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1977–78 Detroit Pistons season

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The 1977–78 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 30th season in the NBA and 21st season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

1977–78 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach
General managerBob Kauffman
Owner(s)Bill Davidson
ArenaCobo Arena
Results
Record38–44 (.463)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Midwest)
Conference: 9th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWKBD-TV
RadioWJR
< 1976–77 1978–79 >

It was the last season playing in Detroit, until the 2017-18 season when the team returned to the city proper.[1] 1977-78 was the franchise's final season in Cobo Arena, as they moved to the Pontiac Silverdome in the Detroit suburbs, also the home of the NFL's Detroit Lions, the next season.

The Pistons finished with a 38-44 (.463) record, 4th place in the Midwest Division. Tensions lingered from the previous season, especially between coach Herb Brown and point guard Kevin Porter. Before the season began, the two tried to make peace, with Porter stating, "This year when I'm yanked I'll accept it," and Brown replying, "I may have made some mistakes." Team captain Bob Lanier, would add, "You can't change human nature. To be fair they should trade one of them."[2] Porter was traded in November, 8 games into the season, to the New Jersey Nets and would lead the NBA in assists on the season. Brown was fired a month later. Then, with Brown gone, Porter would return in a trade to Detroit the following season.

Forward Marvin "Bad News" Barnes would report to the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston, Rhode Island in the 1977 off-season to serve a 152-day sentence. He had pleaded guilty to a two-year-old charge that he had attacked Providence teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron. The judge gave him three years of probation. An October 1976 gun incident at the Detroit airport in which Barnes tried to get a weapon through security was a probation violation,[3] causing the judge to require the completion of that initial sentence.[4][5] Barnes was traded to the Buffalo Braves in November, bringing Gus Gerard and John Shumate to Detroit.[6]

The team was led by center Bob Lanier (24.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, NBA All-Star) and guard Eric Money (18.6 ppg, 4.7 apg), out of the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons.[1][7]

Draft picks

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Main article: 1977 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Team
2 36 Ben Poquette Center   United States Central Michigan

Roster

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1977–78 Detroit Pistons roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 30 Carr, M. L. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Guilford
C 13 Douglas, Leon 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Alabama
SF 44 Eberhard, Al 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Missouri
G/F 42 Ford, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Villanova
F 22 Gerard, Gus 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Virginia
C 16 Lanier, Bob 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) St. Bonaventure
G 14 Money, Eric 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Arizona
C 50 Poquette, Ben 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Central Michigan
PG 15 Price, Jim 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Louisville
F 34 Shumate, John 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Notre Dame
SG 35 Skinner, Al 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) UMass
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Regular season

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Season standings

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Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Denver Nuggets 48 34 .585 – 33–8 15–26 11–9
x-Milwaukee Bucks 44 38 .537 4 28–13 16–25 14–6
Chicago Bulls 40 42 .488 8 29–12 11–30 8–12
Detroit Pistons 38 44 .463 10 24–17 14–27 8–12
Indiana Pacers 31 51 .378 17 21–20 10–31 8–12
Kansas City Kings 31 51 .378 17 22–19 9–32 11–9
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Portland Trail Blazers 58 24 .707 –
2 y-Denver Nuggets 48 34 .585 10
3 x-Phoenix Suns 49 33 .598 9
4 x-Seattle SuperSonics 47 35 .573 11
5 x-Los Angeles Lakers 45 37 .549 13
6 x-Milwaukee Bucks 44 38 .537 14
7 Golden State Warriors 43 39 .524 15
8 Chicago Bulls 40 42 .488 18
9 Detroit Pistons 38 44 .463 20
10 Indiana Pacers 31 51 .378 27
11 Kansas City Kings 31 51 .378 27
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1977–78 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SEA WAS
Atlanta — 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 2–1 1–3
Boston 2–2 — 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 1–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 2–2 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–3
Buffalo 1–3 1–3 — 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 0–3 3–1 1–3 1–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3
Chicago 3–1 3–1 1–3 — 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–2 2–2 1–3 3–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–1
Cleveland 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 — 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–2 0–4 0–4 3–1 2–2
Denver 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 — 2–2 2–2 3–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–1 1–3 3–1
Detroit 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 — 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–0 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2
Golden State 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 — 2–1 3–1 3–1 0–4 2–2 3–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2
Houston 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3 1–2 — 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–3
Indiana 1–3 1–2 3–1 1–3 1–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 — 2–2 1–3 0–4 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 3–1
Kansas City 1–2 2–2 2–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 0–4 0–4 0–4 1–3 2–2
Los Angeles 1–3 2–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 — 3–1 4–0 2–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–3 2–2
Milwaukee 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 1–3 — 3–1 2–1 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1
New Jersey 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 — 0–4 1–3 0–4 2–2 0–3 0–4 2–2 2–2
New Orleans 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–2 1–2 4–0 — 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 0–4
New York 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 4–0 1–3 1–3 3–1 3–1 — 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–1 2–2
Philadelphia 2–2 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 — 2–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2
Phoenix 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–2 — 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2
Portland 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–0 2–2 3–1 — 2–2 3–1 2–1
San Antonio 3–1 4–0 3–1 2–2 4–0 1–2 2–1 1–3 3–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 2–2 2–2
Seattle 1–2 4–0 3–1 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–1 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 — 1–3
Washington 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–2 2–2 3–1 —

Game log

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Regular season

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1977–78 game log
Total: 38–44 (home: 24–17; road: 14–27)
October: 4–3 (home: 4–0; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
3 October 21, 1977
8:05 p.m. EDT 		@ Washington L 109–117 Lanier (33) Lanier (10) Lanier (6) Capital Centre
13,276 		1–2
November: 4–8 (home: 3–4; road: 1–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
11 November 13, 1977
7:05 p.m. EST 		Washington W 104–102 Money (36) Douglas (13) Money (7) Cobo Arena
5,149 		6–5
December: 7–7 (home: 3–5; road: 4–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January: 7–7 (home: 4–1; road: 3–6)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
44 January 24, 1978
8:05 p.m. EST 		@ Washington W 104–101 Lanier (24) Lanier (11) Carr,
Money (4) 		Capital Centre
6,717 		19–25
February: 6–7 (home: 5–3; road: 1–4)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
All-Star Break
March: 8–8 (home: 4–3; road: 4–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
62 March 3, 1978
8:05 p.m. EST 		Washington L 108–124 Money (20) Poquette (12) Money (7) Cobo Arena
5,033 		29–33
April: 2–4 (home: 1–1; road: 1–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1977–78 schedule

References

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  1. ^ a b "1977-78 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "Scouting Reports".
  3. ^ "Barnes Pleads Guilty to Lesser Gun Charges". The New York Times. December 17, 1976.
  4. ^ "This time the News is good".
  5. ^ "Future NBA Player Marvin 'Bad News' Barnes Was Caught in the Most Inept Robbery Attempt Ever". January 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Marvin Barnes Stats".
  7. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 33: The 1977-78 Detroit Pistons". October 28, 2011.
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