Can Cade Cunningham & Pistons take the next step?

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by Alex Golden to discuss Detroit’s outlook for the coming season and if the Pistons can be one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

You look at their rotation, a lot of the same names, very familiar with what we saw last season with Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Saddiq Bey, and Jaden Ivey, Cade Cunningham, getting Jaden Ivey back, that is probably the big X factor for Detroit this season after he missed the majority of last year.

Can Ivey be a great shooter next to Cade as a floor spacer, and be a secondary creator, much needed next to Cade Cunningham.

To me, that’s one of the number one things I’ll be watching for: what type of leap does Jaden Ivey take?

Yeah, I mean last year when he played, he played 30 games, 17.6 points per game.

I mean, he was really taking a step forward, and then of course had a tough injury that kept him out for the rest of the year, and that’s basically when Saddiq Bey came back, and Saddiq Bey came back from his blood clot injury, and that’s when the Pistons really started taking off.

So I think it’s a combination of both Ivey and Bey, just kind of showcasing like they can be the 23, 4 for Cunningham because to me, obviously, there’s, there’s, I’m curious your thoughts on this too, but there is a question if he could be the second best player in the Eastern Conference behind Giannis.

I think a lot of people probably put Jalen Brunson right there, but I think Cade showed as much in the series against the Knicks, that he can be one of those guys, and I think defensively he just brings it at another level than Jalen Brunson does as well.

But for Jaden Ivey, I think a lot of people are curious, can he kind of fill that void that you’re gonna have with no Malik Beasley?

Tim Hardaway Jr. Was a really nice piece for them last year that fit their system exactly how they wanted it.

And then I was actually a big fan of the Dennis Schroder they got.

I felt like having that secondary ball handler really helped alleviate some of the pressure that you saw Cade Cunningham having to deal with before they got him.

So Im curious, can Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson kind of fill some of those shoes with the pieces they lost?

I wonder if the Pistons could end up a trade team because they got Tobias Harris at $26 million expiring, Isaiah Stewart at $15 million this season.

And next season.

And so there’s a team option also on the third year of that deal for Stewart.

So they have $41 million with just those two guys combined.

They have all of their future first-round draft picks.

They have a number of appealing young players, of course, you don’t necessarily want to trade those guys, but Otar Thompson, Jay and Ivey, Ron Holland, these guys have value in great.

And, and so I, I wonder what the Pistons, if this team, let’s say Cade Cunningham does become the second best player in the Eastern Conference over the course of the first half of the year.

Of course, no Haliburton, no Jayson Tatum, but let’s just say he surpassed some of those guys ahead of him.

What if this team feels like there’s just a move away, like, why could they not be one of those teams that tries to make a big-time offer for a Lowry, Markkanen type of guy with Utah, when they have the salaries to make that fit?

They have the pieces and the picks.

To me, the Pistons are one of those teams where if Cade plays himself into like all-NBA lock category.

They’re a team that should be looking to make a move to try to capitalize on that to try to make a big run because the East is wide open, man.

Like it, it, it.

Can Cade Cunningham & Pistons take the next step?

Tags: