Detroit Pistons Summer League: There’s more than just Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham dreamed of being the number one pick his whole life last night he accomplished that goal. Cartier Cade is officially a Piston and the fanbase is ecstatic. He’s the future of the organization and the centerpiece moving forward. We spoke on him earlier in this article so I’ll keep it short with him. He’s a all star in the making and will be a fixture on the soil for years to come.
Isaiah Livers will more than likely be the one to crack the rotation out of the latter picks. At the University of Michigan he had a stat line of 13.1 points 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a senior. He’s got NBA range and can be a prototypical stretch four off the bench. With the recent trade of Mason Plumlee he’ll have a opportunity but his first impression is key he needs to hit the ground running.
Luka Garza the big man out of Iowa has everything you would want in a four year player. He averaged 24.1 points rebounded well with 8.7 and also contributed 1.6 blocks. The former two time Big Ten player of the year has a polished game all around. His age could be why he was available with the 52nd pick. He’s a grown man and plays the game the right way. He will probably see heavy minutes during his stint in the desert and could be a solid contributor on the summer league roster. He will need to show improvements defensively. If Garza can prove to be agile in pick and roll he could have a permanent roster spot moving forward.
Balsa Koprivica is a Bosnian basketball player and product of Montverde Academy. The legendary school has provide the league with some of its most exciting stars. It also happens to be where fellow rookie Cade Cunningham went to high school. The two played together in 2019 Balsa was a senior on that team while Cade was a junior. The Florida State center averaged 9.1 points 5.6 rebounds and a little over a block a game. He’s a scrappy big with a good motor. It should be interesting to see him and Cade reunited even if it’s just for summer league play.