The Pistons are the ‘REAL DEAL’ 🗣️ Michael Malone RAVES about Detroit basketball | NBA Countdown

The Pistons are the ‘REAL DEAL’ 🗣️ Michael Malone RAVES about Detroit basketball | NBA Countdown

Well, USC was just crowned the champ of the Maui Invitational. There’s another trophy up for grabs in the NBA. It’s the penultimate night of group play in the NBA Cup. And that doesn’t just mean we get the wild courts. It means that over half a million dollars, they’re on the line for each player if they’re able to help their team and ugly to Las Vegas. Well, that’s quite a way to welcome these folks in. Welcome into NBA Countdown. He’s head coach Michael Malone. That’s Kendrick Perkins. He’s the people’s champ, Brian Worth. I’m Malikica Andrews. And there is nowhere I would rather be on this Thanksgiving eve than feasting with all of you on this triple header before the real feast uh tomorrow. Big park. How many plate do how many do you do? One plate. Do you do plates? Okay. Plates. Plural. Plural plates. So this is just the appetizer here for all of you. I’m thankful that we get to do this and I’m thankful for these three courses of hoops. And it tips off with the hottest team in the league. How about that? Say it with me now. Perk. It’s Detroit. Detroit basketball. The nasty boy. There’s 13 E there for 13 straight wins. How about that? The Pistons, they are streaking. Cade Cunningham looking sharp and leading the way. Averaging 29 points, 10 assists during the win streak, joining the greats like LeBron, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Luca Dantis has done it, too. And then Jaylen Duran having his best year to date. During the streak, he’s averaging 22-10, making almost 70% of his shots. The only other guy to do that during a win streak this long is Wilt. And as they try to set a new record tonight, their current 13game win streak already tied for the longest in team history. Each of the previous two times they did so, they won the title. Well, I caught up with Kade Cunningham ahead of tonight’s game. We’re joined now by Piston star Cade Cunningham. Kade, tonight against the Celtics, you are going for your 14th straight win. Two seasons ago, you won 14 games total. I know you had faith in the turnaround, but but is it hard to wrap your head around the improvements being this drastic and this fast? It has been fast. Um, it’s not hard for me to wrap my head around though. I’m still in it. You know, I think we’ve been winning these games because we deserve to win this these games. We’re playing harder teams. You know, the work that we put in over the last two years. It’s coming to fruition. Um, this didn’t happen by accident. You know, us having the success. So, you know, just to continue to take it game by game, day by day, and continue to get better. Um, we’re not where we want to be yet, but I think we’ll get there. Well, where you want to be, I imagine, is winning a championship. And the other times that the Pistons have won 13 straight games in 1990 in 2004. You know this, you won titles, the franchise did both seasons. Will you go three for three? Yeah, that’s the plan. Does it feel like your best opportunity to break through right now in the Eastern Conference? Yeah, I mean there’s no time like the present where we we have a sense of urgency about us that, you know, like you saying, we feel like the East is open. Um, we feel like we’re ready to keep the door in regardless of who’s in whatever conference or whatever. You know, it’s we like our team right now and um we’re willing to compete with anybody. And that’s what the beautiful thing is about the NBA is you see everybody and everything will get figured out sooner or later. Well, I I don’t know about that, but I do know about this, Kade. There’s a couple young stars that are becoming appointment TV in the NBA, and your name is right at the top of that list for me. I really appreciate you taking the time, my friend. Thank you. I appreciate you as well. Kate said there’s no better time than the present perk to kick down the door. And I’m not saying that that Detroit won’t be in in the in the conversation in May, but I I I I have every reason to believe they could. Oh, we’re singing. I keep hearing footsteps, baby. Sing it part. In a dog. In a dog. They hearing those footsteps. Is that what that was? That’s at above. Kenham is already a top 10 player in the league. the ones that’s ahead of him, they see him coming right now. And when you when I think about Cade, he’s giving me Luca Donic, LeBron James vibes, right? That perimeter player that’s 68, strong, physical, could score at all levels, and then make guys around him better. Coach, he’s second in the league behind Joic, averaging nine assists. No, he’s had an MVP caliber season right now. Jaylen Duran, his his partner in crime, my pick for most improved player early in this season right now, playing playing great. But what stands out to me with Kate Cunningham is the fourth quarter, he takes over. All right, let’s go to the video tape. I got two clips that show fourth quarter, Derek White picking him up. Early screen by Isaiah Stewart. Isaiah Stewart, another guy that’s not getting a lot of love or attention, doing his job. That unleashes Kate getting downhill. All that room to attack. He dips in and out to his left hand, hits a tough mid-range pullup. And this second clip, I talked about the Duran and Motic Cade connection. This is going to be fourth quarter late in the game against Dallas. One of the better pick and roll combos in the NBA. He’s not going to force the issue perk. He’s got three defenders looking at him. He’s going to find Dorne early on time on target. And Duran goes downhill. 11 points a game last year for Dorne. Over 20 this year. The Pistons are for real. How do you win in the modern NBA? You obviously have to have a star player. They got one. And you got to have depth. Tonight, JB Picker Staff has 12 guys in his rotation. 12. During this 13game winning streak, they’ve had seven different starting lineups. Okay, they got seven different guys right now averaging at least 10 points. In the modern NBA, especially to win in the regular season, you got to have that. So, if you have a couple of guys out, you can survive it. The Pistons are the epitome of it right now. Dan Danis Jenkins, who knew about him? 11 points a game. He’s on a two-way. No one knew about that kid. He’s out here hooping, so give him a lot of credit. and JB Bickerstaff, my pick for coach of the year. I know it’s early in November. Two years ago, that team won 14 games, lost 28 games in a row. Two years later, they are the class of the Eastern Conference early, but I love what JB is doing with that team and Cleveland didn’t want them. Well, next year they might be playing on Christmas Day if they keep this up. The franchise record is on the line on this cup night here for the Detroit Pistons. They’re seeking their 14th straight win, which is miraculous when you think about how we were talking about the Detroit Pistons just two years ago. Kate Cunningham has been steadying the ship through it all. Brian, yeah, you know, I think he’s got a tremendous amount of confidence that’s been built up late in the game. Coach, when they’re in trouble in the fourth quarter, they need a basket, they go to him. Leads the league, as we talked about earlier, but even more impressive from a team perspective, they’re 10 and one in clutch games. That’s the most clutch wins in the NBA. And for me, it also starts and ends in the paint. They dominate the paint. 59 paint points per game. Leads the NBA. That’s Cade. That’s Durham. That’s Isaiah Stewart. Seven baskets in the paint a game on average. Seven baskets in the paint. Six in the league in points in paint. Hey, Malikica. Knock knock knock. Who’s there? A man child. Jaylen Duran. Jaylen Dur. Oh no. I’m saying. But on his on his way, he’s knocking at the door being his first time allar. Giannis calling knock at the door getting paid. Yeah. Giannis call Anthony Towns. Y’all better lace y’all boots up and get ready to get y’all feet hot because this man child is ready. Averaging 20 and 10, shooting over 60% from the field. He’s standing on business right now and it’s scary. And when you don’t see young bigs like this come to the league already physically ready. The Boston starting center is out. You better stand on business in this. It’s time to get you out to Boston.

On NBA Countdown, Michael Malone, Kendrick Perkins and Brian Windhorst react to the Detroit Pistons’ hot start to the season.

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