In 1992-93 the Pistons plummeted to 40-42 under new coach Ron Rothstein and finished out of the playoffs for the first time since 1983. Joe Dumars led the team in scoring with 23.5 points per game, a career best and the highest Pistons average since 1982-83, when Kelly Tripucka had scored 26.5 points per contest. Dumars also set a team record by knocking down 7 three-pointers in a game against the Knicks on February 26. When Bill Laimbeer pulled down his 10,000th career rebound against Philadelphia on December 5, he became the 19th player in NBA history to record 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

By the end of the 1992-93 season Laimbeer had become the team's all-time leading rebounder. Thomas, with 1,793 career steals, had twice as many as runner-up Chris Ford, and his 8,662 assists were also more than double the total of the No. 2 man on the Pistons' list, Dave Bing, who had handed out 4,330.

Don Chaney was named head coach during the offseason, replacing Rothstein. Chaney, a one-time Detroit assistant, had held the head-coaching reins with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets, winning Coach of the Year honors at Houston in 1990-91.

Realizing the need to rebuild its fading franchise, Detroit used its two first-round draft picks in 1993 to restock its backcourt, acquiring guards Lindsey Hunter and Allan Houston.