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.
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]
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
|
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
edit
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 |
—
|