In 1978-79 the Pistons began playing home games at the Pontiac Silverdome, where they would stay for a decade. The club had a new head coach, Dick Vitale, who later gained fame as a television sports personality. Vitale didn't have the answers for the Pistons, as Detroit dropped to 30-52. The team's roster was a model of inconsistency, with 20 different players appearing in the lineup at one time or another. Still, there was a bright spot-Kevin Porter led the NBA in assists with 13.4 per game. He recorded a season-high 25 assists twice, against Boston on March 9 and versus Phoenix on April 1. Many of Porter's assists went to center Bob Lanier, who poured in 23.6 points per game but missed 29 games with a knee injury.

Detroit's 1979-80 record of 16-66 was not only the worst in the league that season but the worst in Pistons history. Porter returned to the Washington Bullets in the offseason and came back to haunt his old team. On March 20 he delivered 24 assists against the Pistons, the most ever by a Detroit opponent. The team also traded Lanier to Milwaukee at midseason. He went on to lead the Bucks to five consecutive playoff appearances.