Nothing has gone right for Antawn Jamison and the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 19-33, the Detroit Pistons aren't having a great season by any stretch of the imagination, but it's nothing compared to what's happening in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers, still stinging after being dumped on national television by hometown hero LeBron James, are in the midst of the worst losing streak in NBA history.
While the Pistons longest skid of the season was five games, Cleveland's now sits at 25 straight. Hell, if not for a poor shooting night by Knicks shooting guard Danilo Gallinari in the Cavs' 109-102 double-overtime win over New York on December 18, that streak could be 36.
Beyond that, the Pistons appear to have a brighter future. Which core group would you rather have: Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and an upcoming lottery pick or J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions, Anderson Varejao, Christian Eyenga and a slightly better lottery pick?
Neither group seems destined to bring home championships, but the Pistons' young core definitely has more potential to build upon.
But the future doesn't matter for the task at hand. The Pistons head to Cleveland hoping to avoid becoming the team that snaps Cleveland's streak.
Detroit has had plenty of bad losses this season. The Pistons blew 20-plus-point leads in the second half against both the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, have been blown out nearly a dozen times, and even lost to a severely short-handed Magic team without Dwight Howard.
But none of those losses are likely to be remembered in a couple years. If the Pistons fall to the Cavs, they become part of the joke, the answer to obscure sports trivia (What does Northern Illinois, Bryant, the Atlanta Braves, New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Pistons have in common?), and a footnote in the record book.
During this tumultuous season, a loss here would be a rancid cherry on top of the already-melted ice cream sundae. The Pistons need to step up, leaving this dubious distinction for another team.