The 1982-83 Detroit Pistons marked a pivotal season as they continued building towards becoming an NBA powerhouse. Under head coach Scotty Robertson, the team finished with a 37-45 record, failing to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Despite their struggles, the Pistons showcased promising talent, most notably in Isiah Thomas, who was in his second NBA season and beginning to establish himself as a top-tier point guard.
The roster also featured key players like Bill Laimbeer, acquired in February via trade, who would become a cornerstone for the franchise’s future success. During this season, the Pistons improved their win total from the previous year, signaling progress. Though they ended fourth in the Central Division, the team laid important groundwork for the future, setting the stage for their transformation into a dominant force in the late 1980s.
- Regular Season Record: 37-45
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats for 1982-83 Season
POINTS
Kelly Tripucka
26.5
REBOUNDS
Bill Laimbeer
12.1
ASSISTS
Isiah Thomas
7.8
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kelly Tripucka | 58 | 26.5 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 38.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Isiah Thomas | 81 | 22.9 | 4.0 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 30.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Vinnie Johnson | 82 | 15.8 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 31.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 82 | 13.6 | 12.1 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 18.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Terry Tyler | 82 | 12.1 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 15.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Long | 70 | 10.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 28.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kent Benson | 21 | 9.9 | 7.4 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Edgar Jones | 49 | 8.3 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 40.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Scott May | 9 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Cliff Levingston | 62 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ray Tolbert | 28 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Owens | 49 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| James Wilkes | 9 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Walker Russell | 68 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 14.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ricky Pierce | 39 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 14.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Smith | 4 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Johnstone | 16 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Zoet | 7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Detroit Pistons 1982-83 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1982-83 season for the Detroit Pistons.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 1982 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 94-86 | |
| Oct 31, 1982 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 118-115 | |
| Nov 02, 1982 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 128-119 | |
| Nov 03, 1982 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 152-144 | |
| Nov 05, 1982 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 120-109 | |
| Nov 06, 1982 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 95-93 | |
| Nov 09, 1982 | @ Washington Bullets | W 108-105 | |
| Nov 10, 1982 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 115-91 | |
| Nov 12, 1982 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-100 | |
| Nov 13, 1982 | @ New York Knicks | L 112-100 | |
| Nov 17, 1982 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 120-103 | |
| Nov 19, 1982 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 106-102 | |
| Nov 20, 1982 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 131-128 | |
| Nov 23, 1982 | @ Houston Rockets | W 128-106 | |
| Nov 24, 1982 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 122-112 | |
| Nov 26, 1982 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 132-118 | |
| Nov 30, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | W 123-116 | |
| Dec 01, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 105-97 | |
| Dec 04, 1982 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 119-112 | |
| Dec 08, 1982 | vs. New York Knicks | L 120-109 | |
| Dec 10, 1982 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 122-121 | |
| Dec 11, 1982 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 128-111 | |
| Dec 14, 1982 | @ New York Knicks | W 104-99 | |
| Dec 15, 1982 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 108-104 | |
| Dec 17, 1982 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 119-110 | |
| Dec 18, 1982 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 97-90 | |
| Dec 19, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | W 131-114 | |
| Dec 21, 1982 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 102-97 | |
| Dec 23, 1982 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 135-127 | |
| Dec 26, 1982 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-96 | |
| Dec 28, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | L 105-98 | |
| Dec 30, 1982 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 115-98 | |
| Jan 01, 1983 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 117-105 | |
| Jan 02, 1983 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 127-112 | |
| Jan 04, 1983 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 147-138 | |
| Jan 05, 1983 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 130-116 | |
| Jan 07, 1983 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 109-92 | |
| Jan 09, 1983 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 110-102 | |
| Jan 12, 1983 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 116-100 | |
| Jan 14, 1983 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 115-105 | |
| Jan 19, 1983 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 107-106 | |
| Jan 22, 1983 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 111-109 | |
| Jan 24, 1983 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 112-108 | |
| Jan 26, 1983 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 118-109 | |
| Jan 28, 1983 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 107-106 | |
| Jan 29, 1983 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 128-126 | |
| Feb 02, 1983 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 141-135 | |
| Feb 03, 1983 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 115-108 | |
| Feb 05, 1983 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 111-101 | |
| Feb 08, 1983 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 147-143 | |
| Feb 09, 1983 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 122-113 | |
| Feb 16, 1983 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 126-121 | |
| Feb 17, 1983 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 113-110 | |
| Feb 19, 1983 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 112-101 | |
| Feb 23, 1983 | vs. New York Knicks | L 120-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1983 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 116-107 | |
| Feb 26, 1983 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 122-102 | |
| Mar 01, 1983 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 114-103 | |
| Mar 03, 1983 | vs. Kansas City Kings | L 125-118 | |
| Mar 05, 1983 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-108 | |
| Mar 07, 1983 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 123-114 | |
| Mar 08, 1983 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 107-101 | |
| Mar 12, 1983 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 120-119 | |
| Mar 13, 1983 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 118-114 | |
| Mar 15, 1983 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 109-90 | |
| Mar 16, 1983 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 125-115 | |
| Mar 18, 1983 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 103-99 | |
| Mar 20, 1983 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 121-119 | |
| Mar 22, 1983 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 134-116 | |
| Mar 23, 1983 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 109-96 | |
| Mar 25, 1983 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 131-120 | |
| Mar 29, 1983 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 114-107 | |
| Mar 30, 1983 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 135-124 | |
| Apr 01, 1983 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 120-111 | |
| Apr 03, 1983 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 122-107 | |
| Apr 05, 1983 | @ New York Knicks | L 110-107 | |
| Apr 06, 1983 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 107-96 | |
| Apr 08, 1983 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 102-92 | |
| Apr 10, 1983 | @ Boston Celtics | L 115-113 | |
| Apr 13, 1983 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 113-101 | |
| Apr 15, 1983 | vs. New York Knicks | L 100-83 | |
| Apr 16, 1983 | @ Washington Bullets | L 102-95 |