Detroit Pistons: 3 goals for Cade Cunningham in his rookie season
By Duncan Smith
The Detroit Pistons had high hopes when the 2021 NBA draft lottery began, but they scarcely let themselves dream that they’d win the Cade Cunningham Sweepstakes.
Sure enough, they got the No. 1 overall pick and wasted no time in picking Cunningham to be the face of their franchise and their future. The path for almost any rookie in the NBA is a hard one, so how can he step in from the start and make a difference?
We’ll analyze three goals that Cade Cunningham should strive for in his rookie season.
Pistons goals for Cade Cunningham: 1. Win Rookie of the Year
The Pistons will be pleased with their choice of Cunningham whether this happens or not, but winning Rookie of the Year would be a coup for all parties. In the history of the Pistons, only Grant Hill (1995), Dave Bing (1967) and the great Monk Meineke (1953, with the Fort Wayne Pistons) have won the award, and Cunningham doing so in the beginning stages of the franchise’s restoration would be a great way to get things started.
This would be a great achievement this season in particular considering the outstanding field of rookies, including players like Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and a host of others. For a franchise bereft of awards and honors in recent years, this would be a fantastic place to start.
Signaling the beginning of a new era of stardom in Detroit, nothing would be more fitting than Cade Cunningham winning Rookie of the Year.