After drafting Cade Cunningham with the number one pick, the Detroit Pistons are finally getting some attention from national media outlets, including ESPN.
Their panel of experts (in some cases this term is being used very generously) made predictions about the upcoming season about everything from MVP to who will win Rookie of the Year.
Sports books give Cade Cunningham the best odds to win the award, but the experts at ESPN disagreed, making Jalen Green their favorite by a wide margin.
This is not surprising, as it has become the trendy move to go against the grain and pick the outspoken Green over Cunningham, who has mostly just kept his mouth shut and gone about his business this offseason.
Green has had plenty to say about Detroit and has even riled a few legends from other sports, who weren’t happy about Green’s disrespect.
This should lead to a fun rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, with Green and Cunningham at the center of it as they battle it out for Rookie of the Year with their fellow draft picks.
I think both are fantastic players who have a shot at the award but in the end, Cunningham has some distinct advantages. Here is why ESPN is wrong.
The Detroit Pistons will be better than the Houston Rockets
The Pistons and Rockets were the two worst teams in the NBA last season, with the Pistons winning just 20 games and the Rockets notching 17 victories.
Both should be improved, largely because of the draft, but the Pistons were already a better team and have added pieces that will help them take the next logical step on their timeline.
With Cunningham and Kelly Olynyk on board to go with All-Rookies Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, not to mention potential All-Star Jerami Grant, the Pistons are in a better position to win next season than the Rockets, who are super talented but even younger than the Pistons.
They are also dealing with John Wall’s trade requests, so could be adding a bunch of new players, who will take some time to adjust. The Detroit Pistons are mostly bringing back the same group that was very competitive last season even though they didn’t win a lot.
With more continuity and chemistry, the Pistons are in a position to make a run at the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, and if they are being led by Cade Cunningham, he will be rewarded with the Rookie of the Year award.