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

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.

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

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Team
2 36 Ben Poquette Center United States United States Central Michigan

Roster

1977–78 Detroit Pistons roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
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
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Denver Nuggets 4834.585–33–815–2611–9
x-Milwaukee Bucks 4438.537428–1316–2514–6
Chicago Bulls 4042.488829–1211–308–12
Detroit Pistons 3844.4631024–1714–278–12
Indiana Pacers 3151.3781721–2010–318–12
Kansas City Kings 3151.3781722–199–3211–9
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Portland Trail Blazers5824.707–
2 y-Denver Nuggets4834.58510
3 x-Phoenix Suns4933.5989
4 x-Seattle SuperSonics4735.57311
5 x-Los Angeles Lakers4537.54913
6 x-Milwaukee Bucks4438.53714
7 Golden State Warriors4339.52415
8 Chicago Bulls4042.48818
9 Detroit Pistons3844.46320
10 Indiana Pacers3151.37827
11 Kansas City Kings3151.37827
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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 —2–23–11–31–31–32–21–33–13–12–13–12–23–12–22–22–23–11–31–32–11–3
Boston 2–2—3–11–31–31–31–32–22–22–12–21–23–13–12–22–20–42–21–30–40–41–3
Buffalo 1–31–3—3–11–31–31–30–33–11–31–21–31–32–22–23–11–30–41–31–31–31–3
Chicago 3–13–11–3—3–12–22–21–33–13–10–42–21–31–22–21–33–02–21–32–22–22–1
Cleveland 3–13–13–11–3—3–12–22–22–22–12–22–23–13–12–23–11–31–20–40–43–12–2
Denver 3–13–13–12–21–3—2–22–23–02–22–23–13–13–13–11–31–32–23–12–11–33–1
Detroit 2–23–13–12–22–22–2—2–23–11–31–32–22–23–13–00–40–42–21–31–31–32–2
Golden State 3–12–23–03–12–22–22–2—2–13–13–10–42–23–10–42–21–32–21–33–12–22–2
Houston 1–32–21–31–32–20–31–31–2—3–12–21–31–32–21–32–22–21–32–21–30–41–3
Indiana 1–31–23–11–31–22–23–11–31–3—2–21–30–42–22–21–32–21–31–31–31–33–1
Kansas City 1–22–22–14–02–22–23–11–32–22–2—2–20–42–22–20–41–30–40–40–41–32–2
Los Angeles 1–32–13–12–22–21–32–24–03–13–12–2—3–14–02–13–12–21–30–42–21–32–2
Milwaukee 2–21–33–13–11–31–32–22–23–14–04–01–3—3–12–13–11–21–31–32–21–33–1
New Jersey 1–31–32–22–11–31–31–31–32–22–22–20–41–3—0–41–30–42–20–30–42–22–2
New Orleans 2–22–22–22–22–21–31–34–03–12–22–21–21–24–0—1–32–21–33–11–32–20–4
New York 2–22–21–33–11–33–13–02–22–23–14–01–31–33–13–1—1–31–31–32–22–12–2
Philadelphia 2–24–03–11–33–13–14–03–12–22–23–12–22–14–02–23–1—2–12–23–13–12–2
Phoenix 1–32–24–02–22–12–22–22–23–13–14–03–13–12–23–13–11–2—1–32–22–22–2
Portland 3–13–13–13–14–01–33–13–12–23–14–04–03–13–11–33–02–23–1—2–23–12–1
San Antonio 3–14–03–12–24–01–22–11–33–13–14–02–22–24–03–12–21–32–22–2—2–22–2
Seattle 1–24–03–12–21–33–13–12–24–03–13–13–13–12–22–11–31–32–21–32–2—1–3
Washington 3–13–13–11–22–21–32–22–23–11–32–22–21–32–24–02–22–22–21–22–23–1—

Game log

Regular season

1977–78 game log
Total: 38–44 (home: 24–17; road: 14–27)
October: 4–3 (home: 4–0; road: 0–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
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)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
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)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
January: 7–7 (home: 4–1; road: 3–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
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)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
All-Star Break
March: 8–8 (home: 4–3; road: 4–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
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)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
1977–78 schedule

References

  1. 1 2 "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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