When will Detroit Pistons be out of NBA 2024 playoffs contention? Minimum points needed and more

The Detroit Pistons are trying to avoid setting the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season. The Pistons have 26 straight losses and are poised to play against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. Depending on the result, Detroit could either stay tied with two other teams that lost 26 straight games or set a record.

With their trend of losing games, some fans have thought about the possibility of the Pistons, who are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, getting eliminated from playoff contention. At this point, despite their historic struggles, they still have a shot at making it to the postseason, because they have 53 remaining games.

The gap between the Pistons (2-27) and Chicago Bulls (13-18), who are 10th in the East, is large. Detroit is already 10 games behind the team that would be the last to qualify for the play-in tournament if the postseason began today.

If the Bulls win 21 straight games starting Tuesday and the Pistons lose 22 straight games, that could eliminate them from playoff contention. Detroit would finish the season with a record of 33-49 and Chicago would end up with a 34-48 record.

The way other teams play will play a significant role in them getting eliminated. Other East teams could stay stagnant in this scenario as they would either move up or down the standings. The only team that had 34 wins and qualified for the play-in Tournament was the San Antonio Spurs in 2022.

If the Pistons continue to lose every game and the Bulls win every game, Detroit will be out of playoff contention before the All-Star break. The earliest the franchise won't have a shot at a postseason spot would be Feb. 8.

You might also be interested in reading this: Brooklyn Nets vs. Detroit Pistons: Predictions, starting lineups, and betting tips | Dec. 26, 2023

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Detroit Pistons owner voes "change is coming"

Fans are hoping for the Detroit Pistons to get back in the win column soon. They haven't won a single game in almost two months, and even fans of rival teams have started to root for them for a change of scenery.

While the entire NBA fanbase has their eyes on the Pistons, the organization has started to talk about future changes. Team owner Tom Gores has put the pressure on general manager Troy Weaver.

"I expect change, Gores said. "We expected a lot more. But we have to be real, and then there’s some things that hadn’t been working with the makeup of the team. ... Accountability that has to be held. There might be additions, you know, to staff and all that stuff, but what’s for sure is change is coming.

"We’re doing a lot of reflecting. Troy is, (coach) Monty (Williams) is, I am. We have to be careful. We’ve taken a lot of steps to get ready for the future."

While the Detroit Pistons boasts youth, the young talent hasn't been effective in winning any games. Their veteran leaders have also missed a significant amount of games, which has hindered the young players from learning how to win.