If you’re like me, then you didn’t sleep last night after the Detroit Pistons finally had some good luck in the NBA Draft Lottery and got the number one pick.
It was probably the greatest and most important night in recent Pistons’ history, as the team and fans have suffered for over a decade waiting for a star to build a team around.
They might finally get that star in Cade Cunningham, who is the consensus number one pick and a guy who has all of the tools to be a superstar in the NBA.
So, assuming the Detroit Pistons end up drafting Cunningham, let’s take a look at two different starting lineups they could deploy, depending on how they view Cunningham’s fit with Killian Hayes.
Detroit Pistons: Starting lineup with Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes
- PG-Killian Hayes
- SG- Cade Cunningham
- SF- Saddiq Bey
- PF- Jerami Grant
- C- Isaiah Stewart
This is the starting five that most Pistons’ fans would like to see but I could definitely see Dwane Casey making some tweaks and putting Mason Plumlee in there over Isaiah Stewart.
With Hayes struggling to shoot the ball it makes sense to pair him with Cunningham as the shooting guard. Some have questioned whether Cunningham will eventually play more off the ball, allowing Hayes to be the playmaker.
But Hayes also played off the ball a bit himself last season, so both he and Cunningham will definitely be handling the ball a lot.
This gives the Pistons a potentially elite defense, as all five guys would be able to defend multiple position, have good size and length and can run the floor. Cunningham provides some of the 3-point shooting they’ve been lacking and the Pistons now have three guys who can make plays and get their own shot. INJECT THIS INTO MY VEINS.
Detroit Pistons: Starting lineup with Killian Hayes coming off the bench
- PG- Cade Cunningham
- SG- Josh Jackson
- SF- Saddiq Bey
- PF- Jerami Grant
- C- Isaiah Stewart
There is also a possibility that the Pistons will choose to bring Killian Hayes off the bench and go with a little more experience in the starting five with Josh Jackson as the two with Cunningham.
There is a lot to like about this lineup too, as the Pistons would still be very long, extremely versatile on defense and would present all types of matchup problems on the other end with two huge guards in the backcourt.
The bench is likely to feature Frank Jackson, Hamidou Diallo (if they are both retained), Plumlee, Sekou Doumbouya and whatever free-agent shooters they can sign.
The Detroit Pistons had already assembled all of their role players, they just needed a star, and now they might have one on the way in Cade Cunningham.
This is a good time to be a Pistons’ fan and we are finally reaping the rewards of over a decade of suffering.