With the regular season tipping off Wednesday night in Miami, the Detroit Pistons are set to embark on a prove-it campaign for the organization. The pieces have been assembled … let’s say methodically — over the years, and now with a critical mass of young talent and complementary veterans, it’s time to show some actual progress. Players need to prove they belong, and the front office needs to prove this slow rebuild will bear fruit — soon.
We’ve seen plenty of awesome flashes from this group of youngsters to excite fans. Isaiah Stewart’s flirtation with becoming a stretch big, Jaden Ivey’s excellent close to the season and newfound mid-range bag, and Jalen Duren’s glimpses of passing, and defensive switchability are all examples of snippets that are cause for hope. In order for the Pistons to take the next step, however, these flashes must turn into consistent traits that can be relied upon to impact winning.
Of all the young talent brought in as a part of Troy Weaver’s restoration, there is no player on this roster with more to prove this season than Cade Cunningham. Simply put, the Pistons’ ceiling will match that of Cade’s ceiling going forward. This is not the 2004 iteration of the team, or league for that matter. In today’s NBA, you need stars to win, and Cunningham has shown to be Detroit’s best shot at becoming a star.
After a summer generating high praise from anyone who saw him in the gym, the national buzz has reinforced this line of thinking. Currently, Cade boasts the third-highest odds of winning the Most Improved Player award next season according to DraftKings. What is a realistic step for Cunningham, now entering his third season? Aside from simply staying healthy, the answer to this question lies in how much he is able to improve in some key areas:
Three-Point Shooting
Coming into the draft, Cade’s long-distance shooting was billed as a strength. At Oklahoma State, he shot at a 40% clip from deep, on nearly six attempts per game. Even more impressive was the fact that 57% of these were attempted off the dribble. Per shot tracker, he made these types of shots at the exact same rate as he did off of the catch. This was a huge part of what made Cunningham so appealing as a prospect. While he has shown the ability to make these shots as a pro, the efficiency has not yet translated. As a Piston, Cade is shooting just 30% on his three-point attempts. He was down to 27% in the 12 games he played as a sophomore when it was obvious he wasn’t healthy.
While he’s hit some clutch threes and gone through hot stretches from downtown, it has not become a consistent weapon. Cade has solid shot mechanics, and shooting has been an off-season emphasis for him the past two summers. One reason to be encouraged is the fact that he’s become an efficient scorer from the midrange. It is reasonable to expect his shot to translate from the elbows to a few feet back, but the longer it remains a question mark, the louder the concern will get.
Cade’s three-point shooting taking a leap would open up the floor not only for others but himself. Primary creators who double as plus outside shooters enjoy the luxury of defenders needing to respect the threat of their three-ball. As a result, defenders must go over screens, giving the ball handler a natural head start with the defender on their hip, and more options when navigating a ball screen. This plays into Cade’s strengths as a player who can see over the defense, and make them pay with his advanced passing. Watch any primary creator that fits this criteria, and you will see the gravity that they command in ball screen situations. Screen or no screen, an improved shot forces defenders to get in Cade’s space, making it easier to drive around defenders, and utilize shot fakes, or often-used rocker steps to create separation. From there, Cade can show off his natural strength, ability to play angles when driving and make the right passing read as we’ve so often seen him do. Of course, all of these things would lend more open spaces for teammates, as well as allow Cade to be a threat when spacing the floor off-ball for Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and other secondary creators that he may share the floor with.
Drawing Fouls
While there is a high level of talent in today’s NBA, and many players flirt with All-Star teams without this skill, getting to the free-throw line with regularity is almost a must for anyone wanting to call themselves a franchise player. A prime example of upping one’s free-throw attempts is that of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His free-throw attempts per game have steadily climbed throughout his career, culminating with a jump from 7.2 attempts per game in 2021-22, to just a hair under 11 per game in this past season. Last season, of course, was one that saw SGA go from being viewed as a nice young piece, to qualifying for First-Team All NBA, finishing eighth in the MVP voting, and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a surprise Play-In appearance.
SGA is now widely considered to be a top-10 player. Just look at the top 10 leaders from last season in free throw attempts and you’ll see names like Giannis, Luka, Embiid, and Jimmy Butler on the list, to name a few. It’s pretty clear; more free-throw attempts correlate with easier buckets, and thus, an easier path to stardom. That’s why Cade’s 2.6 attempts per game as a rookie, and 3.6 a game last season need to see a sharp trend upward.
Fouls create easy points for the offense and help teams battle through stagnant periods on that end. On nights when Cade is not making threes or midrange jumpers at a high rate, he can rely on this area of his game to continue to be a threat to score and open up the floor for his teammates as the engine of the offense. This should be an area where Cade can make strides, though it is concerning that this was not a strong suit for him as a prospect either. Cade has good size and strength at 6-foot-6 and possesses a good handle to go with his high-level utilization of pace and angles.
These traits should lend themselves useful to drawing fouls. The other factor in play here is officiating. It is one of the worst-kept secrets in sports that star players tend to get more favorable calls from the referees, and younger players often have to earn their stripes in this area. Cade, by simply being available, and producing at a level that he seems destined to, may be able to build some credibility in the eyes of officials going into his third year. In his first two years, most Pistons fans have lamented Cade getting some bad breaks with no-calls. As he continues to be healthy and available, and pay his dues with officials, he may begin to benefit from more favorable whistles around the rim.
Assertiveness—Early and Often
Another trait that has followed Cade since high school is his clutch ability. He always seems to save his greatest moments for when his back is against the wall. As a freshman in Stillwater, Cunningham led all college players in points during “clutch situations.” This clutch reputation was only further reinforced in his rookie season when Cade led the Pistons charge in several close finishes and engineered multiple comeback wins.
On the downside, there have been many games over the first two seasons in which Cunningham has waited until the team had fallen far behind in order to snap into an aggressive mindset. This was something that received attention as a rookie and seeped into his shortened second-year campaign as well, with reports coming out that he was even intentionally coasting in order to help his teammates feel more comfortable.
Though Cunningham’s unselfishness is to be applauded, sometimes your strength can be your weakness. Clearly, he is comfortable in his own skin and understands his game, and he spends a lot of energy wanting to see his teammates have success. It is an admirable signal of a high-level leader. But at a certain point, a player of Cade’s stature being this unselfish is, well, a little selfish.
Teams often look to their best player to help set the tone early offensively. Look at any max-level player in the league, and you will often see his team playing through him to begin a game. By getting into the lane early, and making defenses respect his threat to score (or draw fouls) nearly at will in one-on-one situations, Cade can open up the floor for his teammates. He could then find himself not having to provide a heroic effort to dig the team out of a hole late in games as often.
If you’re looking for an honorable mention, or annoyed that it hasn’t already been mentioned. Yes, Cade also needs to cut down on the turnovers. That particular issue just happened to fall lower on my to-do list of improvements. Most young players who have the ball in their hands as much as Cade does will struggle to take care of the ball consistently (remember, he’s played in just 72 career games). Heck, most Hall of Famers struggle with this! For reference, when looking at the all-time league leaders in turnovers, it would take a telescope to find players on this list that haven’t cemented all-time great status.
To put it in football terms, the Pistons are not deep or talented enough for their best player to act as a game manager. The offense is designed to go through Cade and play to his strengths. Like many guys on the aforementioned list, you want your best player making plays, and taking the risks that come with it. In most cases, the pros outweigh the cons with that. Cade certainly has had some lapses in focus, or a loose handle that have led to unnecessary turnovers, and he certainly needs to cut down on them. Here’s betting that with experience, he will do exactly that. What kind of leap are you expecting from Cunningham this year?