Detroit Pistons: Why fit does not matter with Cade Cunningham

When the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Draft Lottery, there was reason to celebrate in the Motor City. A season long odyssey of artfully tanking had reached its pinnacle: the Number One pick.

And as any fan of the league knows, winning the draft lottery this particular year means winning the right to select Cade Cunningham, a generational prospect with the potential to immediately turn around a franchise.

Jersey swaps of Cade Cunningham in a Pistons uniform have been popping up on Twitter for over a year, but now, after the draft lottery, it is a reality. Yup, Cade Cunningham is going to be a Detroit Piston.

Will the Detroit Pistons really draft Cade Cunningham?

Not so fast.

Jubilation among Pistons fans quickly turned to confusion. Even though a report came out that Cunningham would only work out for Detroit, the “sure thing” has gotten a little cloudy.

Detroit GM Troy Weaver has been quoted saying that he will evaluate all the top prospects and has not ruled out a trade. Pistons’ media members have stated that nothing is a sure thing and that the team will evaluate all scenarios.

The national media has taken it a step further by coming up with trade scenarios, some rather bizarre, seemingly trying to get Cunningham anywhere besides Detroit. There have even been questions about Cade’s “fit” with the current Pistons’ roster.

I’m here to tell you that all of this is a smokescreen. And most of all, I’m here to tell you that ‘fit’ should be the last thing that Pistons need to worry about when it comes to Cade Cunningham.

For a team in the Pistons’ position, fit should never be a question. It’s really simple: draft Cade Cunningham and worry about fitting the roster around him. Not the other way around.

Worrying about fitting in with a team that went 20-52, means they should fit around you.

Having the number one overall pick is a blessing. In drafting for talent, you never pass up generational players, especially when you are a rebuilding franchise in need of an offensive focal point.

Did the Cavaliers pass on LeBron James because they already had a solid small forward? What about the Pelicans with Zion Williamson, or the old Hornets with Anthony Davis? This is a similar situation. Cade Cunningham is the type of prospect you draft and don’t think twice.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about the actual fit. Drafting Cunningham wouldn’t even be ignoring fit, he fits on literally any NBA basketball team.

How does Cade Cunningham actually fit on the Detroit Pistons?

At 6-8, 220-pounds, Cunningham is built like a forward with the skills of a guard. He is a fluid athlete with the ability to play at different speeds, and make plays in a variety of ways. He has great ball control, footwork, and his overall feel for the game has been compared to some of the best ball-dominant players in the league.

In college, he showed a clear ability to be a knockdown shooter and get to his spots. It’s tough to find many question marks in his offensive game, that is why he i the consensus No. 1 pick. On defense, Cunningham possess all the physical tools needed to succeed. He has a 7-foot wingspan that could swallow up just about any average sized guard.

The biggest key here is versatility.

Fit is not an issue because Cade can play with the ball in his hands, on the wing, or even as a point forward. On the defensive end, he should be able to defend four different positions, similar to LeBron James, Ben Simmons, or Kawhi Leonard.

It’s this defensive versatility that really unlocks the flexibility. Given Cade’s ability to defend that many positions, and switch everything, you can pretty much roll him out there with any lineup. You’d be hard pressed to find an NBA roster you couldn’t plug him into right now.

Looking at the Pistons’ roster specifically, it is possible for Cunningham to play alongside last season’s No. 7 overall pick, Killian Hayes. Even though both have lead guard abilities, you can never have enough playmakers in today’s league.

Really the only potential pitfall of the Cade and Killian backcourt would be Hayes’ trouble shooting. Last season, he shot a brisk 35.3 percent from the floor and only 27.8 percent from three. These are bound to go up, but it’s always possible he might not find his groove shooting at a high level.

Given the current timeline in Detroit, the Pistons have some flexibility to play both guards together at least for this season, and watch their games grow together and evaluate. Given what we know about both players’ personalities, this should not be an issue.

Outside of just the Pistons’ guard situation, Cunningham fits perfectly with both Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart.  Both guys do not need the ball in their hands, and would benefit from the extra playmaking.

Jerami Grant would also benefit greatly in bringing in a primary creator. Much of the playmaking responsibilities would be lifted off his shoulders, and he could focus on being a flat-out scorer.

I think the biggest frustration for Detroit Pistons’ fans is that you should rarely consider roster fit with the number one draft pick. Even if we were looking at fit, Cade Cunningham plugs in perfectly.

In looking at trades, what additional assets would the front office be seeking? The goal of any draft pick is to have the opportunity to draft a player with as much potential as Cade. The Pistons have that right now.

There is no need to continue to look to the future, when the future of the franchise is staring you right in the face.

And when that “future of the franchise” possesses uncanny ball skills, knocks down the three with consistency, and defends four positions, you for sure don’t let a question about fit get in the way.