1970–71 Detroit Pistons season

1970–71 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach	Butch van Breda Kolff
General manager	Ed Coil
Owner(s)	Fred Zollner
Arena	Cobo Arena
Results
Record	45–37 (.549)
Place	Division: 4th (Midwest) Conference: 6th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WJBK
Radio	WXYZ

The 1970–71 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 23rd season in the NBA and 14th season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit.

The Pistons finished with a 45-37 (.549) record, 4th place in the deep Midwest Division, as the NBA re-organized from 2 to 4 divisions. It was the first winning season for Detroit since the franchise relocated from Ft. Wayne in 1957. The team was led by guards Dave Bing (27.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, NBA All-Star) and Jimmy Walker (17.6 ppg) and rookie center Bob Lanier (15.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, All-Rookie Team), who was the top pick in the 1970 NBA Draft.

Draft picks

Main article: 1970 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	1	Bob Lanier	Center	United States	St. Bonaventure
16	224	Harvey Marlatt	Guard	United States	Eastern Michigan

Roster

1970–71 Detroit Pistons roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From PG 21 Bing, Dave 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1943–11–24 Syracuse SF 43 Dischinger, Terry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1940–11–21 Purdue PF 17 Driscoll, Terry 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1947–08–28 Boston College PF 31 Hewitt, Bill 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1944–08–08 USC PG 30 Komives, Howard 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1941–05–09 Bowling Green C 16 Lanier, Bob 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1948–09–10 St. Bonaventure SG 26 Marlatt, Harvey 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1948–08–26 Eastern Michigan SF 23 Mix, Steve 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1947–12–30 Toledo C 34 Moore, Otto 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1946–08–27 Texas–Pan American PF 51 Mueller, Erwin 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1944–03–12 San Francisco SF 15 Quick, Bob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1946–03–05 Xavier SG 24 Walker, Jimmy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1944–04–08 Providence

Head coach Butch van Breda Kolff Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks	66	16	.805	–	34–2	28–13	4–1	14–4
x-Chicago Bulls	51	31	.622	15	30–11	17–19	4–1	7–11
Phoenix Suns	48	34	.585	18	27–14	19–20	2–0	9–9
Detroit Pistons	45	37	.549	21	24–17	20–19	1–1	6–12

#	Western Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT
1	z-Milwaukee Bucks	66	16	.805
2	y-Los Angeles Lakers	48	34	.585
3	x-Chicago Bulls	51	31	.622
4	x-San Francisco Warriors	41	41	.500
5	Phoenix Suns	48	34	.585
6	Detroit Pistons	45	37	.549
7	San Diego Rockets	40	42	.488
8	Seattle SuperSonics	38	44	.463
9	Portland Trail Blazers	29	53	.354

z, y – division champions

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1970–71 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BAL	BOS	BUF	CHI	CIN	CLE	DET	LAL	MIL	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SDR	SFW	SEA
Atlanta	—	3–3	2–4	3–1	1–4	2–4	4–0	0–5	3–2	1–4	3–3	4–2	1–4	2–2	2–3	2–3	3–2
Baltimore	3–3	—	3–3	3–1	2–3	3–3	4–0	2–3	2–3	1–4	2–4	3–3	3–2	2–2	4–1	2–3	3–2
Boston	4–2	3–3	—	4–0	4–1	4–2	3–1	2–3	3–2	0–5	0–6	4–2	2–3	2–2	3–2	3–2	3–2
Buffalo	1–3	1–3	0–4	—	0–4	0–4	5–7	1–5	2–2	0–4	2–2	0–4	1–3	6–6	1–3	1–3	1–3
Chicago	4–1	3–2	1–4	4–0	—	4–0	4–0	3–3	2–4	1–5	3–2	3–2	3–3	3–1	6–0	4–2	3–2
Cincinnati	4–2	3–3	2–4	4–0	0–4	—	5–1	1–4	1–4	1–4	2–4	1–5	1–4	4–0	1–3	2–3	1–4
Cleveland	0–4	0–4	1–3	7–5	0–4	1–5	—	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–4	2–10	0–4	1–3	0–4
Detroit	5–0	3–2	3–2	5–1	3–3	4–1	2–2	—	2–3	1–5	2–3	2–3	2–4	3–1	4–2	1–4	3–1
Los Angeles	2–3	3–2	2–3	2–2	4–2	4–1	4–0	3–2	—	1–4	3–2	3–2	2–4	4–0	3–3	4–2	4–2
Milwaukee	4–1	4–1	5–0	4–0	5–1	4–1	4–0	5–1	4–1	—	1–4	4–1	4–2	3–1	4–1	6–0	5–1
New York	3–3	4–2	6–0	2–2	2–3	4–2	4–0	3–2	2–3	4–1	—	2–4	4–1	3–1	4–1	3–2	2–3
Philadelphia	2–4	3–3	2–4	4–0	2–3	5–1	3–1	3–2	2–3	1–4	4–2	—	3–2	4–0	3–2	3–2	3–2
Phoenix	4–1	2–3	3–2	3–1	3–3	4–1	4–0	4–2	4–2	2–4	1–4	2–3	—	4–0	2–4	3–2	3–2
Portland	2–2	2–2	2–2	6–6	1–3	0–4	10–2	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	0–4	0–4	—	0–4	1–3	2–4
San Diego	3–2	1–4	2–3	3–1	0–6	3–1	4–0	2–4	3–3	1–4	1–4	2–3	4–2	4–0	—	2–4	5–1
San Francisco	3–2	3–2	2–3	3–1	2–4	3–2	3–1	4–1	2–4	0–6	2–3	2–3	2–3	3–1	4–2	—	3–3
Seattle	2–3	2–3	2–3	3–1	2–3	4–1	4–0	1–3	2–4	1–5	3–2	2–3	2–3	4–2	1–5	3–3	—

Game log

1970–71 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	October 14	@ Seattle	123–117	Dave Bing (25)	1–0
2	October 16	@ San Francisco	120–106	Dave Bing (27)	2–0
3	October 17	@ Phoenix	110–107	Dave Bing (23)	3–0
4	October 20	Milwaukee	114–115	Dave Bing (37)	4–0
5	October 21	@ Boston	121–118	Dave Bing (35)	5–0
6	October 22	Atlanta	101–120	Jimmy Walker (29)	6–0
7	October 24	@ Buffalo	114–95	Bing, Walker (20)	7–0
8	October 26	Seattle	111–142	Dave Bing (35)	8–0
9	October 28	@ Baltimore	109–103	Jimmy Walker (20)	9–0
10	October 31	@ New York	89–107	Dave Bing (21)	9–1
11	November 3	Cincinnati	112–115	Dave Bing (31)	10–1
12	November 4	@ Atlanta	117–105	Dave Bing (25)	11–1
13	November 5	Buffalo	109–121	Dave Bing (28)	12–1
14	November 7	@ Chicago	99–125	Dave Bing (23)	12–2
15	November 11	Los Angeles	117–115	Dave Bing (35)	12–3
16	November 13	@ Los Angeles	109–122	Dave Bing (20)	12–4
17	November 14	@ San Diego	101–112	Dave Bing (23)	12–5
18	November 15	@ Phoenix	104–108	Dave Bing (26)	12–6
19	November 17	Philadelphia	113–91	Dave Bing (23)	12–7
20	November 19	Phoenix	110–112	Jimmy Walker (23)	13–7
21	November 20	@ Philadelphia	120–112	Bob Lanier (24)	14–7
22	November 21	@ Cincinnati	102–114	Dave Bing (21)	14–8
23	November 24	San Diego	104–111	Dave Bing (35)	15–8
24	November 25	@ Milwaukee	87–113	Otto Moore (17)	15–9
25	November 28	Boston	121–98	Dave Bing (32)	15–10
26	November 29	@ Cleveland	120–99	Dave Bing (27)	16–10
27	December 2	New York	82–101	Dave Bing (29)	17–10
28	December 4	Chicago	103–107	Jimmy Walker (34)	18–10
29	December 9	San Francisco	110–99	Bing, Walker (25)	18–11
30	December 11	@ Boston	121–118 (OT)	Dave Bing (33)	19–11
31	December 12	Buffalo	93–92	Dave Bing (21)	19–12
32	December 13	@ Los Angeles	103–100	Terry Dischinger (20)	20–12
33	December 15	@ Portland	111–103	Dave Bing (31)	21–12
34	December 17	@ Phoenix	114–117 (OT)	Jimmy Walker (38)	21–13
35	December 18	@ San Diego	129–116	Dave Bing (30)	22–13
36	December 20	N Cincinnati	136–135 (2OT)	Dave Bing (37)	23–13
37	December 25	@ Philadelphia	100–105	Dave Bing (28)	23–14
38	December 26	@ Chicago	117–114	Bing, Lanier (26)	24–14
39	December 29	Atlanta	97–99	Jimmy Walker (21)	25–14
40	December 30	@ Cincinnati	119–115	Dave Bing (28)	26–14
41	January 2	Baltimore	108–99	Dave Bing (33)	26–15
42	January 5	@ Atlanta	98–90	Otto Moore (22)	27–15
43	January 6	San Diego	99–100	Dave Bing (30)	28–15
44	January 8	Cincinnati	109–115	Dave Bing (31)	29–15
45	January 9	@ Milwaukee	100–118	Dave Bing (25)	29–16
46	January 10	Los Angeles	109–118	Jimmy Walker (29)	30–16
47	January 14	Cleveland	106–108	Dave Bing (34)	31–16
48	January 15	@ Buffalo	99–97 (OT)	Jimmy Walker (19)	32–16
49	January 16	Boston	118–121	Dave Bing (31)	33–16
50	January 19	Seattle	102–106	Dave Bing (27)	34–16
51	January 22	Portland	123–112	Dave Bing (36)	34–17
52	January 24	New York	117–105	Dave Bing (26)	34–18
53	January 27	San Francisco	129–112	Dave Bing (35)	34–19
54	January 29	San Diego	104–131	Dave Bing (34)	35–19
55	January 31	N Milwaukee	131–104	Dave Bing (26)	35–20
56	February 2	Baltimore	113–116	Dave Bing (29)	36–20
57	February 5	New York	99–108	Dave Bing (31)	37–20
58	February 7	@ Baltimore	105–108	Dave Bing (26)	37–21
59	February 9	Milwaukee	107–106	Bing, Walker (28)	37–22
60	February 12	Philadelphia	109–118	Dave Bing (27)	38–22
61	February 14	Boston	110–108	Dave Bing (27)	38–23
62	February 16	Baltimore	95–110	Dave Bing (36)	39–23
63	February 19	@ Chicago	114–115 (OT)	Bing, Walker (27)	39–24
64	February 20	@ New York	94–108	Howard Komives (20)	39–25
65	February 21	Chicago	125–112	Dave Bing (54)	39–26
66	February 24	San Francisco	117–115	Dave Bing (32)	39–27
67	February 26	@ Buffalo	127–122 (OT)	Dave Bing (40)	40–27
68	February 27	Phoenix	124–117	Dave Bing (30)	40–28
69	February 28	@ Atlanta	106–105	Bob Lanier (28)	41–28
70	March 2	Portland	122–128	Bob Lanier (38)	42–28
71	March 5	Milwaukee	108–95	Dave Bing (39)	42–29
72	March 6	@ Philadelphia	115–121	Bob Lanier (31)	42–30
73	March 7	Cleveland	104–100	Dave Bing (30)	42–31
74	March 9	Phoenix	114–108	Dave Bing (49)	42–32
75	March 11	@ Seattle	97–130	Dave Bing (22)	42–33
76	March 12	@ Portland	133–129	Dave Bing (25)	43–33
77	March 13	@ San Francisco	107–116	Howard Komives (26)	43–34
78	March 14	@ Los Angeles	100–110	Dave Bing (26)	43–35
79	March 17	@ San Diego	99–106	Jimmy Walker (20)	43–36
80	March 19	Buffalo	105–111	Bob Lanier (40)	44–36
81	March 20	@ Cleveland	103–114	Erwin Mueller (23)	44–37
82	March 21	Chicago	111–116	Bing, Mueller, Quick (18)	45–37

Awards and records

• Dave Bing, All-NBA First Team
• Bob Lanier, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team