Winless November: Detroit Pistons Join Exclusive NBA Record, Facing Challenging Streak Ahead
The Detroit Pistons have entered an unfortunate record book, becoming the 13th team in NBA history to go winless for an entire calendar month, tallying their 16th consecutive loss.
While even struggling NBA teams typically snag a win here and there due to basketball’s unpredictable nature, enduring an entire month without a victory is an exceptional rarity. This dubious distinction has occurred merely 12 times in NBA history until now. The Pistons, after a 2-1 start to the season in October, faced 15 losses in November, extending their losing streak.
Despite a competitive showing in their last game against the Knicks, narrowing a 16-point deficit by halftime but ultimately losing 118-112, Pistons’ coach Monty Williams acknowledged the team’s competitive spirit, albeit dismissing the notion of moral victories. Unfortunately, these seem to be the only victories available to the Pistons currently.
During their winless month, the Pistons struggled defensively, ranking 26th in the NBA, allowing 120 points per 100 possessions, and 27th offensively, scoring only 107.9 points per game. Their net rating of minus-13.4 points per 100 possessions was second-worst, only behind the 1-12 San Antonio Spurs in November.
The last team to experience a winless month was the 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers, who remarkably endured winless stretches in October, November, and April of that season. While the Pistons are far from such a prolonged streak, their upcoming schedule against strong Eastern Conference opponents suggests their challenging stretch might extend beyond 20 games.
Amidst aspirations for a play-in berth at the season’s start, the Pistons have struggled in all facets of the game. The potential return of Bojan Bogdanovic, a much-needed shooter, might aid their revival, but with a grueling schedule ahead, improvements may take time to materialize.
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