Yes, the Detroit Pistons have been considered the laughing stock of the league for quite some time. Since selecting Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick in 2021, Detroit has been decimated by a terrible lottery, finishing with the fifth overall pick three years in a row. Each of the last two seasons, Detroit has finished with the worst record in the league, only to miserably lose the first overall pick.
Cade Cunningham, the Pistons’ last first-round pick, has been nearly everything the organization hoped for when they drafted him in 2022. Over the course of three seasons, Cunningham has improved each time. Finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021-22, the Pistons’ point guard averaged 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and more than a steal per game. In doing so, Cunningham shot 42%, 31% and 85% from the field.
A shortened 2022-23 season (shin surgery) limited Cunningham to just 12 games. In those outings, Cunningham averaged 20 points, six rebounds, six assists, but shot 42%, 28% from three-point range and 84% from the free throw line. Despite the injury and questions surrounding the team, Cunningham averaged 23 points, four rebounds and eight assists in 62 games. His efficiency improved dramatically, shooting 45%, 36% from three-point range and 87% from the free throw line.
If the Pistons are to begin their long climb up the Eastern Conference standings, they’ll need another boost in point guard productivity. Cunningham’s next jump could well earn him an All-Star spot, especially if Detroit is competitive and in contention for a play-in spot.
