1968–69 Detroit Pistons season

The 1968–69 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 21st season in the NBA and 12th season in the city of Detroit.^[1] The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

1968–69 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach	Donnie Butcher Paul Seymour
General manager	Ed Coil
Arena	Cobo Center
Results
Record	32–50 (.390)
Place	Division: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
< 1967–68 1969–70 >

The Pistons finished with a 32-50 (.390), 6th place in the Eastern Division. The team fired coach Donnie Butcher after 22 games, replacing him with assistant Paul Seymour in December.^[2] Seymour pushed for what would become an ill-advised trade, dealing All-Star and future Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere to the New York Knicks for journeyman Howard Komives and 7-footer Walt Bellamy, also a Hall of Famer, but one who had worn out welcomes in Baltimore and New York, having a reputation as a malcontent.^[3] He proved it in Detroit, lasting a mere 109 games, traded to the Atlanta Hawks a year later, netting the Pistons John Arthurs, who would never play for Detroit. DeBusschere became the final component needed for the 1970 NBA champion Knicks.^[4][5][6]

Detroit was led on the season by guard Dave Bing (23.4 ppg, 7.1 apg, NBA All-Star) and forward Happy Hairston (18.1 ppg, 11.8 rpg).^[7]

Roster

Detroit Pistons roster

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Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From C 8 Bellamy, Walt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Indiana G 21 Bing, Dave 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Syracuse SF 43 Dischinger, Terry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 189 lb (86 kg) Purdue F 44 Dove, Sonny 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 198 lb (90 kg) St. John's F 5 Hairston, Happy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 255 lb (116 kg) NYU F 25 Gambee, Dave 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oregon State G 30 Komives, Howard 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Bowling Green SF 23 McLemore, McCoy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Drake F 24 Walker, Jimmy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Providence

Head coach Paul Seymour Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended   Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Eastern Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Baltimore Bullets	57	25	.695	–	29–9	24–15	4–1	26–14
x-Philadelphia 76ers	55	27	.671	2	26–8	24–16	5–3	23–17
x-New York Knicks	54	28	.659	3	30–7	19–20	5–1	26–14
x-Boston Celtics	48	34	.585	9	24–12	21–19	3–3	23–17
Cincinnati Royals	41	41	.500	16	15-13	16–21	10–7	20–20
Detroit Pistons	32	50	.390	25	21–17	7–30	4–3	13–27
Milwaukee Bucks	27	55	.329	30	15–19	8–27	4–9	7–29

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1968-69 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	CHI	CIN	DET	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	SDR	SFW	SEA
Atlanta	—	2–4	3–3	6–1	4–2	6–0	3–4	4–2	2–4	1–5	6–0	3–4	4–3	4–2
Baltimore	4–2	—	5–2	6–0	4–3	7–0	3–3	5–1	3–4	2–4	6–0	5–1	3–3	4–2
Boston	3–3	2–5	—	4–2	5–2	5–1	2–4	5–1	1–6	5–2	6–0	4–2	3–3	3–3
Chicago	1–6	0–6	2–4	—	1–5	3–3	3–4	5–1	2–4	1–5	4–2	3–3	4–3	4–3
Cincinnati	2–4	3–4	2–5	5–1	—	3–4	2–4	5–1	4–2	3–4	4–2	2–4	3–3	3–3
Detroit	0–6	0–7	1–5	3–3	4–3	—	3–3	2–4	3–4	3–4	4–2	3–3	2–4	4–2
Los Angeles	4–3	3–3	4–2	4–3	4–2	3–3	—	5–1	5–1	1–5	6–0	7–0	4–3	5–1
Milwaukee	2–4	1–5	1–5	1–5	1–5	4–2	1–5	—	0–6	0–6	6–2	4–2	3–3	3–5
New York	4–2	4–3	6–1	4–2	2–4	4–3	1–5	6–0	—	4–3	5–1	3–3	5–1	6–0
Philadelphia	5–1	4–2	2–5	5–1	4–3	4–3	5–1	6–0	3–4	—	5–1	4–2	2–4	6–0
Phoenix	0–6	0–6	0–6	2–4	2–4	2–4	0–6	2–6	1–5	1–5	—	1–7	2–4	3–3
San Diego	4–3	1–5	2–4	3–3	4–2	3–3	0–7	2–4	3–3	2–4	7–1	—	3–3	3–3
San Francisco	3–4	3–3	3–3	3–4	3–3	4–2	3–4	3–3	1–5	4–2	4–2	3–3	—	4–3
Seattle	2–4	2–4	3–3	3–4	3–3	2–4	1–5	5–3	0–6	0–6	3–3	3–3	3–4	—

Game log

1968–69 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 16	@ Baltimore	116–124	Dave Bing (39)	0–1
2	October 18	Boston	106–88	Dave Bing (20)	0–2
3	October 19	@ Cincinnati	115–127	Dave Bing (24)	0–3
4	October 23	Los Angeles	110–117	Dave Bing (39)	1–3
5	October 25	Philadelphia	122–132	Dave Bing (37)	2–3
6	October 30	@ Boston	119–117	Dave Bing (33)	3–3
7	October 31	@ Milwaukee	118–134	Dave Bing (29)	3–4
8	November 2	New York	104–112	Jimmy Walker (30)	4–4
9	November 6	Seattle	118–127	Dave Bing (37)	5–4
10	November 8	San Francisco	118–122 (OT)	Dave Bing (34)	6–4
11	November 10	@ Phoenix	128–130 (OT)	Dave Bing (28)	6–5
12	November 13	@ San Diego	120–122	Dave Bing (26)	6–6
13	November 14	N Phoenix	109–111	Bing, Hairston (23)	7–6
14	November 15	@ San Francisco	105–133	Happy Hairston (19)	7–7
15	November 16	@ Seattle	119–123	Dave Bing (35)	7–8
16	November 19	Cincinnati	107–121	Happy Hairston (30)	8–8
17	November 21	Atlanta	129–121	Dave Bing (34)	8–9
18	November 23	@ Baltimore	127–128	Dave Bing (39)	8–10
19	November 26	N San Diego	120–134	Happy Hairston (31)	9–10
20	November 27	Phoenix	111–125	Dave DeBusschere (32)	10–10
21	November 29	N Cincinnati	112–122	Jimmy Walker (29)	10–11
22	November 30	@ New York	108–120	Dave Bing (24)	10–12
23	December 4	Baltimore	112–106	Dave Bing (29)	10–13
24	December 6	@ Boston	118–132	Jimmy Walker (29)	10–14
25	December 7	@ Philadelphia	106–140	Happy Hairston (21)	10–15
26	December 10	@ Chicago	83–100	Eddie Miles (18)	10–16
27	December 11	Boston	108–106	Jimmy Walker (28)	10–17
28	December 14	Phoenix	123–118	Jimmy Walker (28)	10–18
29	December 18	San Diego	112–124	Hairston, Walker (27)	11–18
30	December 20	New York	135–87	Walt Bellamy (18)	11–19
31	December 21	@ Atlanta	110–120	Walt Bellamy (31)	11–20
32	December 25	@ Milwaukee	119–113	Happy Hairston (24)	12–20
33	December 26	Los Angeles	95–94	Dave Bing (31)	12–21
34	December 28	San Francisco	102–131	Eddie Miles (27)	13–21
35	December 29	@ Los Angeles	108–111	Dave Bing (29)	13–22
36	December 31	@ Los Angeles	127–107	Dave Bing (30)	14–22
37	January 3	Atlanta	128–106	Dave Bing (32)	14–23
38	January 4	@ New York	103–111	Bellamy, Bing (28)	14–24
39	January 5	@ Philadelphia	119–126	Happy Hairston (27)	14–25
40	January 7	Philadelphia	114–117	Howard Komives (22)	15–25
41	January 8	@ Boston	104–113	Eddie Miles (21)	15–26
42	January 10	@ Atlanta	101–104	Howard Komives (25)	15–27
43	January 11	Cincinnati	115–118	Hairston, Miles (25)	16–27
44	January 12	@ Cincinnati	113–111	Howard Komives (23)	17–27
45	January 17	Milwaukee	108–123	Happy Hairston (27)	18–27
46	January 19	Chicago	111–120	Eddie Miles (29)	19–27
47	January 20	N Milwaukee	102–101	Walt Bellamy (28)	19–28
48	January 22	Los Angeles	115–116	Eddie Miles (25)	20–28
49	January 24	New York	106–107	Walt Bellamy (28)	21–28
50	January 25	@ Philadelphia	106–124	Walt Bellamy (24)	21–29
51	January 27	@ Baltimore	106–126	Dave Bing (22)	21–30
52	January 29	San Francisco	133–126	Dave Bing (32)	21–31
53	January 30	N Seattle	118–144	Dave Bing (37)	22–31
54	January 31	@ Chicago	103–102	Walt Bellamy (18)	23–31
55	February 1	@ Atlanta	99–119	Jimmy Walker (25)	23–32
56	February 2	Baltimore	128–106	Dave Bing (25)	23–33
57	February 4	N Cincinnati	114–125	Dave Bing (29)	23–34
58	February 5	Chicago	120–108	Dave Bing (28)	23–35
59	February 8	San Diego	119–123 (OT)	Walt Bellamy (32)	24–35
60	February 12	Boston	113–106	Dave Bing (28)	24–36
61	February 13	@ Chicago	101–120	Bellamy, Walker (13)	24–37
62	February 14	Phoenix	123–128	Dave Bing (37)	25–37
63	February 16	@ Seattle	119–127	Walt Bellamy (31)	25–38
64	February 18	@ San Francisco	114–121	Dave Bing (22)	25–39
65	February 19	@ Seattle	131–124	Dave Bing (30)	26–39
66	February 20	Atlanta	97–87	Bellamy, Hairston (17)	26–40
67	February 22	Milwaukee	108–107	Happy Hairston (23)	26–41
68	February 24	@ Baltimore	119–123	Terry Dischinger (25)	26–42
69	February 27	N Philadelphia	123–126	Dave Bing (30)	27–42
70	February 28	Baltimore	134–116	Dave Bing (34)	27–43
71	March 2	Philadelphia	126–112	Walt Bellamy (34)	27–44
72	March 4	@ New York	99–102	Walt Bellamy (21)	27–45
73	March 5	New York	120–128	Howard Komives (30)	28–45
74	March 7	Cincinnati	105–114	Dave Bing (24)	29–45
75	March 9	Milwaukee	126–121	Walt Bellamy (28)	29–46
76	March 11	@ Los Angeles	101–137	Dave Bing (22)	29–47
77	March 13	@ San Diego	105–120	Happy Hairston (22)	29–48
78	March 14	@ San Francisco	110–114	Dave Bing (35)	29–49
79	March 16	@ San Diego	111–120	Happy Hairston (22)	29–50
80	March 17	@ Phoenix	119–95	Walt Bellamy (30)	30–50
81	March 21	Seattle	104–110	Dave Gambee (32)	31–50
82	March 23	Chicago	114–158	Happy Hairston (28)	32–50

Awards and records

• Dave DeBusschere, All-NBA Second Team

References

1. 1968–69 Detroit Pistons
2. "Former Detroit Pistons coach Donnis Butcher dies at 76". October 10, 2012.
3. "The DeBusschere Debacle". NBA.com.
4. "Chevette to Corvette No. 50: The 1968-69 Detroit Pistons". October 3, 2011.
5. "DeBusschere trade transformed Knicks". December 22, 2008.
6. "Walt 'Clyde' Frazier recalls Walt Bellamy-for-Dave DeBusschere trade". New York Daily News.
7. "1968-69 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats".