1982–83 Detroit Pistons season

The 1982–83 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 35th season in the NBA and 26th season in the city of Detroit.[1] The team played at the Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Pontiac, Michigan.

1982–83 Detroit Pistons season
Head coachScotty Robertson
General managerJack McCloskey
OwnersWilliam Davidson
ArenaPontiac Silverdome
Results
Record37–45 (.451)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Central)
Conference: 8th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1981–82 1983–84 >

Expectations were high with the Pistons entering the season with hopes for continued improvement and a playoff berth, having improved from 16 to 21 to 39 wins in the previous three seasons, but the team regressed, finishing 37–45 (.451), 3rd in the Central Division. The team was led on the season by guard Isiah Thomas (22.9 ppg, 7.8 apg, NBA All-Star), center Bill Laimbeer (13.6 ppg, 12.1 rpg, NBA All-Star) and forward Kelly Tripucka (26.5 ppg).

With the disappointing record and frequent clashes with team leader Thomas, the team fired coach Scotty Robertson at the end of the season.[1][2][3] General Manager Jack McCloskey met with Robertson to deliver the news, "'I was very disappointed and very shocked,' Robertson said. 'I thought Jack and I would discuss various aspects of the team and go on from there. He came in at noon and we talked for five minutes. 'We're going to make a change,' he said. He gave me two reasons. He said he didn't think the team had progressed enough this year and he said he didn't think our defense was as good as it should have been. I told him I agreed with him on both points. But where we had a difference of opinion was why. He thought it was my fault and I thought it was the set of circumstances.'" The team would hire Chuck Daly as his replacement for the 1983-84 Detroit Pistons season.[3]

Draft picks

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Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 9 Cliff Levingston PF   United States Wichita State
1 18 Ricky Pierce SG/SF   United States Rice
4 78 Walker Russell SG   United States Western Michigan

Roster

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Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
C 54 Benson, Kent 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Indiana
SG 15 Johnson, Vinnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Baylor
SG 34 Johnstone, Jim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Wake Forest
PF 34 Jones, Edgar 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Nevada
C 40 Laimbeer, Bill 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Notre Dame
PF 53 Levingston, Cliff 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Wichita State
SG 25 Long, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Detroit Mercy
SF 34 May, Scott 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Indiana
C 44 Owens, Tom 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) USC
SG 22 Pierce, Ricky 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Rice
SG 33 Russell, Walker 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Western Michigan
PF 32 Smith, Jim 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Ohio State
PF 24 Tolbert, Ray 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Indiana
PG 11 Thomas, Isiah 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Indiana
F 7 Tripucka, Kelly 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Notre Dame
G/F 41 Tyler, Terry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Detroit Mercy
F 34 Wilkes, James 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) UCLA
C 34 Zoet, Jim 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Kent State
Head coach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks 51 31 .622 31–10 20–21 22–7
x-Atlanta Hawks 43 39 .524 8 26–15 17–24 21–8
Detroit Pistons 37 45 .451 14 23–18 14–27 19–11
Chicago Bulls 28 54 .341 23 18–23 10–31 13–17
Cleveland Cavaliers 23 59 .280 28 15–26 8–33 8–22
Indiana Pacers 20 62 .244 31 14–27 6–35 6–24
#
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Philadelphia 76ers 65 17 .793
2 y-Milwaukee Bucks 51 31 .622 14
3 x-Boston Celtics 56 26 .683 9
4 x-New Jersey Nets 49 33 .598 16
5 x-New York Knicks 44 38 .537 21
6 x-Atlanta Hawks 43 39 .524 22
7 Washington Bullets 42 40 .512 23
8 Detroit Pistons 37 45 .451 28
9 Chicago Bulls 28 54 .341 37
10 Cleveland Cavaliers 23 59 .280 42
11 Indiana Pacers 20 62 .244 45
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1982–83 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta 1–5 5–1 6–0 1–1 1–1 3–3 0–2 2–0 6–0 0–2 0–2 1–4 2–4 3–2 2–4 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–2
Boston 5–1 3–2 5–1 2–0 2–0 3–3 1–1 2–0 4–1 1–1 2–0 3–3 5–1 3–3 3–3 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–3
Chicago 1–5 2–3 5–1 1–1 1–1 2–4 2–0 1–1 4–2 0–2 0–2 1–5 2–4 1–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–5
Cleveland 0–6 1–5 1–5 2–0 0–2 1–5 2–0 2–0 5–1 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–6 1–5 0–5 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 3–2
Dallas 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 3–3 2–0 3–2 5–1 2–0 3–3 2–3 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–3 3–2 2–4 5–0 2–3 2–4 0–2
Denver 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 3–3 2–0 4–1 5–1 1–1 3–3 1–4 2–0 1–1 0–2 0–2 4–1 2–3 2–4 3–2 3–2 4–2 1–1
Detroit 3–3 3–3 4–2 5–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–0 4–2 0–2 0–2 3–3 3–2 1–5 0–6 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 3–2
Golden State 2–0 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–3 1–4 0–2 3–2 1–1 1–4 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–4 2–4 1–4 3–3 3–3 3–2 2–0
Houston 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–5 1–5 0–2 2–3 2–0 1–5 0–5 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–5 0–5 1–5 2–3 1–4 0–6 1–1
Indiana 0–6 1–4 2–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–6 3–3 1–4 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–5
Kansas City 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–3 3–3 2–0 4–1 5–1 1–1 1–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–4 2–3 3–3 4–1 1–4 4–2 2–0
Los Angeles 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 3–2 4–1 2–0 5–1 5–0 2–0 4–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 3–3 3–3 1–4 5–1 5–1 4–1 1–1
Milwaukee 4–1 3–3 5–1 5–1 2–0 0–2 3–3 1–1 2–0 5–1 1–1 0–2 3–2 4–2 1–5 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–0 3–2
New Jersey 4–2 1–5 4–2 6–0 2–0 1–1 2–3 2–0 1–1 6–0 1–1 1–1 2–3 4–2 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–2
New York 2–3 3–3 4–1 5–1 2–0 2–0 5–1 1–1 2–0 3–3 1–1 0–2 2–4 2–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 4–2
Philadelphia 4–2 3–3 5–1 5–0 2–0 2–0 6–0 2–0 2–0 4–1 2–0 2–0 5–1 3–3 5–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Phoenix 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 3–2 1–4 1–1 4–2 5–0 1–1 4–1 3–3 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 5–1 3–2 4–2 5–1 5–0 0–2
Portland 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–3 3–2 1–1 4–2 5–0 2–0 3–2 3–3 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–5 2–3 5–1 3–3 3–2 1–1
San Antonio 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 4–2 4–2 1–1 4–1 5–1 2–0 3–3 4–1 0–2 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–3 3–2 4–1 1–4 5–1 2–0
San Diego 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–5 2–3 1–1 3–3 3–2 1–1 1–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–4 1–5 1–4 0–6 2–3 0–2
Seattle 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–2 2–3 2–0 3–3 4–1 1–1 4–1 1–5 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–3 4–1 6–0 5–0 1–1
Utah 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–2 2–4 2–0 2–3 6–0 0–2 2–4 1–4 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–5 2–3 1–5 3–2 0–5 0–2
Washington 2–4 3–3 5–1 2–3 2–0 1–1 2–3 0–2 1–1 5–1 0–2 1–1 3–3 3–3 2–4 2–4 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 2–0

Awards and records

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References

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  1. ^ a b "1982–83 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 40: The 1982–83 Detroit Pistons". October 19, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Pistons fire Scotty Robertson". UPI.

See also

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