The Detroit Pistons got their first Summer League win, defeating the New York Knicks behind a big shooting night from Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons were able to build a 20 point lead in the third quarter before the Knicks came back and made it close, but Detroit was able to hold on for the win.
There were some interesting potential matchups in this one, some of which we didn’t get to see as coaches used new rotations and a couple of Summer League regulars stayed on the bench.
The Piston’s starters played big minutes as they tried to get reps in the next-to-last game.
Here are three takeaways from an exciting showing from Cade Cunningham and the young Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: What happened to Sekou Doumbouya?
I was looking forward to seeing Sekou Doumbouya on Obi Toppin, but Doumbouya didn’t play and Toppin ended up scoring 31 points.
It was announced that Sekou would miss the rest of the Summer League for “personal reasons” which is a shame, as I liked how he was playing defensively, which is how he’ll earn minutes on this team.
Summer League is ultimately meaningless, but it is a chance for guys like Doumbouya to show what they’ve been working on in the offseason and to start jelling with teammates.
I don’t know the details of why Doumbouya won’t be in the final two games but this just seems like another setback for a guy who can’t seem to catch a break.
Hopefully, everything is fine with Sekou Doumbouya and he won’t have to miss any more of the offseason, as he already seems like the guy who could be the odd man out when the games get real.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham can shoot
It’s interesting that one of the things that often gets overlooked when talking about Cade Cunningham is that the guy can really shoot the 3-point shot.
People tend to focus on his size, passing, defense and intangibles but fail to mention that he shot over 40 percent from 3-point range last season and is going to have some huge scoring nights in the NBA.
He put a little of that on display last night, knocking down 7-of-10 from long range and finishing with 24 points and seven rebounds.
He and Killian Hayes had a nice little two-man game going at times and Hayes was able to find Cunningham for several open 3-point shots, including the one that more or less sealed the game.
Cunningham also showed that he can get them himself, pulling up off the dribble a couple of times and nailing them right in the defender’s face.
He and Hayes also played good defense on the perimeter, holding Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride to just 2-of-14 shooting from long range after they had lit up the scoreboard the game before.
Cade Cunningham gave a small glimpse of why he was the overall #1 pick and why many believe he is destined to be a superstar.
Detroit Pistons: Turnovers and 3-point shooting
The Detroit Pistons had problems with turnovers and 3-point shooting last season, so those are two numbers to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
The Pistons turned the ball over 20 times again in this one, which was disappointing, as they have not taken care of the ball very well in this entire Summer League.
I’m not going to get too worried yet, as a lot of these guys won’t be on the team, and the Pistons are featuring two young point guards who just met each other.
Summer League is sloppy but it will be something to watch once the games get real.
The Detroit Pistons made up for it by shooting the lights out, knocking down 18-of-36 from long range.
They have mostly struggled shooting 3-pointers (outside of Cade Cunningham) so it was nice to see a team effort from deep even though Cunningham accounted for seven of them himself.
Cunningham alone will help the Pistons woeful 3-point shooting and Detroit is hoping newcomer Kelly Olynyk can add some shooting from distance as well.
There is no time to enjoy the win, as the Pistons are right back at it today against the Lakers.