The Detroit Pistons started the 1994-95 season with only two players remaining from the 1992-93 campaign and just one (Joe Dumars) from their championship years. Inexperience, the players' unfamiliarity with one another, and injuries made the season a difficult one for Detroit, as the Pistons finished at 28-54 and in last place in the Central Division. Ten players were injured during the season for a combined loss of 194 player-games. The injuries piled up early in the campaign, and some nights it almost seemed as if the Pistons would not be able to field a team. Detroit used 25 different starting lineups during the year.

There were nevertheless some reasons for optimism. Rookie Grant Hill was even better than expected, emerging as the team's top scorer at 19.9 points per game. An immediate star and fan favorite, Hill was the first rookie ever to lead all players in fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game. At season's end he was named NBA co-Rookie of the Year along with the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd.

Guard Allan Houston was torrid over the final two months of the season, leading the Pistons in scoring in 13 of the team's final 21 games. He averaged 21.6 points in the 36 contests after the All-Star break. Veteran superstar Dumars slipped into the shadows a bit, yielding the spotlight to the team's younger players, but he had some memorable moments of his own. Dumars tied an NBA record with 10 three-pointers in a November 8 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and at midseason he made his fifth trip to the NBA All-Star Game.

After the season, changes were made. Head Coach Don Chaney was replaced by former Chicago Bulls coach Doug Collins, and Vice President of Basketball Operations Billy McKinney resigned from his post.