Detroit Pistons 1978-79 Roster and Stats

The 1978-79 Detroit Pistons endured a challenging season, finishing with a 30-52 record. This outcome placed them fifth in the Central Division, well outside playoff contention. The team struggled defensively, reflected in their poor overall performance.

Under the leadership of head coach Dick Vitale, who was replaced mid-season by Richie Adubato, the Pistons failed to find consistency. Center Bob Lanier was a bright spot, leading the team in scoring and rebounding, showcasing his All-Star caliber talent. However, the supporting cast did not provide enough assistance to push the team forward.

The season was a continuation of a rebuilding phase for the Pistons, who were attempting to find a formula for future success. Despite the setbacks, the 1978-79 campaign laid the groundwork for eventual improvements and future roster adjustments. The Pistons aimed to regroup and strategize for the subsequent seasons, hoping to emerge as contenders once more.

Regular Season Record: 30-52
Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs

Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season

POINTS

Bob Lanier

23.6

REBOUNDS

Bob Lanier

9.3

ASSISTS

Kevin Porter

13.4

	Regular Season							Playoffs
Player	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%	GP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3P%
Bob Lanier	53	23.6	9.3	2.6	0.6	1.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
M.L. Carr	80	18.7	7.4	3.3	1.8	0.4	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
John Long	82	16.1	3.2	1.4	0.8	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Kevin Porter	82	15.3	2.5	13.4	1.2	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Terry Tyler	82	12.9	7.8	1.1	0.7	1.8	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Leon Douglas	78	11.4	8.4	1.0	0.3	0.4	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Chris Ford	3	11.0	3.3	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Earl Tatum	76	7.8	1.6	0.9	0.6	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Ben Poquette	76	6.7	4.4	0.8	0.3	0.8	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Rickey Green	27	6.6	1.4	2.2	0.6	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Bubbles Hawkins	4	4.5	1.5	1.0	1.3	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Otis Howard	11	4.5	2.9	0.9	0.1	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Essie Hollis	25	2.8	1.8	0.2	0.4	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Larry McNeill	11	2.6	0.9	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Andre Wakefield	71	2.4	1.1	1.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Jim Brewer	25	2.3	4.2	0.5	0.2	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Steve Sheppard	20	1.6	1.0	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Gus Gerard	2	1.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Dennis Boyd	5	1.2	0.4	1.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Ron Behagen	1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Detroit Pistons 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log

Here is the game log for the 1978-79 season for the Detroit Pistons.

Date	Opponent	Result	High Scorer
Oct 13, 1978	vs. New Jersey Nets	L 107-105	Bob Lanier (38 pts)
Oct 14, 1978	@ Atlanta Hawks	L 122-114	Bob Lanier (32 pts)
Oct 17, 1978	@ New Orleans Jazz	L 114-109	John Long (25 pts)
Oct 20, 1978	vs. Philadelphia 76ers	L 126-117	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Oct 21, 1978	@ Washington Bullets	L 119-99	Bob Lanier (29 pts)
Oct 25, 1978	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers	W 110-105	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Oct 27, 1978	vs. Kansas City Kings	W 107-102	Bob Lanier (24 pts)
Oct 28, 1978	@ San Antonio Spurs	L 150-126	M.L. Carr (31 pts)
Oct 31, 1978	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 112-96	Bob Lanier (33 pts)
Nov 02, 1978	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	L 95-94	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Nov 03, 1978	@ Chicago Bulls	W 99-93	M.L. Carr (24 pts)
Nov 04, 1978	vs. Golden State Warriors	L 103-95	Bob Lanier (28 pts)
Nov 08, 1978	vs. Milwaukee Bucks	W 117-106	Bob Lanier (35 pts)
Nov 10, 1978	vs. Chicago Bulls	W 115-101	Bob Lanier (27 pts)
Nov 11, 1978	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 135-112	Kevin Porter (25 pts)
Nov 12, 1978	@ Boston Celtics	W 128-123	John Long (24 pts)
Nov 15, 1978	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	L 133-126	Ben Poquette (28 pts)
Nov 18, 1978	vs. Phoenix Suns	L 119-105	John Long (25 pts)
Nov 21, 1978	@ New York Knicks	L 96-79	M.L. Carr (18 pts)
Nov 24, 1978	vs. Atlanta Hawks	W 119-117	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Nov 28, 1978	@ Los Angeles Lakers	W 105-103	Earl Tatum (19 pts)
Nov 30, 1978	@ Phoenix Suns	L 119-109	Terry Tyler (20 pts)
Dec 01, 1978	@ Denver Nuggets	L 125-120	John Long (28 pts)
Dec 02, 1978	@ San Diego Clippers	W 120-113	Terry Tyler (27 pts)
Dec 05, 1978	vs. Boston Celtics	L 114-112	Leon Douglas (24 pts)
Dec 07, 1978	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers	W 121-105	John Long (28 pts)
Dec 08, 1978	@ Indiana Pacers	L 114-107	M.L. Carr (31 pts)
Dec 09, 1978	@ Kansas City Kings	L 132-108	Kevin Porter (27 pts)
Dec 12, 1978	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	L 127-110	Kevin Porter (22 pts)
Dec 15, 1978	vs. Washington Bullets	L 116-114	Leon Douglas (23 pts)
Dec 21, 1978	vs. Indiana Pacers	W 121-108	Kevin Porter (27 pts)
Dec 23, 1978	vs. San Antonio Spurs	L 130-126	Bob Lanier (23 pts)
Dec 26, 1978	@ Milwaukee Bucks	L 143-84	Terry Tyler (16 pts)
Dec 27, 1978	vs. Houston Rockets	W 131-119	M.L. Carr (36 pts)
Dec 29, 1978	vs. San Diego Clippers	L 111-107	Bob Lanier (35 pts)
Dec 30, 1978	@ Houston Rockets	L 112-101	Kevin Porter (31 pts)
Jan 02, 1979	@ San Diego Clippers	L 137-119	Terry Tyler (25 pts)
Jan 03, 1979	@ Golden State Warriors	L 96-81	M.L. Carr (18 pts)
Jan 05, 1979	@ Portland Trail Blazers	L 98-96	Bob Lanier (22 pts)
Jan 09, 1979	@ San Antonio Spurs	L 116-114	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Jan 11, 1979	vs. Portland Trail Blazers	W 104-101	M.L. Carr (23 pts)
Jan 13, 1979	vs. Golden State Warriors	W 114-109	Bob Lanier (36 pts)
Jan 16, 1979	@ New York Knicks	L 111-110	Bob Lanier (28 pts)
Jan 17, 1979	@ New Jersey Nets	L 106-99	Bob Lanier (27 pts)
Jan 18, 1979	vs. Phoenix Suns	L 97-87	Bob Lanier (19 pts)
Jan 20, 1979	vs. Kansas City Kings	W 122-110	Bob Lanier (27 pts)
Jan 22, 1979	@ Denver Nuggets	W 121-117	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Jan 25, 1979	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	W 135-100	Bob Lanier (28 pts)
Jan 28, 1979	vs. San Diego Clippers	W 128-118	M.L. Carr (26 pts)
Jan 31, 1979	vs. New York Knicks	L 108-86	Bob Lanier (22 pts)
Feb 01, 1979	@ Cleveland Cavaliers	W 120-116	Bob Lanier (29 pts)
Feb 02, 1979	@ Kansas City Kings	L 130-114	Kevin Porter (20 pts)
Feb 06, 1979	@ Houston Rockets	L 113-108	Bob Lanier (30 pts)
Feb 07, 1979	@ Philadelphia 76ers	L 114-103	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Feb 08, 1979	vs. New Jersey Nets	L 106-105	Leon Douglas (23 pts)
Feb 10, 1979	vs. New Orleans Jazz	L 107-105	M.L. Carr (24 pts)
Feb 14, 1979	vs. Denver Nuggets	W 111-107	John Long (27 pts)
Feb 16, 1979	vs. Houston Rockets	W 110-96	John Long (21 pts)
Feb 18, 1979	vs. San Antonio Spurs	W 124-104	Terry Tyler (32 pts)
Feb 21, 1979	vs. Philadelphia 76ers	W 106-99	John Long (23 pts)
Feb 25, 1979	vs. Portland Trail Blazers	L 126-119	M.L. Carr (33 pts)
Feb 27, 1979	@ Chicago Bulls	L 124-117	Kevin Porter (32 pts)
Mar 03, 1979	vs. New Orleans Jazz	W 110-101	M.L. Carr (24 pts)
Mar 07, 1979	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	L 99-93	Leon Douglas (21 pts)
Mar 09, 1979	vs. Boston Celtics	W 160-117	Kevin Porter (30 pts)
Mar 11, 1979	@ Milwaukee Bucks	W 125-115	Bob Lanier (31 pts)
Mar 13, 1979	@ Indiana Pacers	L 122-120	M.L. Carr (33 pts)
Mar 15, 1979	vs. New York Knicks	W 88-83	Bob Lanier (21 pts)
Mar 16, 1979	@ Boston Celtics	L 99-98	M.L. Carr (23 pts)
Mar 17, 1979	vs. Indiana Pacers	W 105-98	Bob Lanier (20 pts)
Mar 20, 1979	@ New Jersey Nets	L 117-110	Bob Lanier (26 pts)
Mar 21, 1979	@ Atlanta Hawks	L 111-104	Bob Lanier (22 pts)
Mar 23, 1979	vs. Washington Bullets	W 124-114	Bob Lanier (29 pts)
Mar 25, 1979	@ Washington Bullets	L 116-107	Kevin Porter (29 pts)
Mar 28, 1979	vs. Denver Nuggets	L 115-110	Bob Lanier (25 pts)
Mar 30, 1979	@ Los Angeles Lakers	L 124-113	M.L. Carr (26 pts)
Mar 31, 1979	@ Seattle SuperSonics	L 123-102	Terry Tyler (16 pts)
Apr 01, 1979	@ Phoenix Suns	L 116-105	John Long (24 pts)
Apr 03, 1979	@ Golden State Warriors	L 104-100	M.L. Carr (24 pts)
Apr 05, 1979	@ New Orleans Jazz	W 120-104	John Long (24 pts)
Apr 06, 1979	vs. Atlanta Hawks	L 112-96	John Long (19 pts)
Apr 08, 1979	vs. Chicago Bulls	L 117-107	Kevin Porter (28 pts)

NBA

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Northwest

Pacific

Southwest

Detroit Pistons 1978-79 Roster and Stats

Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1978-79 Season

Detroit Pistons 1978-79 Regular Season Game Log