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During the regular season, the Detroit Pistons had no problem in sticking to their identity as a tough, hard-nosed team that was prepared to beat teams up down low with a deep center rotation and an offense that revolved around driving to the basket.
With Cade Cunningham running the show, the Pistons won 60 games for only the third time in franchise history and seized hold of the Eastern Conference’s top seed in part due to his collaboration with Jalen Duren, who qualified for his first All-Star team along the way. But during the postseason, the Pistons faced stiff opposition in a seven-game first round series against the Orlando Magic before ultimately falling to a seven-game fate in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In that particular four-week timeframe, Duren’s production was virtually sliced in half as the big man faced drop coverage and extra help down low in a suffocating fashion. JD was no longer able to roll freely off setting screens and struggled to create for himself in the low post. As a result, the Pistons shot diet ramped up significantly in Cunningham’s direction since Detroit often needed a postseason spark, and the fifth-year point guard performed admirably with added weight on his shoulders.
Earlier in the year, Cunningham battled a lingering wrist injury before suffering a collapsed lung at the tail end of the regular season, and those obstacles paint his playoff success story in an even more impressive light. During the regular season, Cunningham shot 34.2% from three-point range, but the All-Star took even more high-leverage shots in the playoffs given the Pistons’ struggles elsewhere and started hitting his triples at a 40.2% rate. Perhaps some of that improvement could be traced back to a fully healed wrist, but Cunningham elevated his scoring from 23.9 points to 28.1 points per game in the postseason when Detroit had their backs against the wall.
In particular, Cunningham posted 45 points during game five against the Magic in a do-or-die game for the Pistons to stay alive, and Cade was responsible for back-to-back 30-point efforts that allowed Detroit to advance to the second round. When the Pistons needed a big play, Cunningham was their most reliable answer.
Now, the Pistons have worked tirelessly during the offseason to provide a more balanced squad around Cunningham so that he won’t need to have such a high perimeter usage in the playoffs, but he has proved that he can efficiently flex to that role if need be. Detroit would just like to supply Cunningham with options beyond the arc, and that strategy has been evident during the summer months with John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris entering the organization.
All four of those players have one very distinct trait in common— their reliability from long-range. Each of those four new Pistons shot triples at a minimum of 40% last season, so Cunningham should have a wide array of shooters spread out on the floor to utilize when opposing defenses tighten up their coverage moving forward.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage, but while you’re here, join Pistons Roundtable for FREE and become a contributing member to our community today. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.
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With Cade Cunningham running the show, the Pistons won 60 games for only the third time in franchise history and seized hold of the Eastern Conference’s top seed in part due to his collaboration with Jalen Duren, who qualified for his first All-Star team along the way. But during the postseason, the Pistons faced stiff opposition in a seven-game first round series against the Orlando Magic before ultimately falling to a seven-game fate in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In that particular four-week timeframe, Duren’s production was virtually sliced in half as the big man faced drop coverage and extra help down low in a suffocating fashion. JD was no longer able to roll freely off setting screens and struggled to create for himself in the low post. As a result, the Pistons shot diet ramped up significantly in Cunningham’s direction since Detroit often needed a postseason spark, and the fifth-year point guard performed admirably with added weight on his shoulders.
Earlier in the year, Cunningham battled a lingering wrist injury before suffering a collapsed lung at the tail end of the regular season, and those obstacles paint his playoff success story in an even more impressive light. During the regular season, Cunningham shot 34.2% from three-point range, but the All-Star took even more high-leverage shots in the playoffs given the Pistons’ struggles elsewhere and started hitting his triples at a 40.2% rate. Perhaps some of that improvement could be traced back to a fully healed wrist, but Cunningham elevated his scoring from 23.9 points to 28.1 points per game in the postseason when Detroit had their backs against the wall.
In particular, Cunningham posted 45 points during game five against the Magic in a do-or-die game for the Pistons to stay alive, and Cade was responsible for back-to-back 30-point efforts that allowed Detroit to advance to the second round. When the Pistons needed a big play, Cunningham was their most reliable answer.
Now, the Pistons have worked tirelessly during the offseason to provide a more balanced squad around Cunningham so that he won’t need to have such a high perimeter usage in the playoffs, but he has proved that he can efficiently flex to that role if need be. Detroit would just like to supply Cunningham with options beyond the arc, and that strategy has been evident during the summer months with John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris entering the organization.
All four of those players have one very distinct trait in common— their reliability from long-range. Each of those four new Pistons shot triples at a minimum of 40% last season, so Cunningham should have a wide array of shooters spread out on the floor to utilize when opposing defenses tighten up their coverage moving forward.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage, but while you’re here, join Pistons Roundtable for FREE and become a contributing member to our community today. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.
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