If the Detroit Pistons end up in the top-five of the draft, there is a good chance they will take a guard, so they have to consider how that player will fit with Killian Hayes.
Cade Cunningham is currently the consensus number one pick, though guys like Jalen Suggs and Evan Mobley certainly helped their cases with strong tournaments.
If the Detroit Pistons lucked out and got the number one pick, Cunningham would certainly be an option even though they already have a young point guard in Killian Hayes.
Fans often worry about “fit” way before it is necessary, as the Detroit Pistons are still rebuilding and need to amass as much talent as possible regardless of position.
Troy Weaver will take the best player available no matter what position they play, even if it means shuffling around some of the players they already have.
But it’s fair to wonder what a backcourt of Hayes and Cunningham would look like, so let’s indulge for a minute and pretend it happened. Here is why this pairing could be special.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham can play off the ball
Cunningham played point guard this season but he is no stranger to playing off the ball. He is more of a scorer than a facilitator at this point, so there is no reason he couldn’t play the two-guard alongside Killian Hayes at the point.
Cunningham has the size of a wing, so he can play all over the place, and given that he was a 40 percent 3-point shooter in college, he might be best served playing more off the ball.
Cunningham also averaged four turnovers per game in college, which is not great, though he did have a very high usage rate.
Killian Hayes has shown himself to be a gifted passer but his scoring is still coming around, so he could continue to run the point.
Both guys have the size to play either guard position or even on the wing, so who brings the ball up the floor shouldn’t really matter. In fact, having two big point guards would be a huge advantage.
Detroit Pistons: Teams need more than one playmaker
The funniest argument I’ve heard against the Pistons drafting another point guard is “they already have a playmaker in Killian Hayes!”
Ah, I didn’t realize you were only allowed to have one.
All of the best teams have more than one guy who can make plays for himself and others, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with having two point guards on the perimeter, especially when they are both huge.
Having two guys who can handle the ball and make plays would make the Detroit Pistons very difficult to defend and match up against, especially when you consider one of them is 6-foot-five and the other is 6-foot-8.
Who exactly is going to be able to defend these two?
Teams that only have one ball-dominant point guard are a lot easier to defend than ones that have two guys who can beat you off the dribble, get into the lane and make plays.
One of Hayes’ biggest perceived strengths coming into the league was his ability to run the pick-and-roll. Imagine him running it with a guy who can shoot from range or take it to the hoop himself.
Fans get too worked up about position in what is rapidly becoming a positionless league. Guys like LeBron James, James Harden and Zion Williamson have changed what it means to be a “point guard” and shown that ability means more than trying to pigeonhole a guy into a position.
Both Hayes and Cunningham are versatile and big playmakers and it doesn’t really matter what position they play.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes could dominate defensively
Killian Hayes has already shown the potential to be an elite perimeter defender in the NBA, which is another one of the reasons the Pistons were so high on him.
They knew his scoring was going to be a work in progress but he came into the league ready to pass and defend.
Cunningham has the size and hands to be a plus defender as well, and would give the Detroit Pistons one of the biggest backcourts in the entire NBA.
Troy Weaver seems to have an affinity for long players with athleticism who can defend multiple positions, so just think of the possibilities with two perimeter defenders who have the size of wings.
A lineup of Hayes, Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart would be fast, huge and extremely versatile on the defensive end. They could switch all over the place as all five guys can defend multiple spots.
It would really be an ideal defensive lineup for the modern NBA, as there wouldn’t be a defender to pinpoint for the pick-and-roll because they could all switch onto anyone.
The Detroit Pistons may not get the chance to draft Cade Cunningham and there are certainly other guys who would fit, but the idea of him and Hayes in the backcourt is very appealing and could give the Detroit Pistons a big advantage over most teams on both ends.