The Detroit Pistons have equaled the longest losing streak in a single NBA season after going down 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets. That loss was the team’s 26th in a row and means they are level on losses with the 2010/11 Cleveland Cavaliers side and 2013/14’s Philadelphia 76ers.
The defeat puts immense pressure on Monty Williams, who must be wondering whether his brief tenure in charge at the Little Caesars Arena could be in jeopardy; he only joined the franchise in June after a four-year stint in charge at the Phoenix Suns, where he enjoyed tangible success.
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The Pistons have been in freefall for a number of seasons, registering losing records in six of their last seven campaigns, dropping to a 17-65 record in 2022/23, their lowest win total since 1979/80, which led to Dwane Casey moving from his head coach role to the front office.
Despite that, Williams has made some rather sobering, down-to-earth comments about his future in recent interviews. He made interesting comments following the 23rd straight loss they suffered against the Milwaukee Bucks,
“Life can be funny,”
“Just three years ago, I’m standing on the sideline coaching in the Finals. And basketball life can change up on you. Both times that I coached here with the Pistons this season, I’ve thought about it. So, I’m sitting on the sideline, and I don’t feel bad about it. It’s just the way it is. I’ve always had this perspective about what other people go through.”
“I did a mission trip in South Africa a long time ago. I was at a church and we were going through praise and worship. At the end of my trip, I was going back to my nice home in San Antonio. This lady beside me was going back to her hut with a dirt floor, tin roof and cardboard. You can kind of look at it in your own lens and think you’re going through a lot of tough stuff. And I’m sitting there thinking this lady has way more faith than I do. I’m going back to my gated community, my NBA job and money in the bank and all this stuff I had. She’s going back to a squat camp.”
Given the fickle nature of coaching in the NBA, that’s perhaps the most sensible way to look at what fortune may throw at you as you watch, without any real control, as your team once again goes down to a tortuous defeat.
The job in Detroit was always going to be a challenging one, and the failure of the Pistons to battle back and end this run is not down to Monty Williams, at least not solely. The franchise he joined was already falling like a stone long before he joined, and he will have to muster all his abilities and years of experience from his time coaching the Pelicans and the Suns to at least secure some pride this season.
At 2-27, there is not much that Pistons fans can expect from 2023/24, except perhaps some salvaging of pride.