For the first time since the 2013-14 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are on track to claim the title for the longest losing streak in a single NBA season following their next game against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. The Pistons lost their 26th consecutive game yesterday as they fell to the Nets 126-115. The franchise’s 26th loss tied the Detroit team with two other teams for the longest losing skid in an NBA season.
The Pistons are expected to break the three-way tie following their next game, in which they will face Brooklyn once again. Throughout this 2023-24 season, the Detroit franchise has struggled with their defense, turnovers, and surrendering points to their opponents. The last time Detroit won a game this season was on October 28, 2023, when they faced off against the Chicago Bulls and clinched a 118-102 win. The Pistons’ only other win came in the team’s second regular season game on October 27, when they competed against the Charlotte Hornets and won 111-99.
The last NBA losing streaks:
The last time we saw a 26-game losing skid was with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers experienced their 26-game losing streak following the team losing their star player, LeBron James, as he got traded to the Miami Heat in the offseason. The 2010-11 NBA season was the Cleveland franchise’s first season amidst the absence of LeBron.
Evidently, the Cavs were struggling without the former star as the team ended the season with 19 wins and 63 losses, marking the longest losing streak in a single season in NBA history. The 2010-11 NBA season was the first time Cleveland did not make a playoff appearance since LeBron’s second season with the team in 2005.
While the Pistons might be experiencing some bad luck this season, that was not the case with the 2013-14 Philadelphia team. From 2013 to 2016, the Sixers were known for intentionally having losing seasons. Throughout these three years, the franchise had a win-loss record of 47-199.
The team’s general manager at the time, Sam Hinkie, and head coach, Brett Brown, intentionally wanted the franchise to lose games. Hinkie would consciously build team rosters, hoping that the roster would lose matches and the 76ers would secure better NBA Draft lottery picks. The plan seemingly worked, as after achieving a 26-game losing skid in 2013-14 with a record of 19-63, the Philadelphia team secured the third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and selected Joel Embiid.
Fans saw the Sixers use a similar strategy the following season as the team had a record of 18-64 and once again received the third draft pick and selected Jahlil Okafor in the ensuing NBA Draft. While the 76ers losing streak was intentional at the time, the Cavaliers and the Pistons suffered from a losing streak due to a lack of talent and defense on their teams.
What do the next games mean for the Pistons?
If the Pistons consecutively lose their next three games, they will hold the top spot for the longest losing streak amongst teams in a single season and over the span of two seasons. If the Detroit franchise loses their next game, they will break the three-way tie between them, the Cavaliers, and the 76ers. If the Pistons lose three consecutive games, they will clinch the top spot from the 2014-15 and 2015-16 Sixers, who had a losing skid of 28 consecutive games over the span of two seasons. This losing streak had started towards the end of the 2014-15 season and went into the 2015-16 season.
The Pistons have now lost 26 straight games this season… 😳
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 24, 2023
Detroit is now only 3 games away from having the most consecutive losses in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/9Sfwu5AKf5
This season, the Detroit franchise is currently 2-27 as the Brooklyn Nets are 14-15, almost ensuring a win for Brooklyn in their next game. The next few games for the Detroit Pistons will be very telling as the team hopes to end this cursed losing streak and not take the number one spot for the longest losing skid in a single season in NBA history.
