The Pistons made a major move in the off-season, trading perennial All-Star Dave Bing to the Washington Bullets for NBA assist leader Kevin Porter.
Greg Eno from Out of Bounds described his January dismissal, "Thirty years ago and a month, Scott was conducting practice -- the Pistons were in a terrible slump at the time -- and management strode onto the court, relieved Ray Scott of his silver whistle, and marched him off the court to give him the Ziggy -- that Detroit word for a coach getting fired.
They were still a bush league franchise, even though Bing and Scott and Lanier had combined to put pro basketball on the map in Detroit.
Detroit won the deciding 3rd game of the series in Milwaukee 107–104, securing the win with a late Chris Ford steal.
The team then fell to the Golden State Warriors 4–2 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, dropping the 6th game in overtime 118–116 at Cobo Arena in Detroit.