In November, many people participate in no-shave November. However, following the Detroit Pistons’ loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 30, it completes the Pistons’ pursuit of a challenge no NBA team wants to achieve: No Win November.
Not only has the loss to the Knicks left the Pistons winless in November, but it also extends the franchise’s largest losing streak in franchise history to 16 consecutive losses.
So the question to ask is, how did the Pistons get here? Just one month ago, this team started 2-1 and looked to be turning a corner from their losing ways. While this season has been horrid for the team for multiple reasons, the four following issues have been the most apparent.
The lack of veteran talent is just one issue the Pistons have had this season.
Currently, the average age of the Pistons starting lineup is precisely 21 years old. Among all other starting lineups in the NBA, they have the youngest starting lineup in the league. Additionally, among NBA rosters as a whole, the Pistons have the eighth-youngest team in the league.
With an absence of experience and leadership in the starting lineup, it’s difficult for the Pistons to navigate high-pressure situations and maintain consistency on the court. A young starting lineup also promotes more mistakes, such as missed defensive assignments and turnovers.
The injury bug has also been a notable factor in the Pistons’ losing streak this season.
At one point, the Pistons were missing six of their players due to injuries. That accounts for a staggering 33% of the roster when you include the three players on two-way contracts this season: Jared Rhoden, Stanley Umude and Malcolm Cazalon.
Among those six players, Monte Morris has not clocked in for a single minute this season for the Pistons. Additionally, Bojan Bogdanovic just returned from injury, and starter Jalen Duren missed seven games and left one early due to an ankle injury.
Injuries have also contributed to the Pistons’ lack of spacing this year. In the most recently used starting lineup, just one player, Isaiah Stewart, shoots above the league average from deep. The next-best three-point threat, Isaiah Livers, ranks just below the league average at 34.6%.
Another element of this Pistons’ losing streak is the lack of opportunities the Pistons have gotten at the free throw line. The opposing team has shot more free throws than the Pistons in 13 games out of 19 total games. In those 13 games, the Pistons have lost 12 of them.
Furthermore, in November, the Pistons ranked in the bottom three in the NBA for personal fouls drawn. Additionally, the team ranks in the bottom ten in free throw attempts per game, a staggering number for a team that ranks in the top ten in free throw percentage this season.
One last issue that has plagued the Pistons this season is the inability to close out games in the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Pistons average 26 points. Compared to the rest of the league, the Pistons are the third-worst team when it comes to putting up points in the fourth.
Additionally, Pistons leading scorer Cade Cunningham has had his fair share of disappointing fourth quarters. The former first overall selection by the Pistons shoots 31.7% from the field and 23.1% from three in the fourth. This is a noticeable dip compared to Cunningham’s overall stats, which are 41.6% from the floor and 34.2% from deep this season.
If the Pistons continue their losing ways this season, the team is set to finish with five wins by the All-Star break in February and eight wins by the end of the season in April. In the event the team finishes with eight wins, the Pistons will rank as the worst team in NBA history.
