Finally, the moment has arrived and the Detroit Pistons have drafted Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. There was never any true indication that any other outcome was more than a remote possibility, but a fanbase scarred by the drafting choices of the Stan Van Gundy administration has learned to never assume the best.
With the pick made and Cunningham now a Piston, there’s a mix and joy and relief for fans. Just getting the No. 1 pick for the first time in over 50 years was a win in and of itself, and to be able to use it on a ready-made star like Cunningham is a pretty significant bonus. It’s nice to not waste that first opportunity in a mediocre draft.
So now that Cade Cunningham is a Detroit Piston, let’s take a look at three primary things he’ll bring to his new team.
What Cade Cunningham provides the Pistons: 1. Playmaking
At times in the past couple of seasons, the Pistons have had barely anybody who could qualify as a lead ball-handler let alone anything resembling a playmaker. Bruce Brown and Tim Frazier occupying a backcourt together just a couple of years ago, and bless their hearts but that won’t cut it.
Now Cunningham will join Killian Hayes in perhaps the youngest backcourt in the NBA, and one of the best playmaking duos. Finally and at long last, the Pistons will have a surplus of capable ball-handler and facilitators, and they should be able to make life easy for teammates Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart.
What Cade Cunningham provides the Pistons: 2. Defensive upgrade
The Pistons were a better-than-advertised defense last season, thanks more to pure effort and hard work than actually capable defenders. They were 19th in defensive rating, which won’t win you any accolades, but on a team full of rookies, Wayne Ellington and Frank Jackson getting all of the minutes, it’s hard to fathom doing any better than that.
Cunningham has tremendous size at 6’8″ and 220 lbs, and while he’s not the most mobile defensively, he does have remarkable instincts, intelligence and awareness. He’ll be a fantastic addition to a team with Jerami Grant and Killian Hayes and could be a major reason for their leap up the defensive ranks next season.
His physical and intellectual assets are going to be a big boost for a team that accomplished everything it did through sheer grit and will last season. They only won 20 games, but that roster had no business winning half the games they took down. Cunningham’s blue-chip defensive acumen and abilities are going to change all of that.
What Cade Cunningham provides the Pistons: 3. Scoring
If Cade Cunningham provides playmaking and defense, what does that even leave? That’s right, scoring. And Cade can score the ball from a variety of spots all over the floor.
Playing off the ball last season at Oklahoma State, he was in the 90th percentile shooting off the catch, scoring 1.298 points per possession. Off the dribble, he found himself in the 65th percentile, scoring .865 points per possession. He shot a sparkling 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
He was in the 62nd percentile as the PNR ball-handler, the 87th percentile in isolation, the 67th percentile in spot-up possessions and he was in the 75th percentile when posting up. He’s also a dynamic finisher around the rim thanks to his strength and agility.
After a season where generating offense that didn’t come directly from Jerami Grant was supremely difficult, the Pistons are going to be able to ride the scoring potency of their first overall pick, Cade Cunningham.