Detroit Pistons: 3 goals for Cade Cunningham in his rookie season
By Duncan Smith
![Jul 30, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons first round draft pick Cade Cunningham answers questions from reporters Friday, July 30, 2021. Mandatory credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY NETWORK Jul 30, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons first round draft pick Cade Cunningham answers questions from reporters Friday, July 30, 2021. Mandatory credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY NETWORK](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d30e17478e6299a38852675efbaa816ada09463219e10046b6b9575049a8d159.jpg)
Pistons goals for Cade Cunningham: 2. Fit in with Jerami Grant
Cunningham isn’t the best Piston yet, and may not be next season. Or even the season thereafter for that matter. That distinction belongs to Jerami Grant, last season’s marquee free-agent signing.
While players like Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are important for the future, Cunningham and Grant are at the top of the mountain in value to this franchise. Fortunately, Cunningham is a fantastic playmaker and an unselfish leader whose personality and maturity belie his young age of 19 years old, and that makes it easy to fit in.
As for Grant, he was a veteran leader for this team a season ago, especially after Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose hit the road to the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks. He was also the offensive focal point as well as the defensive centerpiece, and that’s heavy work for anybody. Especially somebody in their first season being the No. 1 guy, as was the case for Grant after coming over from the Denver Nuggets.
This is a duo that should work well together, but they’ll actually need to do it on the floor for it to count.