NBA team season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1965–66 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons ' 18th season in the NBA and its ninth season in the city of Detroit .[1] The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.[2]
Before the start of the 1965–66 season, the Pistons lost their leading scorer, Terry Dischinger , due to military service, and starting center, Reggie Harding , due to suspension. On September 28, 1965, general manager Don Wattrick died of a heart attack.[3] The team's first round pick in the 1965 NBA draft , Bill Buntin did not sign until October due to a contract dispute.[4]
The Pistons struggled on the season, finishing 22-58 (.275), 5th in the Western Division and with the worst record in the NBA. The team was led on the season by guard Eddie Miles (19.6 ppg, NBA All-Star) and player-coach Dave DeBusschere (16.4 ppg, 11.6 rpg, NBA All-Star). Rookie guard Tom Van Arsdale (10.5 ppg, NBA First-Team All-Rookie) added to the cause. Adding insult on the year, two Baltimore Bullets , Don Ohl and Bailey Howell , made the NBA All-Star game, having been traded the year prior by the Pistons.[5] [6]
Roster
1965–66 Detroit Pistons roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
G
21
Barnhill, John
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1938–03–20
Tennessee State
C
17
Buntin, Bill
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
1942–05–05
Michigan
G
24
Butcher, Donnis
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1936–02–08
Pikeville
F
22
DeBusschere, Dave
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1940–10–16
Detroit Mercy
C
19
Harding, Reggie (S)
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
249 lb (113 kg)
1942–05–04
Nashville Christian Institute (TN)
F
16
Kojis, Don
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1939–01–15
Marquette
G
14
Miles, Eddie
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1940–07–05
Seattle
F
20
Reed, Ron
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1942–11–02
Notre Dame
F
12
Scott, Ray
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1938–07–12
Portland
C
16
Strawder, Joe
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1940–09–21
Bradley
F
23
Tresvant, John
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1939–11–06
Seattle
G
5
Van Arsdale, Tom
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
202 lb (92 kg)
1943–02–22
Indiana
G
10
Vaughn, Chico
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1940–02–19
Southern Illinois
G
18
Warlick, Bob
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1941–03–20
Pepperdine
Head coach
Dave DeBusschere
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: 1965–12–28
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
1965-66 NBA Records
Team
BAL
BOS
CIN
DET
LAL
NYK
PHI
SFW
STL
Baltimore
—
3–7
3–7
5–5
4–6
7–3
5–5
4–6
7–3
Boston
7–3
—
5–5
6–4
7–3
10–0
4–6
8–2
7–3
Cincinnati
7–3
5–5
—
8–2
4–6
7–3
4–6
5–5
5–5
Detroit
5–5
4–6
2–8
—
2–8
2–8
3–7
2–8
2–8
Los Angeles
6–4
3–7
6–4
8–2
—
5–5
2–8
7–3
8–2
New York
3–7
0–10
3–7
8–2
5–5
—
2–8
5–5
4–6
Philadelphia
5–5
6–4
6–4
7–3
8–2
8–2
—
8–2
7–3
San Francisco
6–4
2–8
5–5
8–2
3–7
5–5
2–8
—
4–6
St. Louis
3–7
3–7
5–5
8–2
2–8
6–4
3–7
6–4
—
Game log
1965–66 Game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 16
@ New York
103–111
Dave DeBusschere (23)
0–1
2
October 20
New York
103–116
Joe Caldwell (18)
1–1
3
October 23
@ Philadelphia
103–120
Eddie Miles (21)
1–2
4
October 26
Baltimore
117–98
Don Kojis (15)
1–3
5
October 27
@ Baltimore
108–107
Bill Buntin (25)
2–3
6
October 29
Boston
106–108
Eddie Miles (36)
3–3
7
October 30
@ St. Louis
95–122
Dave DeBusschere (20)
3–4
8
October 31
@ Cincinnati
107–113
Eddie Miles (29)
3–5
9
November 3
Philadelphia
100–110
Eddie Miles (27)
4–5
10
November 5
Cincinnati
120–114
Tom Van Arsdale (24)
4–6
11
November 6
@ San Francisco
100–110
Rod Thorn (29)
4–7
12
November 9
@ San Francisco
102–107
DeBusschere, Miles (24)
4–8
13
November 10
@ Los Angeles
125–133
Eddie Miles (30)
4–9
14
November 12
San Francisco
103–102
Eddie Miles (21)
4–10
15
November 13
@ Boston
93–122
Donnis Butcher (15)
4–11
16
November 16
@ New York
95–120
Ray Scott (26)
4–12
17
November 19
New York
116–109
Ray Scott (23)
4–13
18
November 20
@ St. Louis
101–110
Rod Thorn (20)
4–14
19
November 23
N Cincinnati
118–115
DeBusschere, Miles (25)
5–14
20
November 24
Baltimore
124–130
Ray Scott (31)
6–14
21
November 26
N Boston
114–134
Ray Scott (25)
6–15
22
November 28
Los Angeles
128–110
Rod Thorn (21)
6–16
23
December 1
St. Louis
110–101
Ray Scott (23)
6–17
24
December 4
Baltimore
119–130
Eddie Miles (36)
7–17
25
December 8
San Francisco
113–115
Eddie Miles (30)
8–17
26
December 10
@ Philadelphia
116–114
Ray Scott (32)
9–17
27
December 14
N Baltimore
129–142
Dave DeBusschere (30)
9–18
28
December 17
Boston
114–112
Ray Scott (32)
9–19
29
December 18
@ Baltimore
114–143
Ray Scott (21)
9–20
30
December 22
N San Francisco
114–104
Eddie Miles (20)
9–21
31
December 23
@ Los Angeles
112–122
Ray Scott (19)
9–22
32
December 25
@ Los Angeles
106–115
Eddie Miles (35)
9–23
33
December 28
N San Francisco
120–107
Eddie Miles (24)
9–24
34
December 29
Philadelphia
113–112
Dave DeBusschere (28)
9–25
35
December 30
N Los Angeles
114–117
Dave DeBusschere (20)
10–25
36
January 1
@ Baltimore
112–116
John Tresvant (21)
10–26
37
January 2
N San Francisco
136–113
Kojis, Scott (16)
10–27
38
January 5
N Cincinnati
103–117
Ray Scott (26)
10–28
39
January 6
N Cincinnati
97–109
Eddie Miles (20)
10–29
40
January 7
St. Louis
97–137
Ray Scott (25)
11–29
41
January 9
Los Angeles
111–98
Barnhill , Van Arsdale (16)
11–30
42
January 12
Philadelphia
111–129
Dave DeBusschere (41)
12–30
43
January 15
Baltimore
117–122
Tom Van Arsdale (29)
13–30
44
January 16
@ Cincinnati
106–108
Eddie Miles (23)
13–31
45
January 18
N Boston
116–115
Eddie Miles (32)
14–31
46
January 19
N Philadelphia
110–93
Ray Scott (23)
14–32
47
January 20
N St. Louis
103–92
Tom Van Arsdale (19)
14–33
48
January 21
St. Louis
108–117
Ray Scott (32)
15–33
49
January 25
@ New York
100–115
Eddie Miles (28)
15–34
50
January 26
Los Angeles
126–110
Joe Strawder (22)
15–35
51
January 27
N Boston
112–131
Dave DeBusschere (32)
15–36
52
January 28
@ Boston
108–105
Joe Strawder (29)
16–36
53
January 30
@ Philadelphia
98–117
Dave DeBusschere (18)
16–37
54
February 1
N Boston
81–100
Eddie Miles (22)
16–38
55
February 2
Boston
93–99
Joe Strawder (20)
17–38
56
February 4
New York
115–113
Eddie Miles (26)
17–39
57
February 7
N Cincinnati
124–118
Dave DeBusschere (29)
18–39
58
February 8
N San Francisco
113–103
Eddie Miles (28)
18–40
59
February 9
Philadelphia
108–91
Ray Scott (26)
18–41
60
February 11
N New York
122–107
Joe Strawder (25)
18–42
61
February 12
@ Cincinnati
116–143
Ray Scott (29)
18–43
62
February 14
N Philadelphia
149–123
Ray Scott (21)
18–44
63
February 15
@ Baltimore
105–114
Dave DeBusschere (26)
18–45
64
February 18
New York
118–120
Eddie Miles (30)
19–45
65
February 20
Cincinnati
133–129
Ray Scott (33)
19–46
66
February 22
N Philadelphia
117–112
Eddie Miles (21)
19–47
67
February 23
N New York
100–98
DeBusschere, Miles (17)
19–48
68
February 26
Los Angeles
131–118
Eddie Miles (31)
19–49
69
February 27
@ St. Louis
114–125
Eddie Miles (24)
19–50
70
February 28
N St. Louis
108–103
Ray Scott (29)
19–51
71
March 1
N Baltimore
122–110
Eddie Miles (28)
20–51
72
March 2
San Francisco
118–131
Ray Scott (27)
21–51
73
March 4
N New York
121–119
Dave DeBusschere (29)
21–52
74
March 6
Cincinnati
137–125
John Barnhill (20)
21–53
75
March 11
@ Los Angeles
116–114
Chico Vaughn (18)
22–53
76
March 13
N San Francisco
121–119
Ron Reed (17)
22–54
77
March 15
@ Los Angeles
108–135
John Tresvant (22)
22–55
78
March 17
Boston
128–103
Ray Scott (26)
22–56
79
March 19
@ St. Louis
112–115
Ray Scott (20)
22–57
80
March 20
St. Louis
121–117
Dave DeBusschere (31)
22–58
Awards and records
References
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s