The 1963–64 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons ' 16th season in the NBA and seventh season in the city of Detroit .[ 1] The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit.[ 2]
The Pistons finished with a 23-57 (.288) record, last place (5th) in the Western Division. The team was led on the season by forward Bailey Howell (21.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg, NBA All-Star), center Ray Scott (17.6 ppg, 13.5 rpg) and guard Don Ohl 17.3 ppg, NBA All-Star.[ 3]
The Pistons bristled under coach Charles Wolf , with Sports Illustrated describing the team as "the unhappiest team ever assembled. Wolf did not smoke or drink or swear or run around late at night and he was hell-bent on making sure no one else did either. Midseason practice sessions consisted of push-ups, sit-ups and lectures. "We had to raise our hand if we wanted to go to the bathroom," said one player. And during a game, one missed shot or bad pass meant a trip to the pines, as Piston center Reggie Harding refers to bench time. 'I'd trade every one of you,' Wolf once told his players in an effort to build up their confidence, 'except you're so bad no one will have you.'"[ 4]
1963–64 Detroit Pistons roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
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
G
25
Duffy, Bob
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1940–09–26
Colgate
C
16
Ferry, Bob
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1937–05–31
Saint Louis
C
19
Harding, Reggie
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
249 lb (113 kg)
1942–05–04
Nashville Christian Institute (TN)
F
18
Howell, Bailey
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1937–01–20
Mississippi State
C
17
Imhoff, Darrall
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1938–10–11
California
G
5
Jones, Willie
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1936–06–29
Northwestern
G
14
Miles, Eddie
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1940–07–05
Seattle
F
15
Moreland, Jackie
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1938–03–11
Louisiana Tech
G
10
Ohl, Don
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1936–04–18
Illinois
F
12
Scott, Ray
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1938–07–12
Portland
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: 1963–12–16
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
edit
1963-64 NBA Records
Team
BAL
BOS
CIN
DET
LAL
NYK
PHI
SFW
STL
Baltimore
—
1–9
2–8
7–3
3–7
7–3
5–5
3–7
3–7
Boston
9–1
—
5–7
7–1
6–3
10–2
10–2
5–3
7–2
Cincinnati
8–2
7–5
—
7–2
4–4
11–1
9–3
5–4
4–4
Detroit
3–7
1–7
2–7
—
5–7
4–5
3–5
3–9
2–10
Los Angeles
7–3
3–6
4–4
7–5
—
6–2
5–4
5–7
5–7
New York
3–7
2–10
1–11
5–4
2–6
—
4–8
1–8
4–4
Philadelphia
5–5
2–10
3–9
5–3
4–5
8–4
—
4–4
3–6
San Francisco
7–3
3–5
4–5
9–3
7–5
8–1
4–4
—
6–6
St. Louis
7–3
2–7
4–4
10–2
7–5
4–4
6–3
6–6
—
1963–64 Game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 16
Philadelphia
117–115
Don Ohl (23)
0–1
2
October 19
@ Philadelphia
124–121
Bailey Howell (28)
1–1
3
October 23
Los Angeles
124–116
Don Ohl (25)
1–2
4
October 26
@ St. Louis
103–127
Bailey Howell (27)
1–3
5
October 30
Boston
108–102
Bailey Howell (21)
1–4
6
November 2
@ Boston
109–117
Ray Scott (23)
1–5
7
November 6
Philadelphia
101–119
Ray Scott (30)
2–5
8
November 9
@ Cincinnati
109–118
Jackie Moreland (21)
2–6
9
November 11
N Los Angeles
109–116
Egan , Ohl (27)
3–6
10
November 15
@ San Francisco
101–98
Bob Ferry (16)
4–6
11
November 16
@ Los Angeles
95–115
Moreland, Scott (15)
4–7
12
November 17
@ San Francisco
96–120
Eddie Miles (27)
4–8
13
November 19
N Cincinnati
102–127
Ray Scott (20)
4–9
14
November 20
Cincinnati
118–124
Don Ohl (34)
5–9
15
November 23
@ New York
99–108
Bailey Howell (25)
5–10
16
November 27
St. Louis
113–105
Howell, Ohl (18)
5–11
17
November 28
@ St. Louis
101–118
Ray Scott (20)
5–12
18
November 29
Los Angeles
127–111
Ray Scott (21)
5–13
19
November 30
N Baltimore
101–120
Bailey Howell (20)
5–14
20
December 1
N Philadelphia
132–121
Bailey Howell (32)
5–15
21
December 4
New York
120–119
Ray Scott (30)
5–16
22
December 6
St. Louis
108–112 (OT)
Bailey Howell (35)
6–16
23
December 11
Cincinnati
127–107
Larry Staverman (21)
6–17
24
December 14
@ St. Louis
92–104
Bailey Howell (24)
6–18
25
December 17
@ New York
107–103
Ray Scott (19)
7–18
26
December 18
Baltimore
124–107
Ray Scott (27)
7–19
27
December 21
St. Louis
100–91
Bailey Howell (25)
7–20
28
December 26
@ Baltimore
108–110
Don Ohl (27)
7–21
29
December 27
N Philadelphia
119–107
Ray Scott (22)
7–22
30
December 29
N Los Angeles
140–128
Bailey Howell (25)
7–23
31
December 30
N San Francisco
112–114 (OT)
Bailey Howell (28)
8–23
32
January 2
N Cincinnati
111–112
Bailey Howell (33)
8–24
33
January 5
@ St. Louis
99–116
Bailey Howell (28)
8–25
34
January 8
Baltimore
106–99
Ferry, Howell (17)
8–26
35
January 9
N Baltimore
125–115
Bailey Howell (35)
9–26
36
January 11
St. Louis
112–107
Bailey Howell (21)
9–27
37
January 12
@ Cincinnati
88–120
Bailey Howell (15)
9–28
38
January 15
San Francisco
89–79
Bailey Howell (21)
9–29
39
January 16
N New York
124–116
Bailey Howell (33)
9–30
40
January 17
N New York
99–101
Bailey Howell (27)
10–30
41
January 18
Boston
121–115
Willie Jones (29)
10–31
42
January 20
@ Los Angeles
118–107
Bailey Howell (35)
11–31
43
January 21
@ San Francisco
88–100
Don Ohl (17)
11–32
44
January 22
@ Los Angeles
101–110
Bailey Howell (23)
11–33
45
January 23
@ San Francisco
93–125
Ray Scott (16)
11–34
46
January 25
St. Louis
107–98
Bailey Howell (28)
11–35
47
January 26
@ St. Louis
104–106
Don Ohl (22)
11–36
48
January 28
Los Angeles
92–93
Harding , Howell (16)
12–36
49
January 30
San Francisco
100–109
Don Ohl (29)
13–36
50
February 1
@ Baltimore
112–111
Bailey Howell (25)
14–36
51
February 4
@ San Francisco
79–118
Ray Scott (19)
14–37
52
February 5
@ Los Angeles
85–111
Ray Scott (26)
14–38
53
February 6
@ San Francisco
97–104
Bailey Howell (33)
14–39
54
February 7
@ Los Angeles
111–103
Bailey Howell (30)
15–39
55
February 9
@ Cincinnati
107–135
Ray Scott (21)
15–40
56
February 11
San Francisco
128–118 (OT)
Bailey Howell (23)
15–41
57
February 12
N Cincinnati
121–147
Ray Scott (28)
15–42
58
February 14
@ Philadelphia
123–130
Bailey Howell (27)
15–43
59
February 15
@ Baltimore
122–124
Bailey Howell (27)
15–44
60
February 16
Baltimore
111–99
Ray Scott (21)
15–45
61
February 18
N San Francisco
108–98
Don Ohl (29)
15–46
62
February 19
N Los Angeles
115–116
Ray Scott (23)
16–46
63
February 20
Los Angeles
106–101
Bailey Howell (24)
16–47
64
February 22
New York
125–119 (OT)
Don Ohl (33)
16–48
65
February 23
@ Baltimore
104–129
Don Ohl (23)
16–49
66
February 24
Boston
113–115
Reggie Harding (23)
17–49
67
February 26
Philadelphia
130–122
Bailey Howell (42)
17–50
68
February 28
N New York
110–112
Ray Scott (22)
18–50
69
February 29
N Boston
108–115
Don Ohl (29)
18–51
70
March 1
San Francisco
100–86
Bailey Howell (18)
18–52
71
March 5
N Baltimore
125–120
Reggie Harding (27)
19–52
72
March 7
Boston
112–94
Howell, Jones (14)
19–53
73
March 8
@ Boston
118–128
Don Ohl (32)
19–54
74
March 10
Cincinnati
103–114
Ray Scott (27)
20–54
75
March 12
N Boston
120–140
Bailey Howell (19)
20–55
76
March 13
N Philadelphia
122–133
Don Ohl (32)
21–55
77
March 14
New York
124–126
Bailey Howell (33)
22–55
78
March 15
@ New York
125–139
Bailey Howell (27)
22–56
79
March 17
@ St. Louis
99–115
Bailey Howell (20)
22–57
80
March 18
St. Louis
96–106
Don Ohl (28)
23–57