The Pistons Rebuild
After years of sub-par play and mediocrity, the Pistons seem to have struck gold. Detroit landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, allowing them to possibly draft their next franchise player. Cade Cunningham. Stick with us as we break down Cade’s game, and how he affects the Pistons rebuild.
Detroit’s Draft Woes
In the early 2000s era, the Detroit Pistons were no joke. Their basketball teams embodied the city, as they played hard nosed, defensive oriented basketball. Toughness and unselfishness were the reason they were able to dethrone the reigning 3 time champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons were never an easy out during this time, but everything changed once Chauncey was traded. They gave away their franchise player and cornerstone...the man who won Finals MVP for them 4 seasons prior.
Detroit has had their fair share of drafting woes, here are some of their worst misses during the draft:
2010:
Drafted: #7 Greg Monroe, #35 Terrico White
Passed on: #9 Gordon Hayward, #10 Paul George, #18 Eric Bledsoe, #19 Avery Bradley, #40 Lance Stephenson
2011
Drafted: #8 Brandon Knight, #33 Kyle Singler, #52 Vernon Macklin
Passed on: #9 Kemba Walker, #11 Klay Thompson, #15 Kawhi Leonard, #19 Tobias Harris, #23 Nikola Mirotic, #24 Reggie Jackson, #30 Jimmy Butler, #60 Isaiah Thomas
2013
Drafted: #8 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, #37 Tony Mitchell, #56 Peyton Siva
Passed on: #10 CJ McCollum, #15 Giannis Antetokounmpo, #17 Dennis Schroder, #25 Reggie Bullock
This year seems to be different. This will be the first time the Detroit Pistons held the No. 1 pick since 1970. They can’t mess this year up, they’re taking Cade Cunningham.
Photo From: Pistols Firing
Big 12 POY, Wayman Tisdale Award (Best PG in country)
Finalist for both the Naismith & Bob Cousy award
Cade in College
Cade Cunningham is a 6 foot 8 point forward, who has all the tools to succeed in the NBA. While at Oklahoma State University, Cade’s play on the court proved that he should be the consensus No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. His basketball IQ and use of the pick and roll will translate smoothly into the NBA, as he will see more floor spacing than in college.
Cade Cunningham had his fair share of great performances in college:
Oklahoma State v Oklahoma
Cade Cunningham scored 40 points as the Cowboys took down their in-state rival Oklahoma in OT. In this game, Cade Cunningham showcased his whole skillset. To begin, his downhill aggression was great…as he sought out contact in order to finish over smaller defenders. His offensive game is already stamped in all 3 areas of the floor. Coming into the league as a reliable three level scorer will give opposing defenses problems from the get go.
Furthermore, his defensive potential was immediately noticeable by how he plays passing lanes, while also being able to sneak up on defenders for weak side blocks from behind.
Cade scored tough bucket after tough bucket late in the 2nd half and OT to close out this huge upset win against #7 Oklahoma.
Photo From: USA Today
Final Stat Line: 40 Points (12-21 FG) - 11 Rebounds
Scored 27 of 40 in the 2nd half, adding a block in the final seconds to seal the game in OT
Big 12 Tournament: OSU defeats Baylor
Cade Cunningham was brilliant for OSU. The No. 5 ranked Cowboys upset the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears, earning them a ticket to the Big 12 Championship game. Cade showed his takeover ability, scoring 20 of his 25 points in the 2nd half. Even in high stress moments, Cade’s expression remained stoic, similar to that of Devin Booker and Kawhi Leonard. Baylor had the best defense in the nation last season, it did not matter.
Photo From: Online Gambling
Pistons Rebuild
Even after missing the playoffs, the Pistons walked away from the 2021 season with more than a few positives to build on. The play of both Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart provided fans with a shimmer of hope, on an otherwise lackluster season.
Cade changes the dynamic of their team from Day 1. As we see with the Suns and Hawks, the modern NBA is dominated by teams with more than one playmaker. When teams have only one go-to guy, we see situations similar to Luka and Tatum in the playoffs...they gas out down the stretch.
If Killian Hayes can be 70% of what the Pistons envisioned when drafting him, they could have a dynamic, backcourt tandem with the addition of Cunningham.
The Killian situation can either go two ways.
Option 1: Cade and Killian learn to effectively share ball handling duties, while also working on spot on jump shooting
Option 2: So long Killian Hayes. It’s a tough spot for Killian. One year you are chosen to potentially be the franchise's cornerstone guard...only for a more sought after prospect to take your spot. Let’s see how he handles this situation. If he utilizes this opportunity, it could be mutually beneficial for both players.
It is very early to make predictions, but the Pistons with Cade have the potential to be a long, switchable defensive team. The shortest player in their starting lineup would be 6 foot 5 Killian Hayes. With Jerami Grant at PF, Cade should have plenty of room to operate in the half court. I would not be surprised if Detroit was scouring the market for low risk, high reward floor spacers.
The Future of the League
We are seeing an unprecedented influx of talent into the NBA. Young players in small markets are proving to the basketball world that their time is now. The days of waiting around for LeBron and Steph in the Finals are over.
Think about this…Trae Young is having one of, if not the greatest runs in a players playoff debut. With that being said, is he even a Top 5 PG?
Here’s my list:
Stephen Curry
Luka Doncic
Damian Lillard
James Harden
CP3
Honorable Mention: Ice Trae
He absolutely deserves to be on this list, but who comes off? This is the same for each position in the NBA. The league is stacked. We are seeing NBA teams adopt the “NFL Rookie QB contract” philosophy. They are realizing these young players are coming out of college more polished than ever, with some even able to carry a franchise by themselves. The window for a championship is open soon after they enter the league. With the right pieces around them, the sky is the limit for these young superstars. Cade fits into this narrative. The Pistons front office has work to do.
I truly do not think it will be long until we see the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs, or play-in tournament.
NBA Ratings in this years playoffs are up 39% in America, small market teams and young players are fun to watch. The league is beginning to become dominated by young stars, Cade will be one of them.
Photo From: The Ringer
