The Detroit Pistons have quite an impressive collection of young NBA talent on their roster. Sooner or later, however, that talent on paper is going to have to translate to success on the court. Riding a streak of four seasons with 23 or fewer victories, it is time for wins to start compiling in Detroit.
With Ausar Thompson joining the roster as a potential two-way star, the Pistons have the pieces in place to find success on the court. Some better injury luck would go a long way to having a better product on the court.
The one player key in that regard, and who can elevate the Pistons to that next level, is Cade Cunningham. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft hasn’t been available nearly as much as Detroit would like, which is partly why he was picked by Steve Aschburner of NBA.com as the player who needs to make a leap in the 2023-24 campaign.
“This isn’t just a calendar thing – Cunningham’s first two seasons have seen him play 64 and 12 games, a sample big enough to demonstrate his abilities but too small to have a real impact. His numbers from his dozen appearances last season (19.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.0 apg), replicated over 70-plus games, would have him on an All-Star arc and the Pistons’ offense and growth on a fast track.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons Updates
There is a reason that the Pistons selected Cunningham when they won the lottery two years ago. He has the skill set to not only become a star player in his own regard, but help improve the performance of everyone else around him as well.
The Oklahoma State product turned only 22 years old in September, as he still has plenty of time to develop and round out his arsenal. If he can stay healthy, there is no reason Detroit can’t compete for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament this season.
Last season, in the three games Cunningham recorded a double-double in, the Pistons won. He has the talent to make this a quick turnaround in the Motor City if he can stay on the floor, especially with a supporting cast that should see improvements from the young players.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons Updates
The Eastern Conference is pretty open behind the elite teams at the top of the standings. Given the talent on their roster, as the Pistons have a good mix of veterans and youngsters, and the leadership of Monty Williams as head coach, the opportunity will present itself to take a major leap up in the standings.
