Pistons' Attendance Woes Underscore Need To Move Team Downtown

The Pistons announced a crowd of 10,517 for last night's game against the Suns at The Palace of Auburn Hills, but "maybe 3,000 bothered showing up," according to Drew Sharp of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The Pistons are the "only team in the NBA this season that's filling less than 60% of its arena." Their overall average attendance is the "second lowest in the league." The Pistons are "doing what's necessary in building a team people will take seriously," but they "can't get anybody into the building to watch the process." Sharp: "How much longer can this franchise keep fooling itself into believing that it can independently exist 30 miles away from this sports community's epicenter -- downtown Detroit?" The "allure's gone." Every home game "with three quarters of the Palace empty represents another harsh reminder that the Pistons must get out of there and return to downtown Detroit in a shared new arena arrangement with the Red Wings as quickly as possible." The market the Pistons court "is now more comfortable spending their time and disposable entertainment dollar downtown than they were 20 years ago" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/29).

NO KINGDOM COME? In Sacramento, Tom Couzens writes the Kings' announced attendance of 10,741 for Tuesday's game against the T'Wolves at Sleep Train Arena "seemed like a stretch, especially to those watching on TV." There were "plenty of empty seats in the lower level and wide stretches of the upper level were empty" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/29).