year and all four times last season.
The best chance for a win is likely the Utah Jazz, who the Pistons play at home on December 21st. Detroit should be well rested and there is a remote possibility that Jalen Duren will be back.
Failure to win either of those games, and the Pistons will be facing an away/home against the Nets and the Celtics on the road to avoid tying the all-time losing streak.
This is not good territory to be in already. According to Zach Kram of The Ringer, nine teams have had 20+ game losing streaks in NBA history. The fastest any of them got to .500 or won a playoff series after that was four seasons later.
A losing streak this long isn't indicative of a team that is on the verge of making a leap anytime soon.
The Detroit Pistons have to find a way to get a win and start to turn things around or they are going to be even deeper into the part of NBA history no franchise wants to be a part of, especially when there is no quick fix in sight.