1994–95 Detroit Pistons season explained

The 1994–95 NBA season was the Pistons' 47th season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th season in the city of Detroit.^[1] After losing 62 games in 1993 along with the retirements of Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas, the Pistons started a new era by drafting Grant Hill out of Duke University with the third overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft.^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]} The team also signed free agents Oliver Miller,^{[8] [9]} Johnny Dawkins,^[10] and Rafael Addison,^[11] and acquired Mark West from the Phoenix Suns during the off-season.^{[9] [12]} However, after a respectable 8–7 start to the season, the Pistons lost 13 of their next 14 games, which included an 8-game losing streak, as second-year guard Lindsey Hunter only played just 42 games due to foot and ankle injuries,^{[13] [14]} and Dawkins was released to free agency after 50 games.^[15] After holding a 17–29 record at the All-Star break,^[16] the Pistons continued to struggle losing eight of their final nine games, finishing last place in the Central Division with a 28–54 record.^[17]

Hill became an immediate fan favorite averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and went on to share the Rookie of the Year honors with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks,^{[18] [19] [20] [21]} while Joe Dumars, the last of the original players from the Bad Boys era, averaged 18.1 points and 5.5 assists per game. Hill and Dumars were both selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, which was Hill's first ever All-Star appearance,^{[22] [23] [24] [25] [26]} as he also became the first rookie ever to lead in All-Star voting.^{[27] [28] [29]}

In addition, Terry Mills provided the team with 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while second-year guard Allan Houston showed improvement averaging 14.5 points per game, and Miller averaged 8.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Addison contributed 8.3 points per game off the bench, but was released by the team to free agency shortly before the season had ended,^[30] while Hunter contributed 7.5 points and 1.2 steals per game, and West provided with 7.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.^[31]

Following the season, Miller was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Toronto Raptors,^{[32] [33] [34] [35] [36]} and head coach Don Chaney was fired.^{[37] [38]} For the season, the Pistons added new red alternate road uniforms with blue side panels, which remained in use until the franchise's 1996 teal-colored rebrand.^[39]

Draft picks

See main article: 1994 NBA draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	3		SF		Duke
2	48		PF		Missouri

Roster

Roster Notes

• Small forward Rafael Addison was waived on April 19.

Regular season

Season standings

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1994-95 NBA Records
width=100	Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
	—	3–1	2–2	1–4	1–4	2–0	2–0	3–2	2–0	0–2	1–4	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–3	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0
	1–3	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	4–1	1–3	2–0	2–3	0–5	2–3	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–1
	2–2	3–1	—	2–2	3–2	0–2	1–1	5–0	2–0	0–2	1–4	2–0	0–2	3–1	4–1	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	3–1
	4–1	4–0	2–2	—	2–3	1–1	1–1	5–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–4	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2
	4–1	2–2	2–3	3–2	—	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	2–3	1–1	1–1	1–3	4–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1
	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	—	1–4	1–1	3–1	2–3	1–1	3–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	4–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–3	0–4	2–4	1–1
	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–1	—	1–1	1–3	1–4	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	6–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–3	3–1	2–2	1–4	1–3	1–4	2–0
Detroit	2–3	1–3	0–5	0–5	2–2	1–1	1–1	—	1–1	0–2	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	2–3	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	4–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1
	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	—	0–4	0–2	3–2	3–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–2	1–4	0–5	1–3	1–4	2–2	2–0
	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	3–2	4–1	2–0	4–0	—	1–1	3–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	3–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–5	0–4	2–3	2–0
	4–1	2–2	4–1	2–2	3–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	2–2	3–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–2	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1
	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	1–1	2–3	1–3	0–2	—	2–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–4	0–5	1–4	0–4	0–5	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	2–3	4–0	1–1	3–2	—	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	2–3	3–2	1–3	4–1	2–2	2–0
	2–2	1–4	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–0	0–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	—	4–0	1–1	1–3	1–4	1–3	1–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	4–1
	3–1	3–1	1–4	4–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	3–2	2–0	1–1	2–3	1–1	1–1	0–4	—	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	3–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1
	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–4	0–6	1–1	3–1	2–3	0–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–5	0–4	1–4	1–1
	0–4	3–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–2	1–1	—	1–4	2–2	2–3	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–3
	2–2	5–0	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	4–1	2–2	2–0	4–1	—	2–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0
	3–1	3–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–2	3–2	—	4–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–2
	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	4–1	1–3	1–1	3–2	0–4	1–4	—	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–2
	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–3	1–3	1–1	4–1	4–1	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	—	5–0	4–1	2–2	4–1	2–2	2–0
	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–3	2–0	4–1	3–1	1–1	5–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	4–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–5	—	3–2	1–3	2–3	1–3	2–0
	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	5–0	1–3	0–2	4–1	2–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	2–3	—	0–4	3–2	0–4	1–1
	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–2	4–1	2–0	3–1	5–1	0–2	4–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	5–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	4–0	—	2–2	3–2	2–0
	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	4–1	4–0	1–1	5–0	1–4	2–0	2–0	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–4	3–2	2–3	2–2	—	1–3	2–0
	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	4–2	4–1	2–0	2–2	3–2	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0	2–0	4–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	4–0	2–3	3–1	—	2–0
Washington	0–4	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–4	1–3	1–1	3–2	0–4	2–3	2–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	—

Game log

Regular season

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 35| January 20, 1995
8:00p.m. EST| Houston| L 96–106| Mills (33)| Mills (9)| Dumars (8)| The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454| 11–24|- align="center"|colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break|- style="background:#cfc;"|- bgcolor="#bbffbb"|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 52| February 23, 1995
8:30p.m. EST| @ Houston| L 99–110| Dumars (28)| Miller (10)| Dumars (8)| The Summit
16,611| 19–33

Player statistics

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Grant Hill	70	69	38.3	.477	.148	.732	6.4	5.0	1.8	0.9	19.9
Joe Dumars	67	67	38.0	.430	.305	.805	2.4	5.5	1.1	0.1	18.1
Terry Mills	72	69	34.9	.447	.382	.799	7.8	2.2	0.9	0.5	15.5
Allan Houston	76	39	26.3	.463	.424	.860	2.2	2.2	0.8	0.2	14.5
Oliver Miller	64	22	24.3	.555	.231	.629	7.4	1.5	0.9	1.8	8.5
Rafael Addison	79	16	22.5	.476	.289	.747	3.1	1.4	0.7	0.3	8.3
Mark West	67	58	23.0	.556		.478	6.1	0.3	0.4	1.5	7.5
	42	26	22.5	.374	.333	.727	1.8	3.8	1.2	0.2	7.5
Johnny Dawkins	50	9	23.4	.463	.342	.909	2.3	4.1	1.0	0.0	6.5
Mark Macon	55	6	13.1	.381	.323	.794	1.4	1.1	1.2	0.0	5.0
Negele Knight	44	17	15.1	.392	.393	.667	1.3	2.6	0.5	0.1	4.1
Eric Leckner	57	11	10.9	.527	.000	.708	3.1	0.2	0.3	0.3	3.9
Bill Curley	53	1	11.2	.433		.750	2.3	0.5	0.4	0.4	2.7
Walter Bond	5	0	10.2	.250	.250	.750	1.0	1.4	0.2	0.0	2.0
	6	0	3.5	1.000		.500	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.0	1.8
Ivano Newbill	34	0	9.7	.356		.364	2.4	0.5	0.4	0.3	1.2

Player Statistics Citation:

Awards and records

• Grant Hill, NBA Rookie of the Year Award
• Grant Hill, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

See also

• 1994-95 NBA season

Notes and References

1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/1995.html 1994-95 Detroit Pistons
2. News: Brown . Clifton . BASKETBALL; The Bucks Go with Robinson as No. 1 Pick . The New York Times . June 30, 1994 . July 30, 2021.
3. News: Denlinger . Ken . Robinson Goes with the Bucks . The Washington Post . June 30, 1994 . December 1, 2022.
4. News: Heisler . Mark . NBA DRAFT: Blockbuster Trade That Wasn't Overshadows Player Selections . Los Angeles Times . June 30, 1994 . June 3, 2023.
5. News: Howard-Cooper . Scott . NBA DRAFT: Lakers Recall the Past: Pro Basketball: Temple Guard Jones Reminiscent of Former Great Michael Cooper . Los Angeles Times . June 30, 1994 . June 3, 2023.
6. News: Wise . Mike . BASKETBALL; Hill Dribbling Through a Forest of Expectations . The New York Times . October 16, 1994 . January 14, 2022.
7. Web site: 1994 NBA Draft . Basketball-Reference . December 1, 2022.
8. News: SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Miller Joins Pistons . The New York Times . September 8, 1994 . November 19, 2022.
9. News: Oliver Miller Signs Piston Offer . Chicago Tribune . September 8, 1994 . October 13, 2021.
10. News: Associated Press . PRO BASKETBALL; A Bigger, Richer Kemp Gets Ready to Attack the Boards . The New York Times . October 11, 1994 . July 25, 2022.
11. News: SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Pistons Give Hill a $45 Million Contract . The New York Times . September 30, 1994 . October 5, 2022.
12. News: Eastern Conference . The Washington Post . November 4, 1994 . September 22, 2022.
13. News: Bullets' MacLean Out Longer After Fight . Tampa Bay Times . January 4, 1995 . June 27, 2022.
14. News: Pistons Activate West . United Press International . January 20, 1995 . January 29, 2023.
15. News: Associated Press . NBA ROUNDUP: Smits Helps Pacers End Spurs' Streak, 117-100 . Los Angeles Times . March 8, 1995 . September 30, 2022.
16. News: NBA Games Played on February 9, 1995 . Basketball-Reference . January 3, 2023.
17. Web site: 1994–95 Detroit Pistons Schedule and Results. Basketball-Reference. July 1, 2021.
18. News: Associated Press . Mavericks' Kidd, Pistons' Hill Share NBA Rookie-of-Year Award . Los Angeles Times . May 18, 1995 . July 24, 2017.
19. News: Associated Press . 1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Celtics Drop Ford as Coach . The New York Times . May 18, 1995 . September 24, 2022.
20. News: Kidd, Hill Compare Rookie Awards . Chicago Tribune . May 18, 1995 . January 30, 2023.
21. News: NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners . Basketball-Reference . November 29, 2022.
22. News: Landman . Brian . Will Shaq's Return Bring Double Trouble? . Tampa Bay Times . February 11, 1995 . May 3, 2023.
23. News: Cotton . Anthony . New-Age NBA Reaches for the Stars . The Washington Post . February 12, 1995 . January 2, 2023.
24. News: Araton . Harvey . Sports of the Times; Role Models Abound as Well as Rebound . The New York Times . February 13, 1995 . June 27, 2022.
25. News: NBA.com Staff . 1995 NBA All-Star Recap . NBA.com . September 13, 2021 . May 17, 2023.
26. Web site: 1995 NBA All-Star Game: West 139, East 112 . Basketball-Reference . November 23, 2021.
27. News: Hill 1st Rookie to Lead All-Star Voting . United Press International . January 26, 1995 . January 29, 2023.
28. News: SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Hill Is Top Vote-Getter . The New York Times . January 27, 1995 . October 13, 2021.
29. News: Associated Press . NBA All-Stars Topped by Rookie Hill . Los Angeles Times . January 27, 1995 . January 29, 2023.
30. News: Transactions . The New York Times . April 20, 1995 . October 5, 2022.
31. Web site: 1994–95 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats. Basketball-Reference. July 1, 2021.
32. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; Anthony Is No. 2 of the Secaucus 27 . The New York Times . June 25, 1995 . October 5, 2022.
33. News: Heisler . Mark . Armstrong Becomes Top Expansion Pick: NBA: Raptors Take Guard from Bulls. Massenburg Also Headed to Toronto, While Lakers Lose Harvey to Vancouver . Los Angeles Times . June 25, 1995 . December 20, 2022.
34. News: Smith . Sam . Toronto Picks Armstrong; May Not Trade Him . Chicago Tribune . June 25, 1995 . July 8, 2023.
35. News: Associated Press . NBA Expansion Draft -- Point Guards Are Top Priority for Young Raptors, Grizzlies . The Seattle Times . June 25, 1995 . January 31, 2023.
36. Web site: 1995 NBA Expansion Draft . Basketball-Reference . July 8, 2023.
37. News: SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Pistons to Fire Chaney & Co., Report Says . The New York Times . April 11, 1995 . November 8, 2022.
38. News: Associated Press . Pistons to Fire Chaney, Likely Hire Collins: Pro basketball: Dismissals of Coach and Key Executive Expected a Day Later Than Planned . Los Angeles Times . April 26, 1995 . April 19, 2023.
39. News: Detroit Pistons Uniform . Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net  . July 8, 2021.