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    • The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham focused more on team growth than personal accolades
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    The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham focused more on team growth than personal accolades

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Detroit – The start of the 2024-25 season will bring first-day-of-school feelings to several players around the league.

    In the Motor City, Cade Cunningham will make a splash when the Pistons open their season against a division opponent, the Indiana Pacers, on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena.

    Cunningham will enter the arena like a high school senior again as the former No. 1 pick begins his fourth year with the Pistons. At the end of the regular season, Cunningham will no longer be considered an NBA youth player as players with five or more years of experience will have achieved veteran status.

    There are a number of benchmarks Cunningham wants to achieve, and becoming an All-Star for the first time is at the top of his checklist. Cunningham isn’t too worried about it, though. That’s not his main focus.

    His main goal is to improve the Pistons and add more wins to the team’s win column.

    “It’s about me being the best version of myself for my team and trying to do my best every day and leading every day,” Cunningham said. “I think all of those things (All-Star and All-NBA awards) will come, but I’m not focused on making that the main goal for this year.”

    Winning has been Cunningham’s greatest desire since joining the team in the 2021 NBA Draft. After being selected with the top overall pick, he longed to free the Pistons from basketball purgatory. The year before Cunningham’s arrival, the Pistons finished the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season with a 20-52 record. However, since his arrival in Detroit, the Pistons have not won more than 23 games in a season.

    The constant defeat was disheartening, but the offseason rebuilding of the franchise restored Cunningham’s faith and hope. The Pistons finished Cunningham’s third season with a franchise-worst record of 14-68. During the offseason, the Pistons hired a new president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, and a new head coach, JB Bickerstaff, to lead the franchise’s resurgence.

    “I have a good feeling about us, I’m looking forward to the year,” said Cunningham. “There is a new energy here. I think the year is very exciting and a new beginning for everyone. I definitely expect a better year than last year.”

    Cunningham received a sample of Detroit’s improvements during the five-game preseason. The Pistons finished the game with a 3-2 record and demonstrated their growth on both ends of the court. One of the Pistons’ most significant improvements came on defense. They posted the third-best defensive rating in the preseason and held three opponents under 100 points.

    Although Detroit’s defensive improvements can be attributed to the personal development of several players, Cunningham credits Bickerstaff’s philosophy for the team’s continued development on defense. Last season, the Pistons were one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They ranked 26th in defensive rating and gave up an average of 119 points per game.

    “Coach JB and his staff just did a great job organizing us and putting us in a position to be successful,” Cunningham said. “The energy he brings, he is tough himself, and that means a lot to a young team. It means a lot to us to have this new energy and it makes us want to play hard for him.”

    Showcasing his individual development is the only personal goal Cunningham is looking forward to in the new season. After returning from a season-ending shin injury that limited him to twelve games in the 2022-23 season, Cunningham enjoyed a healthy offseason that did not require rehab.

    A healthy offseason gave Cunningham more time to focus on improving his ball-handling, shooting and defense. Any improvement in his qualities on the pitch could see Cunningham pick up a handful of personal awards by the end of the season. But as the face of a franchise, he wants to lead the Pistons to a year of revival before his graduation day in April.

    “I know how much this team means to the city and the organization’s trust in the role means a lot to me and I don’t take that lightly,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s going to be a great year for us. It was a great pre-season and I’m looking forward to next year.”

    Pistons open up against division rivals

    The Pistons begin the 2024-25 season against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m

    The season opener against the Pacers is the first of six opponents that qualified for the postseason in the 2023-24 season. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where their season ended with a 4-0 victory over the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics. Indiana took a 23-18 lead midway through the season after acquiring All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.

    “Anytime you add a weapon like that, it becomes difficult to defend you because they play so fast,” coach JB Bickerstaff said. “Now you add a guy (Siakam) in the four position who plays a unique style that puts even more stress on teams, his ability to create one-on-one situations, handle the ball, shape the game, That makes it difficult for them to defend.”

    Last season, the Pistons dropped their four-game regular season series against the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton averaged 21.3 points and 12.0 assists in two of four games against Detroit.

    “They get the ball out and across the half of the field extremely quickly,” Bickerstaff said. “You have to do a great job, first of all, taking care of the basketball. Second, get great shots so you don’t shoot bad shots that don’t have good ground balance. They are good.” Challenge. They are always well trained and put a lot of stress on you.

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    Pacemaker on the pistons

    ▶ Tip: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Little Caesars Arena

    ▶ TV/Radio: FDSND/97.1

    ▶ Piston injury report: Ausar Thompson, out, blood clot; Bobi Klintman is out with a bruised calf

    ▶ Planned starting lineups: Indiana Pacers: Guards Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard; forwards Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam; center, Myles Turner, Detroit Pistons: Guards Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey; forwards Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris; Center: Jalen Duren

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    Idris Bevan
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