Detroit Pistons 1977-78 Roster and Stats

The 1977-78 Detroit Pistons season was one of transition and struggle. The team finished with a record of 38-44, failing to make the playoffs. This marked the end of Herb Brown’s tenure as head coach, with Bob Kauffman taking over mid-season. Despite the coaching change, the Pistons could not find consistency, finishing fourth in the Central Division.

Key players included Bob Lanier, who continued to be a dominant force, averaging 24.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. However, the team lacked depth and struggled defensively, ranking near the bottom of the league in points allowed. The season highlighted the need for a rebuild and a strategic direction to improve the roster and competitiveness. The 1977-78 campaign was a pivotal moment, setting the stage for future changes in the organization’s approach to building a successful team.

Regular Season Record: 38-44
Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs

Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1977-78 Season

POINTS

Bob Lanier

24.5

REBOUNDS

Bob Lanier

11.3

ASSISTS

Eric Money

4.7

	Regular Season							Playoffs
Player	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%
Bob Lanier	63	24.5	11.3	3.4	0.8	0.9	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Eric Money	76	18.6	2.8	4.7	1.0	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
John Shumate	62	15.5	8.9	2.0	0.7	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
M.L. Carr	79	12.4	7.1	2.3	1.0	0.2	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Jim Price	34	11.5	3.0	3.0	0.9	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Leon Douglas	79	10.9	7.4	1.4	0.4	0.4	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Ralph Simpson	32	10.6	2.6	2.7	0.5	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Chris Ford	82	10.5	3.4	4.6	1.0	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Marvin Barnes	12	10.0	7.6	1.6	0.3	0.7	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gus Gerard	47	7.9	3.1	0.9	0.3	0.2	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Al Skinner	69	7.0	2.5	1.6	0.4	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Jim Bostic	4	6.5	4.0	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Willie Norwood	16	5.5	3.4	0.9	0.3	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Al Eberhard	37	4.9	2.8	0.7	0.1	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Kevin Porter	8	4.6	1.9	4.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Howard Porter	8	4.5	2.1	0.3	0.0	0.5	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Ben Poquette	52	4.5	2.8	0.4	0.1	0.2	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Wayman Britt	7	1.3	0.6	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Detroit Pistons 1977-78 Regular Season Game Log

Here is the game log for the 1977-78 season for the Detroit Pistons.

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Oct 18, 1977	vs. New Jersey Nets	W 110-93	Ralph Simpson (23 pts)
Oct 19, 1977	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 113-96	Bob Lanier (23 pts)
Oct 21, 1977	@ Washington Bullets	L 117-109	Bob Lanier (33 pts)
Oct 22, 1977	vs. Denver Nuggets	W 126-106	Eric Money (26 pts)
Oct 24, 1977	vs. Boston Celtics	W 100-85	Bob Lanier (33 pts)
Oct 26, 1977	vs. Golden State Warriors	W 123-107	Bob Lanier (25 pts)
Oct 29, 1977	@ New York Knicks	L 124-117	Bob Lanier (22 pts)
Nov 02, 1977	vs. Atlanta Hawks	L 102-89	Bob Lanier (29 pts)
Nov 09, 1977	vs. Houston Rockets	W 127-107	M.L. Carr (25 pts)
Nov 11, 1977	vs. San Antonio Spurs	L 107-104	Bob Lanier (27 pts)
Nov 13, 1977	vs. Washington Bullets	W 104-102	Eric Money (36 pts)
Nov 15, 1977	@ Denver Nuggets	L 123-113	Eric Money (22 pts)
Nov 18, 1977	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 116-83	Leon Douglas (15 pts)
Nov 19, 1977	@ Golden State Warriors	L 128-96	Leon Douglas (23 pts)
Nov 20, 1977	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 118-101	Leon Douglas (22 pts)
Nov 23, 1977	vs. Philadelphia 76ers	L 106-105	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Nov 26, 1977	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers	L 105-87	Bob Lanier (19 pts)
Nov 29, 1977	@ Milwaukee Bucks	W 100-99	Eric Money (24 pts)
Nov 30, 1977	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 104-98	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Dec 02, 1977	@ Kansas City Kings	L 108-97	M.L. Carr (21 pts)
Dec 03, 1977	vs. Indiana Pacers	L 103-89	Al Eberhard (20 pts)
Dec 07, 1977	vs. Phoenix Suns	L 113-107	Bob Lanier (27 pts)
Dec 10, 1977	vs. New Orleans Jazz	W 104-86	Eric Money (23 pts)
Dec 14, 1977	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	L 102-92	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Dec 16, 1977	@ Indiana Pacers	L 114-106	Bob Lanier (23 pts)
Dec 17, 1977	vs. Buffalo Braves	L 126-122	Bob Lanier (36 pts)
Dec 18, 1977	@ New Orleans Jazz	W 117-108	Bob Lanier (37 pts)
Dec 20, 1977	@ San Antonio Spurs	W 118-117	Bob Lanier (32 pts)
Dec 22, 1977	vs. Milwaukee Bucks	W 118-102	Bob Lanier (29 pts)
Dec 23, 1977	@ Chicago Bulls	W 108-107	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Dec 26, 1977	vs. Boston Celtics	W 122-100	Eric Money (23 pts)
Dec 28, 1977	vs. Portland Trail Blazers	L 111-106	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Dec 30, 1977	@ Buffalo Braves	W 103-87	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Jan 03, 1978	@ Atlanta Hawks	W 106-103	Bob Lanier (22 pts)
Jan 04, 1978	vs. Atlanta Hawks	W 111-97	Bob Lanier (28 pts)
Jan 06, 1978	@ Golden State Warriors	L 107-106	Eric Money (30 pts)
Jan 07, 1978	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 109-105	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Jan 11, 1978	@ Seattle SuperSonics	L 106-100	Bob Lanier (28 pts)
Jan 13, 1978	@ Phoenix Suns	L 111-100	M.L. Carr (28 pts)
Jan 15, 1978	vs. Chicago Bulls	L 107-101	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Jan 18, 1978	vs. Buffalo Braves	W 113-100	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Jan 20, 1978	@ Houston Rockets	L 118-108	Eric Money (18 pts)
Jan 22, 1978	@ New Orleans Jazz	L 100-97	Eric Money (27 pts)
Jan 24, 1978	@ Washington Bullets	W 104-101	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Jan 25, 1978	vs. Golden State Warriors	W 99-95	Bob Lanier (32 pts)
Jan 28, 1978	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	W 115-105	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Jan 29, 1978	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers	W 120-116	Bob Lanier (39 pts)
Feb 01, 1978	vs. Phoenix Suns	W 127-120	Bob Lanier (36 pts)
Feb 02, 1978	@ Kansas City Kings	L 113-101	Eric Money (20 pts)
Feb 03, 1978	@ Denver Nuggets	L 115-102	M.L. Carr (24 pts)
Feb 08, 1978	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	L 105-95	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Feb 10, 1978	@ New Jersey Nets	L 117-112	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Feb 11, 1978	vs. New Orleans Jazz	W 106-96	Bob Lanier (41 pts)
Feb 13, 1978	vs. New Jersey Nets	W 125-115	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Feb 15, 1978	vs. Philadelphia 76ers	L 116-113	John Shumate (30 pts)
Feb 17, 1978	vs. New York Knicks	L 128-108	Eric Money (21 pts)
Feb 19, 1978	vs. Kansas City Kings	W 110-107	John Shumate (22 pts)
Feb 22, 1978	vs. Houston Rockets	W 119-108	Chris Ford (22 pts)
Feb 25, 1978	@ Seattle SuperSonics	L 118-104	John Shumate (20 pts)
Feb 26, 1978	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 127-124	Bob Lanier (25 pts)
Mar 01, 1978	@ Phoenix Suns	W 115-102	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Mar 03, 1978	vs. Washington Bullets	L 124-108	Eric Money (20 pts)
Mar 05, 1978	vs. Indiana Pacers	W 122-110	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Mar 07, 1978	@ Atlanta Hawks	L 123-109	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Mar 09, 1978	@ Indiana Pacers	L 112-105	Ben Poquette (18 pts)
Mar 12, 1978	@ New Jersey Nets	W 130-125	Jim Price (26 pts)
Mar 14, 1978	@ Boston Celtics	L 105-98	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Mar 15, 1978	vs. San Antonio Spurs	L 135-106	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Mar 16, 1978	@ Houston Rockets	W 106-98	Bob Lanier (25 pts)
Mar 19, 1978	vs. Chicago Bulls	W 112-92	Eric Money (26 pts)
Mar 21, 1978	vs. Kansas City Kings	L 116-111	Eric Money (24 pts)
Mar 24, 1978	vs. Portland Trail Blazers	W 107-95	Chris Ford (20 pts)
Mar 26, 1978	@ Milwaukee Bucks	L 110-109	John Shumate (24 pts)
Mar 28, 1978	@ Buffalo Braves	W 123-118	Eric Money (31 pts)
Mar 29, 1978	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	W 121-116	Leon Douglas (23 pts)
Mar 31, 1978	@ Chicago Bulls	L 117-107	Leon Douglas (28 pts)
Apr 01, 1978	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	L 113-99	Chris Ford (21 pts)
Apr 02, 1978	vs. Milwaukee Bucks	L 129-121	John Shumate (31 pts)
Apr 05, 1978	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 126-115	Chris Ford (20 pts)
Apr 06, 1978	@ New York Knicks	L 129-125	Eric Money (39 pts)
Apr 07, 1978	@ Boston Celtics	W 111-109	Eric Money (35 pts)
Apr 09, 1978	vs. Denver Nuggets	W 139-137	Al Skinner (27 pts)

NBA

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Northwest

Pacific

Southwest

Detroit Pistons 1977-78 Roster and Stats

Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1977-78 Season

Detroit Pistons 1977-78 Regular Season Game Log